KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — The Kalamazoo Public Schools Board of Education on Thursday unanimously approved an agreement with the state that will allow two struggling schools to stay open.
In January, Washington Writers’ Academy and Woodward School for Technology and Research were placed on the Michigan School Reform Office’s list of 38 failing public schools, making them subject to closure. In February, the school district took legal action, saying the state doesn’t have the authority to close the schools.
The new deal with the state outlines 18- and 36-month goals for the two schools. The 18-month goals include a 3 percent decrease in the gap between the schools’ figures and the state average in reading and math proficiency. That benchmark increases to 6 percent in 36 months.
“It’s important to note that those seven process initiatives extend, expand deepen work we have been doing in the district over the last few years,” Dr. Michael Rice, superintendent of Kalamazoo Public Schools, said during the Thursday board meeting at which the deal was approved.
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