Chicago recently closed 48 neighborhood schools while Philadelphia has closed some 30 schools for the upcoming school year. Detroit has 80 unused buildings and there are plans to close another 28 schools. To be sure, there are shrinking school populations in each of these cities as there are in a number of other cities across America.
Not only are there fewer school age children, districts like the above are coping with large deficits. Yes, actions had to be taken.
All that being said, it doesn't mean that class sizes should increase or that programs like Art, Music, Physical Education and after-school programs ought to be gutted. It is not a reason to slash the budgets of those classrooms and schools that remain open. That is precisely what is taking place throughout the inner city schools of this country.
Schools that remain in the business of educating our youth need to have a full fledged, well run, and well financed building. Period. Cutting schools due to financial trouble and a lack of students is one thing. Gutting schools still needed and operating is quite another and is wrong on some very many levels.
Dick
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