MUSKEGON HEIGHTS, Mich. — A bill that would forgive millions in debt for the Muskegon Heights school district is now awaiting Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's approval.
House Bill 4292, which was first introduced in March, would forgive more than $114 million for five different school districts in Michigan, including the Muskegon Heights Public School Academy System.
Currently, the school district owes the state more than $31 million. Superintendent Reedell Holmes said the district has been dealing with this debt for about a decade, and that it would take the district until 2044 to pay it off.
The district has been partly managed by the state for more than a decade. Management firms like New Paradigm for Education have caused frustration for parents and teachers. In 2022, the district grappled with curriculum and staffing issues.
Holmes said if the bill is passed, the district would be able to handle the responsibility of operating the schools on their own.
"I believe they're in good hands, because that's my, I surround myself with good people, you know, good staff, people who are able and willing and have the knowledge and the wisdom to help us move forward as a team," he said. "It's gonna be a team effort, it's not gonna be big I, little you, it's gonna be us, it's gonna be a team of people who are working for our most valuable resources. And those are children."
If signed, the bill would allow the district to have its own HR department and dedicated staff to be in charge of their curriculum.
Holmes said one of the district's school boards would be dissolved, and that the transition could take up to a year if the bill is signed.
There's no timeline as to when this bill could be signed.
The district originally planned to hold a press conference Thursday afternoon with city leaders, but it was later canceled.
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