2004
In November of 2004, the citizens of Detroit overwhelmingly voted to return to a locally elected Board. The
legislature delayed the seating of a new board until January, 2006.
2005
In the November 2005 election, the citizens of Detroit chose their elected Board Members.
2006
In January 2006, the new locally elected Board members were sworn into office. They discovered the financial
status of the school district .That summer they were able to participate in the 2006/2007 budget. It was decided
to close an unprecedented 32 schools to address the state-created deficit.
The residents and parents did not agree with some of the expenditures which had taken place under the State
Reform Board reported on television by Tom Brokaw, such as the $40 million dollar renovation of the Fisher
Building, which the district did not own.
2009
An Emergency Financial Manager (EFM) was put in charge of DPS again in 2009 by then- Michigan Governor
Jennifer Granholm under the provisions of PA 72 of 1990, the Local Government Fiscal Responsibility Act.
The school community was promised by Granholm and incoming EFM Robert Bobb that the elected school
board would set academic policy while Bobb tried to fix the finances of DPS. Granholm and Bobb immediately
broke this promise whe