After several weeks of legal arguments, Governor Snyder has reappointed an emergency manager for Highland Park schools.
A Highland Park Schools board member challenged the actions of the state’s financial review team, claiming it violated Michigan’s Open Meetings Act. Robert Davis said the review team’s decisions were made illegally behind closed doors.
A judge agreed and suspended the appointment of Jack Martin as the Highland Park Schools emergency manager.
So the state held an open public meeting on Feb. 22, waited seven days for an appeal, and today it reappointed Jack Martin to run Highland Park schools.
The district is more than $11 million dollars in the red, and enrollment has declined by almost 60 percent since 2006. It now has fewer than 1,000 students.
The governor’s office says Highland Parks Schools was unable able to meet its payroll for the third time last month, and received about $5 million over the past seven months in special hardship or cash advances.
