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It is the second
such action in as many weeks, with 64 of the district's 97
schools forced to close on Jan. 11 due to a high volume of
teacher absences.
The district said on Facebook the five schools that will be shut
on Wednesday were likely to be the first of possibly many.
Detroit Public Schools is drowning under $3.5 billion of debt
and needs to be rescued by the state of Michigan, according to a
report released this month by Citizens Research Council of
Michigan, a nonprofit public affairs group.
The district has been under state oversight since 2009, but
continues to struggle financially because of falling enrollment
and hefty pension and debt obligations.
Teachers have complained of crumbling infrastructure, mold in
the classrooms, leaky ceilings and too many students per class.
The Detroit News reports that teachers on Wednesday also plan to
hold a noon rally and vote on an ongoing program of calling in
sick until their demands are met.
(Reporting by Victoria Cavaliere in Los Angeles; Editing by
Alison Williams)
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