For the first time, the state of Michigan is planning to close public schools for academic reasons. The Michigan School Reform Office said Friday 38 schools are failing and subject to closure.
Some schools may not close if state officials decide it would pose an unreasonable hardship for students because no better options are available.
More than half of the 38 schools are in Detroit. The others are in Benton Harbor, Bridgeport, East Detroit, Kalamazoo, Pontiac, River Rouge and Saginaw.
The law allows for state-ordered school closures if chronically underperforming schools have not improved despite receiving other forms of intervention.
The closure option had gone unused.
Also Friday, 79 "priority" schools were freed from state intervention - the first time more schools were released than were flagged for intervention.
