DETROIT (AP) — A report says state officials have reached a tentative agreement that would avoid the closure of Benton Harbor’s high schools and dissolution of its district.
The Detroit News reports the deal was reached Wednesday in a meeting among Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s staff, Benton Harbor school officials and members of the state education and treasury departments. The deal still needs approval from Benton Harbor’s school board.
The newspaper says a copy of the tentative agreement wasn’t immediately available.
Whitmer spokeswoman Tiffany Brown says the plan requires the school district “to meet attainable benchmarks and goals to show improvement in academic outcomes among Benton Harbor area students while stabilizing the finances of the district.”
Whitmer, a Democrat, has faced criticism in predominantly black Benton Harbor over potentially closing the schools under a turnaround proposal.
