Student decline will be costly to HPS

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By Charles Sercombe
Hamtramck Public Schools now has more than one financial blow to deal with.
Not only does the district have to grapple with the loss of $750,000 a year for building maintenance from the consistent defeat of a school millage renewal, but also less money due to the loss of students enrolled.
According to the district, there are about 109 fewer students enrolled in the schools compared to last year — which translates to a loss of about $9,600 per student of state financial support.
That will amount to a financial hit of a little over $1 million.
According to the district’s head count, there are 2,953 students enrolled this year compared to 3,062 last year, which is according to state figures.
It is unknown, at this point, what the district plans to do to beef up enrollment for next year. Unlike in previous years, there was little effort by the district to attract students this school year.
The Board of Education did not meet in November, and school Superintendent Jaleelah Ahmed has not responded to emails from The Review.
The board will be meeting this month on Dec. 13.
The district suffered a financial blow this year when voters twice overwhelmingly rejected a 3-mill tax renewal for district maintenance costs.
The district can continue to seek voter approval for the millage renewal, which would last for 10 years, but it appears there is little chance voters will be swayed, at least in the near future.
While Superintendent Ahmed did not respond to requests for comment by The Review, she did post a letter on the subject in the district’s Facebook page.
She said, in part:
“Moving forward, we remain dedicated to providing the best educational experience and opportunities for our students. We will continue to seek solutions, to adapt, and to overcome challenges with the same resolve we’ve always had. Your feedback, involvement, and advocacy for our schools are critical as we navigate the path ahead. …
“Let’s view this not as a setback, but as a stepping stone to engage in deeper conversations and to explore new avenues for progress.”
Posted Dec. 1, 2023