Parents Rally To Keep School For Disabled Kids
DETROIT (WWJ) - A group of parents and residents are protesting the closing of Oakman Elementary/Orthopedic School in Detroit -- that serves disabled students.
Timothy Wright Jr, a 9-year-old student, fears not being accepted at another school.
"I've been through a lot with them," Timothy said. "They helped me walk better, and if I go to a different school I wouldn't like the kids to pick on me."
District leaders say the school needs $900,000 in repairs and has declining attendance. However, Alia Moore, President of the Oakman Tiger Parent Group says that's not been proven.
She spoke live on WWJ Newsradio 950 during Thursday's protest.
"The $900,000 does not have a breakdown of the actual repairs that are needed," Moore said.
"And also he [Detroit Public Schools Emergency Manager Roy Roberts] said that our attendance had declined drastically by 50 percent since 2009 -- but I encourage everyone to get on the DPS website and look up Oakman. You can see clearly that our attendance has increased since 2009."
"Our school is thriving -- academically and educationally, and there's absolutely no reason why -- for us as parents -- why our school is being closed," Moore.
Students will primarily be relocated to Noble Elementary-Middle School.
