Judge refuses to block elementary closing in Bloomfield Hills (Mich.) district

A judge in Michigan has refused to issue an injunction to stop the Bloomfield Hills school district from closing Pine Lake Elementary School. But the judge scheduled a pretrial hearing for next week, saying "this case is still alive and kicking." Pine Lake school, in West Bloomfield, is one of two elementary schools that the Bloomfield Hills school board voted to close at the end of the school year. The other is Hickory Grove in Bloomfield Hills. Some parents have sued to keep Pine Lake open; their case hinges on a deed restriction on part of the Pine Lake property.
Read The Detroit Free Press article.

FROM FEBRUARY 2009: After months of meetings, the Bloomfield Hills (Mich.) school board has voted to close two elementaries, Hickory Grove and Pine Lake. The district expects to save at least $2.3 million by closing the campuses. Nearly 650 students will be affected when the schools close in June.
To read The Detroit News article, click here.

EARLIER: Hickory Grove Elementary is the only school in the upscale Bloomfield Hills (Mich.) district that has enough low-income students to qualify for federally subsidized lunches. It's also the most racially diverse elementary school in the district. Despite these distinctions -- perhaps because of them, some parents say -- the school is one of two a committee has recommended for closure at the end of the school year. The district denies race was a factor. It says the school was recommended for closure because fewer students will have to switch schools than in other scenarios.
To read The Detroit Free Press article, click here.