Detroit schools facing textbook problems

DETROIT, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- Public schools throughout Detroit are struggling to obtain enough textbooks and supplies for students 10 weeks into the school year, local officials said.

Detroit Federation of Teachers President Keith Johnson said even city schools like Kettering High School, which is supposed to be an elite school, are facing education difficulties thanks to textbook delivery problems in the state's largest school district, The Detroit News reported Thursday.

"It's not unique to Kettering," Johnson said. "I have done visitations of 69 schools and with just about every one of them there's been a problem with textbooks."

The textbook delivery problems arose after book suppliers refused to provide the school district, which is facing major financial problems, with textbooks on credit. The delivery issues have left Detroit's Cass Tech High School alone facing a deficit of more than 2,000 textbooks.

Detroit Public Schools spokeswoman Jennifer Mrozowski told the News that Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb is committed to solving the textbook problem despite deficit problems.

"While the situation at Kettering is different from our standard textbook delivery process, we acknowledge that we have much more work to do on streamlining our textbook delivery, which has been and continues to be a major concern of Robert Bobb's," said Mrozowski, referring to the special health program being offered at Kettering.