Plummeting enrollment continues to vex the Detroit public schools, prompting district managers to issue layoff notices to 430 teachers—about 6 percent of the teaching corps.
Lekan Oguntoyinbo, a spokesman for the district, said the final enrollment figure—expected on Nov. 15—will determine how much state aid the district will receive and whether staff members must be laid off to balance the budget.
The district’s contract with the Detroit Federation of Teachers requires a 60-day notice for possible layoffs.
Officials were braced to lose about 9,000 students from last year’s enrollment of 129,000. Now, Mr. Oguntoyinbo said, they are projecting a drop of about 14,000 students, which could mean a loss of $35 million in state aid.
District officials have blamed the further enrollment erosion on a 16-day teachers’ strike this fall. Teachers’ union leaders have said it is due to a population decline, competition from charters, and neighboring districts that are recruiting students.
