Officials prepare for celebration of "The Kalamazoo Promise"

WOOD TV 8 Grand Rapids ^ | November 14, 2005

[MaryFromMichigan]

​ ​​​​(Kalamazoo, November 14, 2005, 8:19 a.m.) School and community leaders will gather at 8 a.m. Tuesday at Chenery Auditorium to celebrate "The Kalamazoo Promise ," which will offer free college tuition to public high school graduates.

It is a program that is expected to boost enrollment in Kalamazoo public schools. Every student in the Kalamazoo Public School District is entitled to a scholarship to any public university or community college in Michigan, starting with the class of 2006.

A group of anonymous donors is underwriting the program. Eligibility for this program is based on how long the student attends Kalamazoo public schools.

To receive any assistance, a student must live the Kalamazoo Public School District and would have had to attend since at least ninth grade. Sixty-five percent of that student's tuition would be paid.

The scale goes up from there, with eighth graders receiving 70 percent of their tuition paid, 75 percent for seventh graders, 80 percent for sixth, 85 percent for fifth, 90 percent for fourth, and 95 for first through third graders. Students attending schools in the district from kindergarten through high school graduation will have 100 percent of their tuition and fees paid.div>

[MaryFromMichigan]

Not your tax dollars at work, but anonymous donors, possibly with a $500 million endowment.
100% paid tuition for every graduate of Kalamazoo schools who goes to a public college or university in Michigan.

"It is an idea so big that it could change the way of life in Kalamazoo, including the schools, housing market, jobs and industry. Every student in the Kalamazoo Public School District is entitled to a scholarship to any public university or community college in Michigan, starting with the class of 2006."

[Jeff Head]

Sounds like the public schools in Kalamazoo must be in a real mess to have to bribe the parents to send them there like this.

[MaryFromMichigan]

Yes, not enough to make us move there.

[NonValueAdded]

But would a Kalamazoo education qualify you for entry to any of the public colleges or university in Michigan?

[MaryFromMichigan]

Can you fix my title?
Dunno how I messed it up so badly.
Newbie error, I guess.

[EQAndyBuzz]

If NARAL, ACT and MOVEON took their abortion and anti American money and instead put it towards plans like this, the country would be better off and RATS would have a better shot at getting into office.

hehe... shhhh. Don't tell them.

[Diva Betsy Ross]

I went to school in Kalamazoo, for college. There are lots of homeschoolers in Kalamazoo.

[MaryFromMichigan]

Pinging some Michiganders.
I don't post threads very often, in fact, this is number 21.

Just in case you haven't seen this yet.

[Diva Betsy Ross]

It is a great business plan to improve the city- if they have the money. Perhaps we will see a drop in parents pushing their children to play soccer for a scholarship now that they can get a scholarship for actually going to school. Hmmm.....

[Diva Betsy Ross]

I love Michigan. I grew up there (east side) and still spend every summer on the west side. Gosh I love that little mitten. ;]

[Jeff Head]

Ah...so this may be a part of what this is about. Gotta find a way to get more of those homeschooling kids back into the liberal establishment. They think they can buy them back in do they?

[DumpsterDiver]

I went to school in Kalamazoo, for college.

I attended Vine Street Elementary School in Kazoo. (Then my parents moved and I was forced to leave.)

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

In other news, colleges in Michigan jointly announced a 150 per cent tuition hike (heh-heh).

[Diva Betsy Ross]

Truthfully, I don't know if it is about getting the homeschoolers back- although I know that most districts do have some sort of plan to try to get them back. This seems a bit large scale for that. Kalamazoo could be a neat city and just isn't.

I think of the way Indianapolis was cleaned up and turned around with innovative city planning.

Part of the reason why Kalamazoo is a mess is because it is a drug trafficking area. It is half way between Chicago and Detroit. So you have those issues.

It was bad when I was there late 80's early 90's.

This could just be plan to improve the city and I can't fault them for trying a new and creative idea.

BUT ,I know this, as a homeschooler- I wouldn't take the bribe.

[Diva Betsy Ross]

Ah.. Vine street.

Yes, I remember Vine street. Well then you missed the whole "Elvis was spotted at Burger King near vine street", thingy... huh?

[Jeff Head]

BUT ,I know this, as a homeschooler- I wouldn't take the bribe

hehehe...exactly. People already pay a high price for homeschooling in most areas. But they do it for their children. It is unlikely, if this is directed at them, that they would cave for money when it is their childrens formative and overall welfare they are concerned about.

Like, "I know you don't want you kids in the lion's den...but if we promise to pay for treating their wounds (should they survive), would you reconsider?"

[DumpsterDiver]

"Elvis was spotted at Burger King near vine street", thingy... huh?

Burger King didn't even exist when I lived there. ;^)

I miss that city although I doubt if I would like it now. We moved from there in 1956 and I haven't been back there since 1976. Lots and lots of changes!

[stayathomemom]

I heard the superintendent of the Kalamazoo schools interviewed when this was first announced. The donors are doing it for financial reasons. I was wondering what it might do to the economy of Kalamazoo. Suppose a employer wants to transfer someone from Kalamazoo to another locale. I can see the employee refusing to leave if he has several children in the school system. It seems this could have economic ramifications that have not been considered and they might not all be good.

[grellis]

I've been kind of following this, and it never occurred to me that it was a ploy to bring homeschooled students back into the public school fold. I thought it was a clever way to lure young families to the area. From that aspect, it's not a bad idea--if you increase the number of residents, you broaden your property tax base and have more money going to schools.

Here in Lansing, we're in the process of swiping an inti-crime idea that Kazoo has used in the past--cul-de-sacking off certain streets in high-crime neighborhoods to disrupt the flow of drugs and johns. My neighborhood is (hopefully) going to be the first to put the plan into permanent action. We closed a number of our streets off, temporarily, two summers ago and the drop in crime was unbelievable. As soon as we un-barricaded the streets, crime went back up. They have done it permanently in Kazoo with very good results.

[Diva Betsy Ross]

yes- I agree please see my #11 HERE

I hope it works too, anytime a city can be cleaned up and children can get a good education and a plan and hope for a good future is a good day for me. I have no issue with the plan myself.