Bobb on extending stay at DPS: 'I'm in'

Marisa Schultz / The Detroit News

Detroit -- Robert Bobb today issued his strongest statements yet about his willingness to stay on as Emergency Financial Manager of Detroit Public Schools beyond his one-year contract that expires in March

"I'm in," he said, speaking on the Paul W. Smith show on WJR-AM (760), an apparent reference to the district's "I'm In" enrollment campaign, geared at stemming the loss of students in the district.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who appointed Bobb to clean up the district's finances, recently offered to extend his contract.

"That's my goal," Bobb said. "That's where I want to be. Hopefully these matters can be executed as quickly as possible so we can move on. It is important to have some continuity to move DPS forward."

Bobb has drawn praise from supporters for making needed decisions to cut costs and close schools, while vigorously investigating waste, fraud and corruption in the district. But he's also garnered resistance from school board members and other activists in the community for laying off teachers and staff while turning to private educational management firms to help oversee high schools and hiring private consultants. Bobb and the board are embroiled in civil litigation over who has control over what in the district.

As of now, DPS has overspent more than $21 million this year, mainly a result of having to pay off past balances immediately in order to negotiate lower vendor prices, Bobb has said.

A big gauge of Bobb's support in the district will be on Nov. 3, when voters will be asked to approve a $500.5 million bond proposal that Bobb says is needed to renovate eight schools and build eight others, at no tax hike to voters. The City Council has supported Bobb's effort.

However, the school board and activist groups like By Any Means Necessary have not supported Proposal S, saying, among other things, it will ultimately cost homeowners money at a time when they can't afford it, and there's too much uncertainty over whether the district will be operated by a locally elected school board or state officials.

mschultz@detnews.com (313) 222-2310