PONTAIC, Mich. – A partnership agreement was approved Monday between the Pontiac School District’s Board of Education and the Michigan Department of Education that ensures Pontiac High School and Walt Whitman Elementary will remain open.
The agreement reverses the previous course of action suggested by the state’s School Reform Office in January.
“No other district in Oakland County has an agreement of this nature,” Superintendent Kelley Williams said. “The wraparound support services offered by Oakland Schools, Oakland University, General Motors, which supports our STEM, robotics and attendance initiatives and our other partners, will ensure we continue to meet the benchmarks set for the District.”
The agreement adds monthly dialogue and accountability reports for the administration members, according to the district. The agreement also gives the district 24 months to meet a 3 to 5 percent growth target for student achievement in math, reading, attendance, climate and culture.
Three years ago, the school district entered into a consent agreement with the state to improve both its financial situation and academic performance.
The district has cut its deficit by 51 percent since entering the agreement, according to the district.