When Gov. Jennifer Granholm appointed Bobb, DPS was hemorrhaging red ink. He was enthusiastically welcomed by city, regional and state leaders like a rock star. His arrival was viewed as long overdue and critically necessary.

Bobb’s base salary rose to $280,000 and philanthropic organizations chipped in another $145,000 in supplemental income. But his salary wasn’t the only obscene increase. Under this tutelage, the DPS deficit grew from $219 million to an esti­mated at $327 million.

The most serious issue affecting the bottom line is the bottom falling out of student enrollments. The district lost more than 100,000 students since 1999. Last year, DPS had about 84,000. Preliminary numbers from the statewide Sept. 29 en­rollment count has the district pegged at 73,460 students, a nearly 3-percent decrease from last year. Since the district receives about $7,600 per student, enrollment is the equivalent of tax base. This year’s enrollment decline means the district will get $19 million less from the state than expected, making deeper cuts necessary.

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20101206/MIVIEW/12060353/No-Bobb-miracle–Detroit-schools-have-failed#ixzz17L1d0YCU