Governor Whitmer gives BHAS school board an extra week to come up with a plan

Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II participated in a town hall meeting about the state's proposal for Benton Harbor Area Schools Wednesday afternoon.

During Wednesday's meeting the Governor announced that she will postpone Friday's deadline to come up with a solution by one week to June 14th. 

"This problem that we're trying to confront was not created by anyone in this room it wasn't created by me it wasn't created by the school board it wasn't created by anyone and the kids most importantly it's a problem we've gotta confront," Michigan's Governor Gretchen Whitmer said. 

The problem the Benton Harbor Area Schools school district is facing according to the state of Michigan is a school district in over $16 million dollars of debt and that is falling behind academically according to the Whitmer administration.

The plan proposed by the state is to close Benton Harbor High School but keep K-8 open which the state says would save at least $700 dollars per student which is going towards paying the debt. 

Amid the tense debate between Governor Whitmer and the Benton Harbor community most community members stressed the importance of keeping the High School open.

Of the many community members that spoke at Wednesday's event most community members stressed that the central core of any plan enacted should include the Benton Harbor High School remaining open.