Hundreds of school employees in Detroit did not get paid on schedule this week.
District spokeswoman Michelle Zdrodowski told the Detroit News that “a variety of technical issues arose that affected a cross-section of school employees, adding that the delay was “in no way” related to whether the district had enough money to cover payroll.
Some district employees did get paid on Tuesday as scheduled. The district did not release figures on how many though.
“We are confident that we will resolve all of the existing issues, which are an extremely rare occurrence, between (Tuesday) and Friday,” Zdrodowski told the newspaper. “We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause our employees.”
The Detroit school system has run a budget deficit in nine of the past 11 fiscal years, with a net accumulated deficit of more than $1 billion during that period.
Four state-appointed emergency managers have been named in the past six years, with Darnell Earley being appointed in January.
Budget problems have beset the district for decades. An Education Week story from 1989 detailed the district’s plans to close schools and administrative offices, eliminate varsity athletics, end busing for nearly 10,000 students, and cut spending on textbooks, adult education, and school maintenance.
Related Stories
Emergency Manager for Detroit Schools Rolls Out Restructuring Plan
Michigan Governor Appoints New Emergency Manager for Detroit Schools
Detroit School District Again Facing Deficit, Threat of State Action
Crisis Financial Manager Tries to Fix Detroit Schools’ Budget