The emergency financial manager for Detroit public schools says 44 schools and a support building will close in June as the district addresses budget issues and declining enrollment.
Six more schools are slated to close in June, 2011, and seven more will close a year later.
Robert Bobb publicly announced the closures at a Wednesday news conference as part of a proposed five-year plan to reorganize and create a leaner district.
The closures are in addition to the shuttering of 29 schools prior to last fall.
Many of the current programs will be moved to other school buildings. Bond money would be used to build new schools in targeted neighborhoods throughout Detroit.
The 87,700-student district faces a deficit of at least $219 million. Full-time enrollment is projected to drop to about 56,000 by 2015.