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DETROIT (AP) — Some Detroit schools were closed again Wednesday due to the absence of teachers, but it was the smallest number since a so-called sick-out gathered momentum this week over issues such as pay and the condition of buildings.
Meanwhile, a state lawmaker said he would introduce two bills Thursday that could start the process of overhauling the Detroit district, which is burdened by debt, falling enrollment and low morale among employees.
Republican Sen. Goeff Hansen said teacher absences, however, could sour the GOP-controlled Legislature's resolve to address the problem. Teacher strikes are illegal in Michigan.
"We need kids in the classroom," Hansen said.
The district reported at least five closings Wednesday, compared with about two dozen on Tuesday and more than 60 on Monday. At the peak, tens of thousands of students were forced to stay home. Detroit has about 46,000 students.
Teachers are upset over class sizes, pay, the condition of buildings and a plan by Gov. Rick Snyder to deal with millions of debt by creating a new district. Already, the district is run by an emergency manager appointed by the Republican governor.
Teacher and activist Steve Conn said he called in sick Monday.
"I think we're headed to an all-out strike. It's the only way we can solve it," said Conn, former president of the teachers union.
Detroit building and health officials will begin inspecting all schools for possible code and safety violations, Mayor Mike Duggan's office said Wednesday in a release.
The inspections follow visits Duggan made Tuesday to several schools after the teachers union complained of rodents, mold and other problems.
Duggan told reporters he saw a dead mouse, children wearing coats in cold classrooms and a gym floor too warped for play.
Twenty buildings believed to be the most problematic will be inspected by the end of January. Each of the district's 97 school buildings is to be looked at by the end of April. Public charter schools also will be inspected.
"This effort isn't about blaming anybody," Duggan said of the inspections. "It's about making sure that every child and every teacher in Detroit goes to school in a safe and healthy environment."
Parents, teachers and students are asked to report potential health and safety concerns on the city's website.
"These are things that we have been saying for years and years and years. ... We had to cause an interruption," teacher Nina Chacker told FOX 2 Detroit.
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