At a time of economic crisis where many children in low-income families are worrying about whether they’ll have food on their table, there’s one thing they don’t have to worry about: paying for a college education. At least that’s how things work for students in the Kalamazoo school district in Kalamazoo, Mich. Anonymous donors started a program called the Kalamazoo Promise in 2006, promising to pay for college for students who grew up in the Kalamazoo school system.
Kalamazoo, like many parts of Michigan, has suffered greatly over the past few decades. Numerous industries have left the area, and things were getting worse with no signs of hope in the near future. Then the “Promise” was made. Parents cried, Children rejoiced. It was a breath of life into a dying city. As expected, there are rules. Full tuition requires being in the Kalamazoo school system from kindergarten, but a sliding scale adjusts as long as a student is enrolled in a Kalamazoo school by their freshman year of high school, 65% of their tuition will be covered.
Of the class of 2006 (the first covered by the Promise), 92% have attended college and about 35% have received their degrees (compared to 63% & 23% nationally). College students aren’t the only ones who benefit, however. The Promise led to an influx of new students into the school system, when led 92 new teachers, upgraded facilities and bonds for new schools. Surrounding areas are even upgrading their education systems just to compete with Kalamazoo.
The New York Times story on the Promise has received a wide variety of reactions and comments, ranging from Promise success stories and similar stories of the benefits of free secondary education to people wondering what the nation would be like if everyone had the same opportunity. In an election year where education budgets are one again being threatened, the Promise is a ray of hope. The real question though, is will other cities follow suit?
MICHAEL ADAM RAY 