GUIDE: What Detroit school board candidates say about closing small schools

Detroit voters will choose five school board members in the Nov. 3 election: four for four-year terms and one for a shorter two-year term. There are 34 names on the ballot, though three people have said they are no longer running. The winners will help determine what happens to small schools in Detroit Public Schools Community District.

Each year the district publishes a list of small schools, meaning those where enrollment-based revenue falls short of what it costs to run programs and buildings. The current list has 19 schools. Some have shrinking enrollment, while others have unusual circumstances. Paul Robeson Malcolm X Academy, for example, lost students after it moved to another site while its building is replaced. The district's report says its funding should rebalance once it returns to the new building. Four schools from earlier lists have already shut down, and Thurgood Marshall Elementary-Middle School is slated to close when this school year ends. Superintendent Nikolai Vitti says that being listed does not mean a school is under consideration for closure.

Chalkbeat sent candidates a questionnaire on the issue, and 19 responded. Many opposed closing more schools, and one said a costly school that meets students' needs should stay open. Others said the district should examine how schools got to this point and look for ways to keep them open. The individual candidate answers are not included in the text provided.