02/16/2007

Editorial

Northport deserves praise, support for 'Promise' effort

Northport has seen the future, and unless things change that future doesn't include Northport public schools.

So they've decided to change it.

A group of supporters have announced the creation of the Northport Promise, a program that promises to pay college tuition for any Northport graduate who attends a Michigan school.

It is similar to the Kalamazoo Promise, a ground-breaking effort launched a few years ago that has helped bring 1,000 more students to Kalamazoo schools and given new hope to an entire generation of students — and their parents.

Northport surely won't see those kinds of numbers. And in all honesty, the Promise may not be enough. Two reasons the district has seen declining enrollment for years is that housing is pricey and jobs are scarce, a bad combination for a town that wants to attract young families with school-age children.

Organizers are well aware of that fact, and the district is doing a survey to help plot a long-term plan for growth. The Promise group is also planning more fundraising.

But they also realize that doing nothing is, in effect, writing the district's obituary. Enrollment has plunged from 309 students 10 years ago to 153 this school year. Projections show the decline continuing.

Promise organizers and district officials deserve credit for trying. The district's plight demands bold actions, and they've been willing to step up. A community can't ask for much more than that.

For more information about donating funds toward the Northport Promise, call the Leelanau Township Foundation at (231) 386-9000.