Affidavit of Charles J. Wolfe

    No. 72-8002

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS 
FOR THE SIXTH CIRCUIT

BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE SCHOOL 
DISTRICT OF THE CITY OF DETROIT, 
a school district of the first 
class,

Appellant,
v s .

RONALD BRADLEY, et al, 
Appellees.

On Appeal from the United States District Court 
For the Eastern District of Michigan 

Southern Division

AFFIDAVIT OF CHARLES J. WOLFE



No. 72-8002

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS 
FOR THE SIXTH CIRCUIT

BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE SCHOOL 
DISTRICT OF THE CITY OF DETROIT, 
a school district of the first 
class,

Appellant,
vs.
RONALD BRADLEY, et al,

Appellees.

AFFIDAVIT OF CHARLES J. WOLFE

State of Michigan )
) s s .

County of Wayne )

CHARLES J. WOLFE,being first duly sworn, deposes 
and says as follows:

He is the Superintendent of Schools for the School 
District of the City of Detroit and that he is familiar with 
the financial situation in the Detroit District as more 
specifically set forth in the Affidavit of Harold Brown, Board 
of Education Business Manager. Thus, he recognizes that the 
school system could not operate because of finances beyond



early March, 1973, and has reviewed the effect of closing 
schools in February or early March, 1973, from an educational 
standpoint.

Because of the School District's uncertain financial 
future, it is difficult to determine whether the schools must 
close by early February, by mid-February or by mid-March, 1973. 
Such uncertainty is a disaster from an educational viewpoint.
Thus, he, as the District's chief education officer, has deter­
mined that it is to the advantage to the school children of the 
system that there be some degree of certainty in their course 
of instruction. Under these circumstances, this certainty can 
best be obtained by splitting the school year into two semesters 
rather than one semester and a second semester with an uncertain 
ending. He recommended to the school board that the Fall semester 
1972 end on December 21, 1972 and that the Spring semester 
commence on February 19, 1973, ending sometime in late April 
or early May, 1973. Even this plan cuts short the normal Spring 
semester ending. Nevertheless, the plan would save about 35 
days of school at a saving of a 1-1/4 Million Dollars per 
day between December 21, 1972 to February 19, 1973, which 35 
days could be tacked to the end of the Spring semester. This, 
in turn, would achieve 117 days of instruction, substantially 
less than the 180 days ordered by the District Court. Neverthe­
less, the course of instruction would be certain and would 
relieve anxieties of not knowing when the second semester

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would end. Your affiant prevailed on the Detroit Board of 
Education to accept this judgment and by resolution dated 
November 8, 1972, the Detroit Board of Education adopted 
the aforementioned shortened semester system. See Exhibit 
A attached hereto.

The above action of the Board on your affiant's 
recommendation was necessary because of the lack of finances 
and the fact that it is impossible to conduct 180 regular 
school days in the School District for the City of Detroit 
because of the unavailability of funds.

Subscribed and sworn to
before me this J / "-day of November, 1972.

■ - -r-> ..

Notary Public, Wayne County, Michigan 
My Commission expires :____'' ' -

3-



exhibit a

Motion Adopted at Special Meeting of 
----------Board of Education

November 8, 1972

In the event that we do not get court relief the 
academic calendar for the current school year shall be revised 

hat the present first semester shall end on December 21st 
and that the second semester for the current academic year shall 
begin on February 19th and end June 15, 1973.