AT RISK?

SOUTHFIELD:

Russian when he arrived in
America two years ago.
Now he speaks fluent Eng-
lish, and he is doing quite
well in Mrs. Gales' Hebrew
class.
Many Soviet children are
filtering into the
Southfield schools.
Although no statistics
are on file, it has been
estimated that S-L's Jew-
ish enrollment was close to
30 percent in the 1970s.
Southfield High School,
also once home to many
Jewish - students, is now
predominantly black.
Although there are no
known statistics, teachers,
administrators and board
members said it is common
knowledge that Jewish
enrollment in Southfield
Public Schools is
diminishing as the Jewish
population migrates fur-
ther northwest.
"I know that Jewish stu-
dent enrollment is con-
siderably less," said Ken-
son Siver, the district's di-
rector of information who
has worked as a Southfield
teacher and administrator
for 25 years.
Of its 8,900 students to-
day, Southfield schools are
42 percent white, 56 per-
cent black and 2 percent
other, Dr. Siver said.
Southfield High is 75 per-
cent black, and 1,100
students throughout the
district are Chaldean.
"The racial component
has changed quickly," Dr.
Siver said. "It is too much
change, and it might speed
up white flight."

A recent population study
conducted by the Jewish
Federation showed that
Southfield — with 26,600
Jewish residents — is home
to more Jewish families
than any Detroit suburb.
Many Jews — primarily
young marrieds and Or-
thodox — are moving into
Southfield, yet many more
appear to have moved out.

The Federation study
estimated that 600 Jewish
families in Southfield will
move each year. Of those,
some may remain within
the city limits, but most
will migrate to the nor-
thwest suburbs of Farm-
ington Hills, West Bloom-

field, Bloomfield Hills and
as far as Novi and Com-
merce Township.
"I'm disappointed in the
movement of the Jewish
community," Dr. Siver
said. "I'd like to see the
Jewish presence maintain-
ed in Southfield. I am
hopeful. I am very pleased
to see the synagogue (Beth
Achim) voted to stay here.
(Beth Achim and B'nai
Moshe quashed plans to
merge last month, effec-
tively cancelling Beth
Achim's plans to leave
Southfield.)
"I am disappointed if
people are moving just to
follow the pack or because
they don't want to be in an
integrated neighborhood,"
Dr. Siver said. "People
move for different reasons,
and I respect that. But the
schools today are the same
as always — or even
better."
More Southfield students
than ever are attending
college, Dr. Siver said. In
the 1970s, 75 percent of the
graduating classes went to
college. At that time, the
dropout rate was 4.5 per-
cent.
Today, 88 percent of the
graduating class moves on
to college, and only 3.5 per-
cent drop out, Dr. Siver
said.
In recent years, both
Southfield and Southfield-
Lathrup high schools have
been recognized as ex-
emplary schools by the
U.S. Department of Edu-
cation. S-L has also been
recognized for the past
three years by the National
Council of Teachers of Eng-
lish as a Center of
Excellence.
In addition, the school
system had a 22-member
Citizens Task Force on the
Maintenance of School
Quality, Diversity and
Stability. The task force,
comprised of blacks and
whites, Chaldeans and
Jews, worked on a plan
that included promoting
programs that encourage
cross-cultural activities,
academic quality and
stability of the community.
Steve Kaplan is one of
Southfield's best cheer-
leaders. He is Jewish, pres-
ident of the Southfield

School Board and of the
Neighborhood Project
homeowner's group in the
city.
"There is a perception
that the quality of edu-
cation is down in
Southfield," Mr. Kaplan
said. "That is a mispercep-
tion. Our statistics belie
perception."
Steve and Lisa Kaplan
are parents. They do not
expect to leave Southfield,
and they plan to send their.
child to public schools.
"Is the Jewish commun-
ity at risk in Southfield?"
Mr. Kaplan asked. "There
are a number of Jewish
students who have left the
schools. Does it have a Jew-
ish identity? Some have
left and others send their
kids to private schools.
"As the Jewish popula-
tion declines, identity is
not as strong," he said.
"We're hoping to create a
magnet high school pro-
gram for math and science
to make it more attractive.
"It is one to two years
away," Mr. Kaplan said.
"In theory, we could retain
many Jewish families and
attract Jewish families
from other districts with
this program. But this is
just a theory."
School board member
Zelda Robinson, also Jew-
ish, - said Southfield schools
are "on the brink of a new
high."
This week, a 30-plus
member committee com-
prised of Superintendent
Marlene Davis, three

-

Gail Gales
teaches Hebrew
and English at
Southfield-
Lathrup. With
the Jewish
community
leaving
Southfield, she
wonders if there
will be enough
Jewish students
to justify the
district's
commitment to
Hebrew class.

school board members in-
cluding Mrs. Robinson,
principals, teachers,
parents and students will
meet to develop a strategic
plan for the next five years.
"This will provide a vi-
sion," Mrs. Robinson said.
"I am very encouraged and
enthusiastic about where
Southfield schools are go-
ing. We will have a real
plan that will make things
even better."
Mrs. Robinson knows
that many Jewish families
have left Southfield, yet
she cautions that Jews
never were in a majority
situation in the city or the
schools.
"It just seemed that
way," Mrs. Robinson said.
"People used to have more
kids than they do now.
"We want to keep our
community diverse," she
said. "We mourn every
Jewish family that moves
out." ❑

Despite negative
perceptions
attached to the
changing school
system,
Southfield
schools still rank
high with more
students than
ever attending
college. Below is
a scrap book
page of some of
the district's
accomplishments.

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Southfield-Lathrup
High Among States Most Outstanding Schools for '90-91

has hart named
one of
Mulligan's top secondary

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National Merit Corp.

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Announces 6 SPS Finalists
. 'Sharon Brash, Witham Frit...,

Brian Koh and Zachary Raderman of
Southrteld,Mluop High School sad
Steven Barak anilines Dimas of
Soodalidd High School have ban named
finalists in the 1990 Narional Mors
ScholanNp Competioce.
Mac students are among approximately
14400 high school seniors from across the
United Sates m be shoten as finalists in
Nis prestigious anoual competition
Moan! Merit Finalists are. nanon's
tw stalenu academically.

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