community

The day before the start of New York City's first school bus strike in 34 years, a long yellow bus pulled up at Public School 282 in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and the little bodies that popped out could be counted on one hand: Three.

Detroit Public Schools officials say two men who stole at least 38 computers from the district are now behind bars. A Detroit Public Schools police investigation, in conjunction with the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, led to the arrests and guilty pleas from Cornelius Johnson and Lewis Raymond Buyck, alleged gang members who stole multiple computers from the school system.

Quality education is without a doubt one of the necessary foundations for a thriving community. Excellent schools create excellent graduates, and that creates a pool of potential employees that can help attract business.

For a state accustomed to accolades for educational excellence, a D+ grade surely will earn scorn from defenders of the current system. Given what’s at stake, however, we should seize this criticism and take it as an opportunity for some self-reflection.

Tom Sirard, an Enfield (Conn.) Board of Education member from 2009 to 2011, was re-appointed to that board at Monday night's Town Council meeting. A Republican vacancy exists on the board due to the recent resignation of past vice chairman Chuck Johnson. The town charter calls for a replacement to be designated by the council.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich has appointed retired teacher Darryl Mehaffie to the Ohio state Board of Education. Mehaffie was sworn in privately yesterday in Columbus.

A student was shot and wounded at a rural California high school Thursday and a student suspect was taken into custody, officials said. The shooting occurred about 9 a.m. at Taft Union High School, a community of fewer than 10,000 people amid oil and natural gas production fields about 120 miles northwest of Los Angeles. A shotgun was used in the attack, officials said.

Using an online program available through e-centers, the Columbus (Miss.) Municipal School District is graduating more high school students. Read about the one-to-one nature of this program and the wealth of metrics it offers the district.