kalamazoo

Kalamazoo Michigan, population a little larger than Mansfield (77,000), is worth a close look for programs related to schools and rehabilitation/development. Anka Vaneff told me about their innovative schools initiative funded by anonymous donors that provides college tuition to kids who complete at least four continuous years in their system. Kids completing all 12 years get a 100% scholarship. I looked it up and it's called the Kalamazoo Promise and has been receiving national attention. According to the linked NPR article, it has spurred an increased enrollment of 1000 and 6% increase in home sales in the city.
A quick check of the city's website turns up another interesting article about some new incentives programs to spur rehab and new home construction in Kalamazoo as part of what they call their A+ Neighborhoods initiative. These programs all have a common element that the people of Kalamazoo seem to understand; it's not just about throwing money at things that are broken, but important to get a payback in return.
We need to pass a school levy and get past the current crisis, then start looking at solving the problem of how to turn around shrinking enrollment. The Kalamazoo Promise program would appear to go hand in hand with bringing young families into the city, increasing property values and tax revenue, and encouraging rehab of the low priced housing stock in the city.