Ms Bird:

The American Association of School Administration has reported that US school districts spend:

66% on instruction and related activities,

18% on operations, and

11% on administration.

Overall, on average, districts spend 80–85% on salaries and benefits.

Please compare to the numbers for Detroit, make some inferences, and come to your own conclusions and descriptions. I adhere to my metaphorical description.

Note that the information I briefly searched did not even have a category that included debt service! Where were the concerned parents and city fathers when the Detroit district had to borrow to meet operating obligations?

My understanding is that teacher pensions are typically funded by entities independent from districts and which receive contributions from teachers themselves. Was not the Detroit district funding its future pension obligations similarly?