Source: Lori Higgins, Detroit Free Press, August 14, 2012

The number of school districts and charter schools that are privatizing food, janitorial or custodial services saw its biggest increase in more than a decade, according to a report released today. The Mackinac Center for Public Policy, a Midland-based conservative think tank, each year surveys school districts, asking whether they are privatizing one or all of those services. This year, 61% of districts and charters said yes. That’s up from 54% last year. It’s also up from 31% in 2001.