Story highlights Petition on teachers union website calls for Snyder to veto bills

Republicans say bills ensure a bright future; teachers say the package is "inadequate"

(CNN) A sharply divided Michigan legislature voted to create a new, debt-free school district in Detroit, a decision Gov. Rick Snyder called an "unprecedented investment" in the city's children.

The city's teachers union, however, called the package approved late Wednesday inadequate and politically motivated. One Democratic lawmaker called it "a farce."

If signed by Snyder, the legislative package would strip the existing Detroit Public Schools of their educational responsibilities and transform the district into a vehicle for paying off $500 million in debt that has sapped classroom funding.

The district -- dogged by debt, declining enrollment, crumbling buildings and a growing chorus of teacher complaints -- has been under the control of a state emergency manager since 2009.

In its place, a new district -- Detroit Community Schools -- would be created with $150 million in state funding included in the legislative package. A local school board would lead the new district, with state officials helping oversee finances.

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