Chalkbeat

M-STEP results: The Detroit school district is catching up to charter schools

2026-09-15T20:28:55+00:00

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For years, charter schools tended to perform slightly better than the Detroit district on state standardized tests. But a Chalkbeat analysis suggests the traditional public school system is catching up to suburban and city charters.

The percentage of students in the Detroit district at or above proficiency in math surpassed the overall performance of their peers in suburban and city charter schools in nearly every grade last spring, the analysis found.

Charters still outperformed the Detroit Public Schools Community District in all grades for reading and writing on the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress, or M-STEP, but the gaps narrowed.

For the analysis, Chalkbeat compared the combined scores of city charter schools, as well as suburban charters in Wayne, Macomb, and Oakland counties where a majority of full-time students lived within DPSCD enrollment boundaries in 2025-26.

The biggest standout for DPSCD was sixth grade math, with a 3 percentage point advantage on the overall performance of students in city and suburban charter schools. Still, only 12.1% of DPSCD sixth graders and 9% of those in charters met or exceeded proficiency for the subject in that grade.

For charter schools, the biggest difference overall was in third grade reading where 20.3% of charter third graders were at or above proficiency while 14.1% were in DPSCD.

It can be difficult to compare Detroit’s charter schools, as a group, to district schools. Charters, also referred to as public school academies, are independently managed public schools with differences in educational practices, grade spans, and demographics.

But the charter sector is a key part of the educational landscape in Detroit: Roughly half of the city’s school-age children attend charters. Many charters point to their academic achievement when advertising to parents.

Tara Kilbride, assistant director for research at the Education Policy Innovation Collaborative, said the differences between charters and district schools do not allow for a broad apples-to-apples comparison. In some grade levels and subjects, DPSCD showed improvements while charters’ scores declined — and both contributed to the performance gap narrowing.

But she said DPSCD’s test results show “consistent year-over-year improvements rather than abrupt single-year changes, which is an encouraging sign that their longer-term efforts are contributing meaningfully to closing the gap, regardless of what’s driving the patterns among the charter school comparison groups.”

The main takeaway, Kilbride said, is that the analysis points to sustained systemic growth in DPSCD rather than abrupt changes or declines in charters.

Representatives from Central Michigan University and Grand Valley State University, which authorize most Detroit charter schools, declined to comment, saying they are still analyzing the M-STEP results.

Detroit school district and some charters lag behind state

Each year, Michigan public school students in grades 3-7 take the M-STEP in English language arts and math. Fifth graders also take the test for science and social studies. Eighth graders take the PSAT for English and math, and the SAT is given to 11th graders in the same subjects.

In spring 2026, DPSCD maintained long-term growth in the percentages of students meeting or exceeding proficiency on the M-STEP and bucked a statewide trend of little to no improvement in early literacy.

But the district — and many of the city’s charter schools —lagged far behind statewide averages.

Ralph Bland, CEO of charter district New Paradigm for Education, said students in Detroit often start far behind their peers in more affluent communities because of systemic racism and poverty.

“The growth trajectory happens at different times for different students,” said Bland. “Every year, it’s a different cohort of students that are assessed, and so you know, being fair to the students, you have to really look at that, too.”

Buddy Moorehouse, vice president of communications for the Michigan Association of Public School Academies, said it’s hard to compare charters and traditional public school districts.

“With DPSCD, those are all schools within the same district, whereas charter schools are each their own separate district, so it’s hard to lump all the charter schools in together and look at their performance as one cohesive unit,” he said.

Some city charters exceeded not only the district but statewide averages.

Moorehouse pointed to Pembroke Academy, which outperformed the state’s averages in every subject and grade. More than 56% of third graders at the school were at or above reading proficiency compared to the statewide average of 44% and the DPSCD average of 14.1%.

Detroit charter schools have big gaps in performance

Maria Montoya, an education consultant whose child attends a Detroit charter school, noted vast differences in proficiency rates among charters.

For example, at Voyageur Academy, only 9.9% of third graders were at or above proficiency in reading. At Detroit Edison Public School Academy, part of Bland’s New Paradigm charter district, 50.5% of third graders met or exceeded reading proficiency.

Jazmine Allen, principal of charter high school Jalen Rose Leadership Academy on the northwest side of Detroit, said the school has come a long way in improving its reading and writing scores.

In 2018-19, 13.3% of 11th graders met grade-level benchmarks in reading and writing on the SAT. Last spring, 38.5% met the benchmark.

Allen attributes part of the improvement to the school only offering Advanced Placement English courses.

“All of the research says that just being in an AP class does wonders for your matriculation in college,” Allen said. “We’ve explained to parents that the word AP might be daunting, but the reality is, kids deserve that level of rigor, and they deserve that exposure.”

Math scores have continued to be low at the school. Only 6% of students met or exceeded the math benchmark on the SAT in 2025-26.

This year, Allen said the charter extended math classes from 45 minutes to 90 minutes.

KIPP Detroit Imani Academy, a K-4 charter that opened on the far northwest side of Detroit in 2022, participated in the M-STEP for the first time in 2025-26.

In reading, 37% of third graders met or exceeded proficiency, while 29.6% did in math.

“You can’t be satisfied with 37% when your goal is to ensure that every child receives an education that allows them to be proficient,” said Superintendent Candace Rogers. “We promised our parents a transformational education.”

Micah Walker is a reporter covering arts and culture and education for BridgeDetroit. You can reach her at mwalker@bridgedetroit.com.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Michigan increased funding for English learners by $12.5 million. Advocates say a big gap persists.

2026-09-14T10:00:00+00:00

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This year, Michigan lawmakers increased state funding for English language learners by $12.5 million — but not all such students will benefit.

Michigan does not provide school districts with additional funding for students who are nearly proficient in English, even though state and federal law require that districts provide services to those students. Of 49 states that fund ELL services, researchers say only Michigan excludes some students from its funding formula.

Students who are approaching proficiency in English are often conversational, but may still struggle academically without additional support. Michigan’s funding gap can make it difficult to provide instruction that would allow such students to transition out of English learner programs, according to advocates, teachers, and school leaders.

“It has to do with language complexity, but it also has to do with the level of service that we’re providing our kids,” said Madeline Mavrogordato, director of the Education Policy Innovation Collaborative, or EPIC, at Michigan State University.

Michigan’s current funding system grants additional dollars to districts that enroll students with high needs, such as English language learners or students from low-income households.

But for English learners, the amount of extra funding sent to districts is based on students’ scores on an annual assessment of English proficiency called WIDA ACCESS, with scores from 1.0 to 6.0. Students scoring between 1.0 and 4.7 are required by state and federal law to receive English language development instruction in order to have equitable access to their education.

A Troy High School student works in a biology class as an additional certified English as a second language teacher provides integrated English language development instruction to a small group.

This year, districts will receive $1,998 in additional funding for each student who scores between 1.0 and 1.9, $1,379 per student for those scoring between 2.0 and 2.9, and just $225 per student for those scoring between 3.0 and 3.9. The state provides no extra funding for students who score 4.0 and above.

School leaders say the funding is inadequate even for students in the middle range, forcing some districts to find other revenue to pay for and provide services. Advocates say some districts only have enough resources to meet the most urgent needs of English learners with little comprehension of the language.

In the Troy School District, Superintendent Richard Machesky said about 90% of the district’s budget for English learners came from general fund dollars in the 2025-26 school year because state funding wasn’t enough to meet the group’s needs. That year, the district got around $607,000 in state funds to educate about 1,900 English learners.

The district was only able to hire five English language development specialists with the state dollars, Machesky said.

Afrin Alavi, director of Hamtramck Public Schools’ Multilingual Learner Department, said about 17% of the district’s ELL students score at the highest levels on the WIDA.

Without dedicated funding for the student group, Alavi said the district is facing “structural deficits” in its multilingual learner budget.

Michigan’s public schools enrolled more than 104,200 English learners in the 2024-25 school year — 7.3% of all the students in the state. Around 24,000 of the students did not qualify for additional state funding, but still were required to get at least 150 minutes of English language development instruction a week.

Advocates believe that more funding could result in English learners transitioning out of specialized programs sooner and having more opportunities to succeed in their core classes.

According to a 2025 report by EPIC, nearly half of Michigan’s English learners remained in specialized programs after six years — a signal that students may not be matched to instruction that meets their needs, research suggests.

Students arrive at Troy High School.

The Michigan School Finance Research Collaborative, an independent K-12 education research center at Michigan State University, hired a third party in 2021 to estimate the funding needed to improve academic achievement in the state. They recommended substantial increases in ELL funding, ranging from $3,500 to $7,500 per student based on WIDA scores.

The report also recommended additional funding for some students who scored on the higher end of the WIDA.

Lawmakers said in this year’s state budget they want to increase ELL funding every year until it meets the amounts recommended in the third party report, but they didn’t set a timeline to reach the goal.

DPSCD: Funding gaps create challenges in meeting students’ needs

The state provided the Detroit Public Schools Community District about $6.7 million in additional funding in the 2025-26 school year to serve more than 7,400 English learners.

But the district did not receive any extra money for 1,041 students who scored 4.0 and above on the test.

“Concentrating the dollars at the lowest proficiency levels … does not reflect the reality that students approaching proficiency still need services,” said Superintendent Nikolai Vitti.

Vitti said the district has used money from its literacy lawsuit settlement to hire 58 multilingual academic interventionists to support English learners at 15 schools.

The interventionists’ qualifications are different from those of certified teachers endorsed to teach English learners, however. Critics say their work isn’t a substitute for the English language development minutes schools are required to provide English learners.

Despite those efforts, achievement gaps for the district’s English learners persist in multiple areas. About 10.4% of English learners met or exceeded proficiency in English on the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress in 2025, a drop of 2 percentage points from the previous year and lower than their peers. English learners’ four-year graduation rate of 79.2% was 3.8 percentage points lower than the district’s average, according to state data.

Some teachers and students in the district say English learners, particularly those approaching proficiency, aren’t receiving all of the services they need.

More than 1,200 Western International High School students were English learners in the 2024-25 school year, making up around 64% of the student body.

A senior in the Detroit district, who emigrated from Cuba, said his understanding of English in 10th grade put him ahead of his peers in his English as a second language class at Western International High School. As a result, he was placed in general education classes.

Based on his WIDA score, he should have continued to receive at least 150 minutes a week of English language development instruction. But the student said he got none during his sophomore year.

The student, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation from school officials, struggled in the general education classes. He eventually asked a counselor to allow him to return to the English as a second language class where he learned core subjects tailored for non-native English speakers.

Kristen Schoettle, who taught the student, said he was bored much of the time because other students in the class were still learning to communicate in English with single words and memorized phrases.

“It’s hard with a class of 35 to think of things to do and to challenge him everyday like I would have liked to,” she said.

Three other DPSCD teachers from schools with English learners, who requested to speak to Chalkbeat anonymously due to concerns about retaliation from their employer, said the student’s experience is not uncommon. Because of limited resources, they said students in the middle ranges of proficiency don’t get the kind of support they should.

Bianca Hardy, a spokesperson for DPSCD, said in an email the district works with school leaders to strategically schedule staff with ELL endorsements to serve “students with the highest need” while also supporting those with higher proficiency in core content areas.

“We agree that Michigan’s current approach to funding English Learners leaves the state near the bottom nationally in how it supports multilingual students, especially those approaching proficiency,” said Hardy.

The limited funding prevents districts with large populations of English learners, like DPSCD, from providing students the instruction they need to exit the program, Hardy added.

Hardy added that the district will continue to advocate for equitable funding for ELL students.

Students pack their bags as their biology class wraps up at Troy High School.

During the student’s sophomore year, his WIDA score would have generated roughly $210 in additional funding for the district. With this year’s increase in funding, that amount will go up by $15.

At that level of proficiency, students struggle with vocabulary, grammar, and spelling. They may understand teachers’ basic spoken instructions, but can’t readily participate in abstract discussions.

Mavrogordato, the director of EPIC, called the extra funds for a student in that range “negligible.”

“I don’t know what you can do with $225 per kid over the course of literally a whole year in terms of providing service,” she said.

Educators say more funding and stability are steps in the right direction

Advocates and educators applauded the legislature for the increase in ELL funding, even as they say that more is needed.

With the $12.5 million increase, the 2026-27 state budget for English learners is about $75.3 million. Michigan has historically ranked among the worst in the nation for ELL funding.

“I think that this signals that this continues to be an important priority, and I think it also recognizes the fact that this is a population of students that has grown in our state,” said Mavrogordato of the increase.

In the last decade, the number of English learners in Michigan public schools has increased by more than 12,300. In the same time, the number of non-English learners has decreased by 132,496.

The researcher said another improvement is that the weighted funding formula is now state law.

Previously, districts applied for grants with a similar weighted system. Now, they will automatically receive the money and have more flexibility in spending it.

“This new framework guarantees districts receive the full funding they are relying on,” said Sen. Darrin Camilleri, a Democrat from Trenton who introduced the bill.

Nearly 40% of students in the Troy School District are either former or current English learners, said Superintendent Richard Machesky. Pictured, students head to class at Troy High School.

Additionally, the law requires districts to report how they are using the funding to support English learners.

The Michigan Department of Education is reviewing its monitoring and reporting process to ensure schools’ compliance, said Bob Wheaton, the department’s director of public and governmental affairs.

The new law also solidifies the MDE’s program models for English learners and its guidance on minimum instructional minutes. The guidance was previously tied to state education budgets.

Mavrogordato said the requirements in the law could mean fewer stories like that of the student at Western in the years to come.

“I would say districts have sort of treated serving kids at higher levels of English proficiency as a little bit more optional, a little bit more flexible,” she said. “But this state has put into place a set of requirements … really designed to be a minimum standard of care for kids.”

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Koby Levin is a senior reporter at Outlier Media. You can reach him at koby@outliermedia.org.

Detroit mayor announces 7 new after-school program sites with $2.2 million in city funds

2026-09-10T21:48:56+00:00

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Seven new after-school sites will open across Detroit this school year using $2.2 million in city funding, Mayor Mary Sheffield announced Thursday.

As part of Sheffield’s initiative to improve life for the city’s youth, the funding will allow the existing after-school program Get On And Learn, or GOAL Line Detroit, to expand to parts of the city lacking access to affordable out-of-school opportunities. The free program also will provide transportation for K-8 students from city schools to the new sites.

The program currently has 33 sites and serves more than 2,700 students, according to the city. With the expansion, it will serve around 1,000 more children in the city, Sheffield said at a press conference Thursday at the Northwest Activities Center.

For the first time in the program’s history, there will be sites in all seven City Council districts, Ricky Fountain, executive director of the Community Education Commission, said at the press conference.

“Our parents now can finish their workday knowing their children are safe and engaged, instead of having to leave work early or arrange transportation every afternoon,” Sheffield said.

At Thursday’s press conference, Sloan Gibson, the father of a fourth grader at Foreign Language Immersion and Cultural Studies School, said GOAL Line has helped his son grow as a student. The program also made his work schedule more manageable, he added.

“Those few extra hours, you know, it gives us a chance to get work done, just take a deep breath,” he said.

Out-of-school programs can have a number of benefits for kids, including improvements in schoolday attendance, academic performance, and behavior.

But parents in Detroit and southeast Michigan have long lacked access to high-quality, affordable after-school programs.

Nikolai Vitti, superintendent of the Detroit Public Schools Community District, said at the press conference that transportation is a barrier for families trying to get their kids to such programs.

“Our families are struggling,” he said. “They’re working. They’ve got multiple jobs. Their kids are coming home and maybe just watching TV or sitting on a phone.”

GOAL Line also expanded this school year to offer after-school programming at four more DPSCD elementary-middle schools, Vitti said.

The nonprofit was created in 2018 through the city’s Community Education Commission under former Mayor Mike Duggan as an incentive for parents to keep students in Detroit schools. Since then, it has expanded with philanthropic and state funding. It now offers 57 different enrichment activities, including robotics, athletics, tutoring, financial literacy, and coding.

Sheffield said the expansion is a first step toward her goal of having an after-school program within 2 miles of every Detroit school.

The new GOAL Line sites will be located at:

Helen Moore Community Center
Coleman A. Young Recreation Center
Joseph Walker Williams Recreation Center
Community Center at A.B. Ford Park
Detroit Public Library, Conley branch
Detroit Public Library, Lincoln Branch
Detroit Public Library, Chaney Branch

Existing GOAL Line sites are located at:

Northwest Activities Center
Heilmann Recreation Center
Patton Recreation Center
Engaged Detroit
Association for the Advancement of Deaf/Hard of Hearing
Cass Community Services Center
Detroit Public Library - Hubbard Branch
Detroit Public Library, Edison Branch
Detroit Public Library, Parkman Branch
Detroit Public Library, Redford Branch
Detroit Public Library, Sherwood Forest Branch
Detroit Academy of Arts and Sciences
Bagley Elementary School of Journalism and Technology
Bow Elementary-Middle School
Bunche Preparatory Academy
Detroit Achievement Academy
Cornerstone Adams-Young Elementary Academy
Cornerstone Adams-Young Middle Academy
Foreign Language Immersion and Cultural Studies School
John R. King Academic and Performing Arts Academy
Palmer Park Preparatory Academy
Pasteur Elementary School
Schulze Academy for Technology and Arts
The School at Marygrove
Vernor Elementary School
Warrendale Charter Academy
Fisher Magnet Academy
Durfee Elementary-Middle School
Thirkell Elementary-Middle School
Munger Elementary-Middle School
Paul Robeson Malcolm X Academy
Nolan Elementary-Middle School
Edison Elementary School

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Detroit district maintains growth in literacy and math on the 2026 M-STEP

2026-09-04T21:04:00+00:00

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The Detroit school district made small year-over-year gains in reading, writing, and math in nearly every grade on state standardized tests last spring, results released Friday show.

The district reached a 12-year high in the percentage of third graders scoring proficient or above in reading and writing, and it bucked a statewide trend of little to no improvement in early literacy.

Students in the Detroit Public Schools Community District still lag far behind statewide averages on the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress, or M-STEP, however. For example, 14.1% of DPSCD third graders scored proficient or better on the 2025-26 exam compared to 38.2% of Michigan public school students.

Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said in a statement Friday that the results, many of which represented all-time highs for the district, reflect a broader trend of improvement.

“While students across the state (and country) continue to regress academically, our students are improving,” Vitti said.

The superintendent added the district needs to continue to “refine and scale” its success, particularly in literacy.

LaTrice McClendon, chair of the district’s board, said the results showed encouraging growth in math, adding “literacy still needs stronger gains.”

“We are not finished,” she said. “Detroit’s children deserve nothing less, and we will not rest until they get it.”

Researchers said long-term improvements in DPSCD on the exams, coupled with data showing fast student growth, indicate the district is making big strides to get students closer to where they should be academically.

Tara Kilbride, associate director of the independent research center Education Policy Innovation Collaborative at Michigan State University, said progress across all areas of the M-STEP over time suggests a systemic turnaround.

“That tells me that the improvements are likely not just an anomaly,” Kilbride added.

When evaluating test scores, an important factor to consider is that students in Detroit start out much further behind their peers in wealthier communities due an array of issues tied to poverty and systemic racism, said Jeremy Singer, assistant professor of educational leadership and policy at the University of Michigan-Flint.

“If a student is making a lot of progress every year and they are learning at an accelerated rate, they may still not cross proficiency,” said Singer, also a research affiliate at Wayne State University’s Detroit Partnership for Education Equity & Research.

Kilbride added, “That doesn’t mean the lower levels of proficiency aren’t something we should be concerned about.”

DPSCD’s results show continued growth

Each spring, Michigan public school students in grades 3-7 take the M-STEP in English language arts and math. Fifth graders also take science and social studies M-STEP exams. Eighth graders take the PSAT in English and math. Eleventh graders take the SAT in the same subjects.

Exams were not given in the 2019-20 school year due to school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020-21, the tests were optional.

Compared to spring 2019 – the last year of testing before the pandemic upended learning – the improvements in DPSCD were noticeable in every subject and grade. For example, there was a 7.6 percentage point increase in eighth graders scoring proficient or better in English and a 6.8 percentage point increase in seventh grade math.

The year-over-year growth was smaller for the district in early literacy. A small dip in proficiency rates for sixth graders is attributed in part to unfinished learning when they were in kindergarten in 2019-20, Vitti said.

The district’s seventh grade cohort “continues to demonstrate large strides in their achievement,” and has consistently outperformed their peers, said Vitti.

On SAT results, also released Friday, 35.1% of students were at or above English benchmarks, as were 15.7% of students in math. Compared to spring 2019, those numbers increased by 6.6 and 4.3 percentage points respectively.

With smaller class sizes and more intervention for this year’s ninth graders as part of the DPSCD’s high school redesign, Vitti said the district anticipates more growth on the SAT.

Singer said the progress students make from the beginning to the end of the school year gives a clearer picture of district performance than the M-STEP, which is a snapshot of students’ performance on a single day.

A recent research analysis called The Education Scorecard suggests DPSCD is one of the best among similar districts across the country when it comes to the speed at which students are learning per school year.

DPSCD attributes progress to better attendance, specialized support

Vitti told Chalkbeat in an email Friday that the district’s investments in recruiting and retaining certified teachers, using evidence-based curriculum, student interventions, as well as wraparound services for children and families, contributed to DPSCD’s academic improvements.

“We also have clear targets and stretch targets at the district and school level to hold one another accountable but to also problem solve and support when achievement is not improving,” he said.

Vitti said that might be what setDetroit apart from some statewide trends.

“I don’t see evidence of all of this with great consistency throughout Michigan and I believe nationally school districts have not completely shifted from the legitimate challenges of the pandemic.”

DPSCD has used a large portion of its $94.4 million “right to read” literacy lawsuit settlement to support students who are below grade level. The district has hired hundreds of additional academic interventionists and contracted more tutoring services.

As the district must spend the last of the settlement this school year, Vitti said it will likely have to make difficult budget decisions in order to keep the interventionists.

Imani Foster of 482Forward, a nonprofit focused on educational equity, said she believes the targeted support has helped students. She added more time is needed to see the full effect of the literacy funds.

“I think in five years we can look and see if the incremental change marked sustainable change,” she said.

In math, Vitti said teachers and students are becoming more familiar with curriculum based on the “why” behind math instead of only procedural skills.

“We have also been more targeted in our interventions to make sure that we are filling the gaps in pre-requisite skills at each grade level,” he said. “Younger students who were exposed to the math curriculum at earlier ages are higher performing than their older peers.”

Venessa Keesler, president and CEO of Launch Michigan, said DPSCD is “proof of concept” of what happens “if you get good curriculum, you train your educators, you stay the course, and you really are honest about what’s working and what’s not.”

Maria Montoya, a Detroit parent and education consultant, said consistency is key for the district to continue improvements.

Since pandemic-era school closures, DPSCD has significantly improved its rates of chronic absenteeism, defined as a student missing around 18 or more days in a typical 180-day school year. Missing too much school can make students fall behind and struggle to catch up for years.

While performance on the M-STEP has significantly improved for DPSCD since 2018-19, chronic absenteeism has only fallen back to a slightly lower rate, at 60.9%.

Singer said those data points could suggest DPSCD’s academic achievement is due to more than just better success in getting kids to school.

Both Singer and Kilbride said the data can’t definitively say which efforts have led to better performance on the M-STEP.

“My best hypothesis would be that it was a combination of coordinated support and strategies rather than one particular thing,” said Kilbride.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Micah Walker is a reporter covering arts and culture and education for BridgeDetroit. You can reach her at mwalker@bridgedetroit.com.

Detroit school district to hold parents accountable for too many unexcused early sign-outs

2026-08-27T23:12:05+00:00

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This year, the Detroit district is sending a stronger message to parents that their children must remain in class the entire school day.

The Detroit Public Schools Community District wants to curb unexcused early sign-outs, defined by administrators as instances in which parents pick up their children before the school day ends without documentation showing it is necessary, such as a doctor’s appointment.

Starting this school year, parents who repeatedly unnecessarily take their kids out of school early will have to attend meetings and sign attendance contracts.

“Principals and teachers have repeatedly asked Central Office to establish clearer guidelines for stronger and more uniformed communication and accountability for this challenge, so they are not constantly at odds with parents regarding early pickups,” Superintendent Nikolai Vitti told Chalkbeat in an email.

Sign-outs disrupt learning for students who leave early and their peers, Vitti said. When a student is signed out early, teachers may be notified with phone calls to their classroom or announcements over school speaker systems. Sometimes administrators have to abandon other work to get students, and security officers must screen all adults who enter schools for pickups.

Some of the most common documented reasons for early sign-outs in the district are the same that cause chronic absenteeism: parents and students’ inflexible work schedules, inadequate childcare, poor health, a lack of access to reliable transportation, and unsafe routes to school.

“To be clear, parents should always work with the school about safety concerns so intervention can occur between students and families,” Vitti said.

But some parents don’t give an explanation, while others tell the staff they simply don’t like waiting in the pickup line, Vitti said.

DPSCD’s new policy

The district’s previous policy only discouraged early sign-outs.

Early pickups may now happen only on “rare occurrences” and require documentation, such as proof of an appointment, the newly adopted policy says. Early releases outside of documented emergencies are now prohibited within the final 30 minutes of the school day. A typical elementary and middle school day lasts around seven hours.

Students will also be marked absent from class if they miss more than half of the instructional period.

The policy mandates parent meetings when students have three or more unexcused early sign-outs in a quarter. During the meetings, administrators will discuss the impact of the early departures and what instruction the students have missed. School staff will determine the issues causing students to leave before the final bell and connect families with additional resources.

Parents will have to sign attendance contracts — formal agreements to follow attendance policies — if their children have six or more unexcused early departures in a quarter. Parents will be asked to agree that their child will check in and -out with an attendance agent or other staff member.

“If the family does not comply with the contract, and continues to miss periods of the school day, then those absences continue to add up and contribute to the overall chronic absenteeism numbers for the student,” Vitti said.

There already are consequences for students who miss too many days, such as making them return to their neighborhood schools, referring them to the Wayne County Prosecutor support program, or requiring them to repeat their current grade.

First day of school comes with excitement, bittersweet feelings

2026-08-24T22:01:46+00:00

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Jasmine Ng had mixed feelings about starting her junior year Monday morning at Stoney Creek High School in Rochester Hills. She was excited to arrive with all her siblings — her little sister, who’s at Stoney Creek, too, and her little brother, who’s starting at Hart Middle School, right across the street.

“Usually it’s just me and my sister. Today, it was, ‘Yay let’s go to school together for the first time since COVID,’” Ng said.

But amid the first day excitement, Ng was also thinking about the SAT season looming in the distance. She said she’s not looking forward to taking those tests her junior year, when many kids start the college application process.

Jasmine Ng, a junior at Stoney Creek High School in Rochester Hills, recites the Pledge of Allegiance on her first day of school on Aug. 24, 2026.

Miles away in Detroit, as students at East English Village Preparatory Academy at Finney returned to school Monday morning, staff made sure the teens were amped up and ready to take on the day. A DJ played Montell Jordan’s “This Is How We Do It,” as school leaders and community members clapped and cheered on students as they entered the building for the annual “clap-in.”

“Good morning!” the crowd exclaimed as a girl with long braids waved shyly as she passed by. “Happy first day!”

Monday marked the first day of school in some suburban school districts and the Detroit Public Schools Community District. Students returned with excitement and jitters as they entered freshly cleaned schools, greeted their new teachers, and reconnected with their friends. Across metro Detroit, the 2026-27 school year will have a lot in store for students, teachers, and school leaders. Three months from now, voters will elect a new governor who will have the power to push for dramatic changes to address poor test scores.

Students will have to become accustomed to new state rules that restrict the use of wireless devices such as cell phones during instruction, and gym classes that will now have to include a fitness test. On the plus side, the state once again will provide free school meals to public school students, regardless of income. And high school juniors, some of whom are preparing for college admissions essays, will have one fewer to write with the elimination of the SAT essay exam they usually would take in the spring as part of the Michigan Merit Exam.

In Detroit, city and school leaders are expanding efforts to curb chronic absenteeism. The city will continue to provide free bus service to all Detroit students through the Detroit Department of Transportation and is launching a new program offering rideshare service to students at four high schools. DPSCD is expanding its program that pays high school students for perfect attendance, adding middle school students this school year. And the district is expanding a program that provides yellow school bus service at high schools with particularly high rates of chronic absenteeism.

Here’s what the first day looked like in multiple schools:

State’s new policy forces teens to ‘disconnect from our cell phones’

At East English Village, senior Ortez Matthews said he’s ready to begin his final year. He’s taking two advanced placement classes, an honors class, and some career and technical education courses on top of extracurriculars like student council, coaching baseball and serving on Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield’s youth cabinet.

Students file in to East English Village Preparatory Academy at Finney on Aug. 24, 2026, the first day of school in the Detroit Public Schools Community District.

He said he doesn’t mind putting his cell phone away for most of the day to comply with the state’s new student policy restricting the use of wireless devices during instruction.

“I do think that our generation, Gen Z, do need to disconnect from our cell phones for some time because when we were growing up, we always had them. School is somewhere to start because at home, we can do whatever we want.”

The clap-in that greeted students was organized by school staff and the DPSCD Foundation. Kerrie Mitchell Campbell-Mabins, president and CEO of the foundation, said she wanted to make sure students felt loved and supported.

“This is a representation of what they can expect all year, that the community is going to be out to support them and to make sure that they have everything that they need,” Campbell-Mabins said.

Vitti emphasizes good attendance in school visits

DPSCD Superintendent Nikolai Vitti visited several schools across the district Monday. He fielded questions from students that touched on a variety of topics, including when they would get paid for perfect attendance, why they have to wear uniforms, and whether he likes Jordan basketball shoes.

Nikolai Vitti, superintendent of Detroit Public Schools Community District talks to students at the School at Marygrove on the first day back to school on Aug. 24, 2026 in Detroit.

Sixth graders at Carstens Elementary-Middle School on the city’s east side shared highlights of their summer breaks: a trip to Cedar Point, dinner at Red Lobster, and lots of swimming.

In a seventh grade classroom at Nolan Elementary-Middle School on the north side of Detroit, some students expressed their dislike of the new cell phone policy requiring them to put their devices away until the end of the day.

“I bet if I come back around December and I ask you to compare this year versus last year, you’ll say you’re more focused on what happens in the classroom because you don’t have your phone,” Vitti said to the kids.

At Southwest Detroit’s Bennett Elementary School, Vitti reminded a class of third graders about the importance of coming to school every day.

Principal Melissa Villarreal helped translate the message into Spanish.

“What do I tell you every Monday?” Villarreal said. “We have to be here because when we’re not, it gets really hard to reach your goals, right?”

A cold start to the first day of school

At Stoney Creek High in Rochester Hills, school buses rounded the traffic circle, dropping kids off in the 50-something degree weather that Principal Brian Shelson said was the coldest first day in the school’s history.

Many older students with driver’s licenses opted to drive to school. Addison Fogler, a senior from Rochester who spent the summer up north with her family, got together with friends last night to decorate their cars in a school-wide senior tradition.

“We wrote like Seniors 2027, lots of dots and hearts,” she said.

Monday morning she picked up some of her best friends and they listened to songs mixing nostalgia with excitement, to match the feeling of finally arriving for the final year of high school.

“‘Ribs’ by Lorde, ‘Where’d Time Go?’ All the classics,” she said.

Mobolaji Akinbiyi, a junior at Stoney Creek High School in Rochester Hills, talks about his first day back to school on Aug. 24, 2026.

Mobolaji Akimbiyi, a Stoney Creek junior, is planning to take the SAT in two weeks. He used the summer to study, in addition to resting, doing AP language homework, and watching the World Cup with his dad. He’s most excited for AP Physics.

Like Ng, Akimbiyi has mixed feelings about the first day — a combination of excitement, apprehension, and a bit of relief to be back in routine after a languid few months.

“Summer kind of dragged on,” he said.

A final first day at a Detroit school set to close

A slow trickle of a couple dozen students with shiny see-through plastic backpacks gathered in front of the door at Detroit’s Thurgood Marshall Elementary-Middle School on the city’s north end. They waited patiently as teachers decked out in blue greeted them.

Though the group assembled for the clap-in was small, spirits were high as upbeat music and staff cheers welcomed the children inside.

“Welcome back, welcome back,” staff cheered as they danced with excitement.

The school, which had around 170 students in 2025-26, is set to close at the end of June due to low enrollment and high costs. Its closure follows that of four other DPSCD schools last year.

Evan Pringle, who will start ninth grade at Oak Park High School Tuesday, met up with his brothers outside of Marshall around 8:30 a.m. He attended Marshall from preschool through eighth grade.

“I’m sad,” he said of the school’s impending closure. “But, I already knew it was gonna happen because they’ve been saying that since I was in like fifth grade.”

Chalkbeat Detroit Bureau Chief Lori Higgins contributed to this report.

Beki San Martin is a reporter for the Detroit Free Press. You can reach her at RSanMartin@freepress.com.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Micah Walker is a reporter for BridgeDetroit. You can reach her at mwalker@bridgedetroit.com.

Detroit school board appoints 25-year-old youth advocate as its newest member

2026-08-19T22:26:14+00:00

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Jeremiah Steen, a 25-year-old philanthropist and youth advocate, joined the Detroit school board as its newest member Wednesday.

Steen will serve on the Detroit Public Schools Community District board through the end of December. He was appointed during a Wednesday board meeting to fill a seat left vacant after the death of member Iris Taylor.

Steen told Chalkbeat after his appointment that he hopes his time on the board encourages other young people in Detroit to get involved with the city’s school district.

“I hope this appointment really serves as the next generation being able to step up and govern a district that they’re inheriting,” he said.

During his four months on the board, Steen said he intends to focus on workforce development. This year, the district is rolling out a high school redesign that will put an emphasis on college and career readiness.

“I really want to ensure that our students who are getting credentials are actually leading to some level of economic mobility, so that they’re actually receiving a job from the work that we’re doing,” he said.

Steen and Sherisse Butler, former senior vice president and executive director of City Year Detroit, were both interviewed for the position during the meeting. Steen received the highest combined score for his resume and interview, according to a tally by a third-party law firm.

The board chose to interview Steen because he was the next highest-scoring applicant in the selection process for two board appointments in 2025. Butler was interviewed because she was the runner-up in the 2024 election.

Steen’s seat is one of five up for grabs in the Nov. 3 election. The board was required by state law to make an appointment within 30 days of Taylor’s death.

Neither Steen nor Butler is running in this year’s election.

Steen, who grew up on the city’s east side, is a graduate of University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy and University of Detroit Mercy.

He is also currently a community growth fellow at the nonprofit Community Economic Development Association of Michigan and a former trustee of the Skillman Foundation. (The Skillman Foundation is a Chalkbeat funder.)

Steen unsuccessfully ran for the board in 2024. He placed 16th out of 22 candidates.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Parent engagement and more resources to get kids to school: What to expect this school year in Detroit

2026-08-14T22:45:42+00:00

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The coming school year will be an important one for addressing the transportation challenges that make it difficult for so many Detroit students to get to school.

City officials on Friday announced a new ride share service pilot and a new initiative to help students feel safe on routes to school.

The Detroit Public Schools Community District is expanding yellow school bus service to students at two more high schools with high rates of chronic absenteeism.

Together, these efforts reflect city and school officials’ focus on targeting the systemic issues students in the city face that contribute to lower academic performance and poor attendance in both district and charter schools. Parents, in particular, may be closely watching whether investments are paying off for their children. In recent weeks, DPSCD has faced increased criticism and questions about everything from test scores to how the district is spending its money.

Among the parents is Tanecia Wilson, whose child attends the Foreign Language Immersion and Cultural Studies School. She wants the district to share more details about its budget.

“We’re just looking for transparency,” she said during the Aug. 11 DPSCD board meeting.

The 2026-27 school year begins Aug. 24 in DPSCD and many of the city’s charter schools.

Below is more information on transportation efforts and other things to expect this school year.

The city will invest more in student transportation

Starting this school year, Detroit Department of Transportation employees will help students taking city buses get to school safely.

Chanel Hampton, senior director of Youth and Education for Mayor Mary Sheffield’s office, said after a Friday press conference announcing the program that safety concerns from parents and students prompted the initiative.

The city began providing free bus service to all Detroit students in April. Sheffield announced the free service will continue with a $1 million state grant.

“We will have about 50 to 100 individuals who are city employees every single day who will now be extra vigilant and looking out to ensure the safety of young people during those to and from school commute times,” Hampton said.

Current DDOT employees will get additional training to monitor student safety, according to the city. They will be placed at bus stops, transit centers, and will be on buses with high student ridership. In some cases, Hampton said the safety “ambassadors” will walk students from bus stops to their schools.

The city will also run a $500,000 ride share pilot for around 150 students from Pershing, Denby, and Osborn high schools, as well as East English Village Preparatory Academy at Finney, from Aug. 24 through mid-October.

Hampton said the city chose neighborhood high schools with higher rates of chronic absenteeism. The short pilot window is due to funding constraints, Hampton said.

“The hope is that we learn, we see what works, and we can absolutely then bring in more funds to scale this to be a … school year-round effort, but we need to see what works.,” said Hampton.

DPSCD’s board membership will change

The district’s board may see a lot of changes this year, as five of seven seats will be up for grabs in the Nov. 3 election.

There are 34 people running. Only two – Steve Bland, Jr. and Bessie Lee Harris – are incumbents. Both Bland and Harris have been on the board for less than a year. They were appointed to fill open seats last year.

The board’s leaders, Chair LaTrice McClendon and vice chair Corletta Vaughn, will not seek reelection.

After the recent death of member Iris Taylor, the board must also appoint a new member ahead of the election.

The board has the power to hire and fire the district’s superintendent and makes decisions that shape district policy, curriculum, and funding.

DPSCD will add more initiatives to boost attendance

Though the district has made a lot of progress in reducing chronic absenteeism in recent years, the rate of DPSCD students missing 10% or more of the school year (or about 18 days in a 180-day school year) was 60.9% in 2024-25.

The district will roll out a few more strategies to help get kids to school this year.

DPSCD will expand a pilot program that transported some general education high school students on yellow buses to Henry Ford High School and East English Village last year. Pershing and Cody high schools will join the program this school year.

The perfect attendance incentive, which the district says helped reduce high school absenteeism, will return and expand to include middle schoolers this year. They will be paid $50 each a week for perfect attendance during winter and early spring.

More focus on career pathways for high schoolers

DPSCD will roll out its high school redesign this fall. Ninth graders at the district’s 11 neighborhood high schools will explore career pathways during a seminar class, which will help them choose the dual enrollment, career and technical education, or advanced placement courses they want to take through graduation..

There will be smaller class sizes and more wraparound supports, including additional tutoring opportunities during the school day for ninth graders who are behind in literacy, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said during the August board meeting.

“The goal is to reduce the number of credits that they’re behind, so by 11th and 12th grade they can take more career and college courses,” Vitti said.

The district is hiring seven more high school counselors this year, making the ratio one counselor for every 250 students.

Fewer costs, more communication for parents, DPSCD says

This year, parents should not be asked to provide classroom supplies and materials, according to the district, because DPSCD increased funding for supplies by $4.5 million, Vitti said at the Friday press conference.

After receiving complaints on a range of issues this summer, Vitti promised at a community meeting the district would improve parent engagement and communication.

McClendon, the board chair, said during the August board meeting that she asked for principals of district schools to hold regular town halls to answer parent questions.

In addition to those meetings, DPSCD is planning two town halls focused on special education in the district. The dates of the meetings have not been posted.

Another school will close

Thurgood Marshall Elementary-Middle School on Detroit’s west side is slated to close after this school year as part of an accelerated phase-out plan. Four other DPSCD elementary-middle schools closed in June.

Barack Obama Leadership Academy will not reopen for the 2026-27 school year. The fate of one of Michigan’s oldest charter schools was announced on its website this summer.

Another well-established Detroit charter, Old Redford Academy, closed at the end of the 2025-26 school year.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Detroit school board to fill vacant seat of late member Iris Taylor ahead of November election

2026-08-12T16:38:31+00:00

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The Detroit school board will begin interviewing applicants as early as next week to fill a seat left open after the recent death of member Iris Taylor.

Though the seat will be up for grabs in the Nov. 3 election, the Detroit Public Schools Community District’s board is required by state law to make an appointment within 30 days. If the deadline is not met, the Wayne Regional Educational Service Agency’s board will be required to fill the seat.

The DPSCD board voted Tuesday night to interview two candidates for the seat – the person they select will serve through the end of 2026. To streamline the process, the board chose to interview the runner up from the 2024 election, Sherisse Butler, as well as the next highest scoring applicant from the process to make two appointments in 2025. That person’s name has not been made public, and the board didn’t mention Butler’s name during the meeting.

The board will score the two on written responses and interviews. A third-party law firm will tally the scores and then the board will vote on the appointment of the person with the highest score.

LaTrice McClendon, chair of the board, said at Tuesday’s meeting neither of the applicants are running in the November election.

Board members Steve Bland Jr. and Bessie Harris were chosen by the board to fill last year’s open seats. They are both running in November.

McClendon suggested the interviews to fill the current opening because Bland and Harris were not on the board to participate during the previous process.

Although the board did not name Butler as one of the potential applicants Tuesday, she was the fourth highest vote-getter in the 2024 election, after board members Monique Bryant and Ida Simmons Short, as well as former board member Sherry Gay-Dagnogo.

Butler was senior vice president and executive director of City Year Detroit, a nonprofit that DPSCD contracts with to provide tutoring and mentoring to students. She said in an email Thursday that she left the position earlier this month.

Butler didn’t respond to questions about whether she would interview for the board seat.

Butler also applied to fill a vacant seat on the board last year but withdrew her application before the selection process was complete.

The dates of the upcoming interviews have not yet been publicly posted.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Aug. 13, 2026: This story was updated to say Butler recently left her position at City Year.

Detroit voters OK crucial tax levy that supports the city school district

2026-08-05T14:17:41+00:00

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A measure that will allow the Detroit school district to collect the revenue it needs to operate had an easy victory, with voters overwhelmingly saying yes.

About $120 million in operating funds – which may be used for items such as classroom programming, supplies, and staff salaries – was at stake.

Of the 97,205 people who voted, 81% of them OK’d the proposal, according to updated results Wayne County posted Wednesday morning.

DPSCD Superintendent Nikolai Vitti told Chalkbeat Wednesday that the passage of the millage is a “major accomplishment” for the district.

“It has been difficult to explain three millage proposals over six years due to state decisions and the complexities of managing and transitioning from DPS to DPSCD,” Vitti said. “The vote’s overwhelming support inspires all of us to continue the hard but rewarding work of constantly improving the district for the children we all deeply believe in.”

LaTrice McClendon, chair of the district’s board, said voters’ support was an investment in students’ futures.

“As a parent, I want the same things every family wants — that our children learn in safe schools, are inspired by great teachers, have opportunities in the arts, athletics, technology, and career programs, and graduate prepared to pursue whatever dreams they choose,” McClendon told Chalkbeat.

City residents have approved previous operating millages — which is what this tax is — for Detroit Public Schools, the entity that used to run schools but exists now solely to collect tax revenue to pay off old debt. A court decision earlier this year said DPS must cease collecting an operating millage, because the debt will be fully paid off in September. That meant the Detroit Public Schools Community District needed to ask voters to approve its own millage.

DPSCD was created in 2016 as part of a legislative initiative to address mounting debt in DPS. The new district had a debt-free start to handle day-to-day school administration, with the state covering its operating costs, while DPS stayed intact to pay off operating and capital debt.

The $120 million the millage will collect is a fraction of the district’s overall $1.1 billion budget. But, the revenue is critical to the school system. Vitti said during a community engagement meeting Monday that the estimated revenue generated by the tax levy would constitute $2,400 of the $10,300 per-pupil the district receives from the state.

Among those casting a yes vote for the millage Tuesday morning was Shawn Womack, 54, a semitruck driver.

“I just think that every one of the schools needs help,” Womack said.

Christine Crawford, a clinical social worker, voted yes for similar reasons.

“If we don’t have our schools running right and the kids getting what they need as far as extra support, we’re just going to be digging our hole deeper,” Crawford said. “We can’t do it just by having billionaires handing out things.”

Some people voted based on misconceptions. A couple of voters said they voted no because they believed the operating millage would increase their taxes. It won’t. Another said they thought the district’s request for the proposal is an indication of misspending. It isn’t. Another voter said he voted no because he didn’t understand the millage.

Brian Jourdan, 68, a retired auto mechanic, voted against the millage.

“I’m a victim of Detroit Public Schools, and I didn’t get a very good education,” he said. “For my 12th grade, my family moved to the Arlington County, Virginia, school district. I wasn’t prepared. I really had to work to get my high school diploma.”

The district needed to pass an operating millage by July 2027. If Tuesday’s proposal failed the district likely would have come back to voters in November.

While anyone who is registered to vote could have voted on the tax, it only applies to commercial property, rental property, and vacation property. It won’t affect primary homeowners.

BridgeDetroit’s Bryce Huffman and Micah Walker contributed to this report.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Detroit school district responds to influx of questions after critical posts from content creator

2026-08-04T10:00:01+00:00

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The Detroit district held a virtual town hall Monday to respond to an influx of questions from the public after a content creator posted a series of viral videos calling out the school system.

The videos, which reach Brandi McGill’s hundreds of thousands of followers on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, criticized the Detroit Public Schools Community District for poor cleanliness in its buildings as well as contracting work from outside companies.

More than 700 people joined the hour-and-a-half-long session, a district official said, with more than 100 questions and comments logged.

Many of the comments called for better oversight of school maintenance and janitorial services and for the district to make contract information more accessible to the public. Some anonymous users complained about mice in buildings and shortages of janitorial supplies. Others expressed frustration about difficulty getting in touch with school and administrative staff.

“All teachers, parents and staff should be given the budget for the current school year and the budget from the previous school year,” an attendee wrote. “If this district wants us to trust them then we need to know where the money is going.”

DPSCD gives budget presentations each year, but it requires a public information request to provide full line-item lists of expenditures and revenue.

Other anonymous comments defended the district. One chided the content creator for “misinforming the public and inciting uproar.”

Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said during the meeting the district has made a lot of progress, but acknowledged that there is “a lot of improvement that needs to happen.”

In her first video about DPSCD, McGill, known as Brandi Thee Millennial Manager on multiple social media platforms, called out the district after she tried to enroll her son at Denby High School. She raised concerns about the administrative staff’s poor communication with her, the building’s condition, and the programming the school offered.

In multiple videos, McGill alluded to the possibility of unethical practices in the district’s contracting, though she did not make specific allegations or offer evidence of malfeasance or impropriety.

In a statement last week, Vitti acknowledged that there were “viral posts made about the district” and said DPSCD “does intend to respond legally to defend itself” against “baseless information.”

The statement did not name McGill or her social media posts. Vitti also did not mention her by name at Monday’s meeting.

The superintendent described the district’s procedures for accepting proposals from contractors, including its policy prohibiting conflicts of interest for the school board and staff.

At a board committee meeting last week, Vitti said the district would prefer not to use contracted services if possible.

The district has made progress in replacing contractors with full-time employees since emergency management ended about a decade ago, said Vitti. During the period of emergency management — when a series of state-appointed emergency managers controlled the district from 2009 to 2016 — Vitti said the former Detroit Public School contracted out many more school operations, such as extracurricular and after-school instruction.

In some areas, such as janitorial work, DPSCD has had difficulty filling vacancies in recent years, he added.

Deputy Superintendent of Operations Machion Jackson said in 2018 the district tried to hire its own janitors to service 10 schools. However, DPSCD could only find enough staff for five schools.

McGill told Chalkbeat she doesn’t believe the district contracting services is inherently negative. She understands that it may have been necessary to contract in the past, but wants the district to try hiring its own janitors again. Doing so could produce higher quality work and better wages for custodians, she added.

At several meetings earlier this year, the board discussed improving cleanliness in schools. LaTrice McClendon, chair of the board, said at last week’s meeting discussions around hiring more in-house custodial staff began around that time.

“I wasn’t aware they were doing that before the meeting last Wednesday,” said McGill. “I already made my videos. I’m glad the board saw there is an issue and the need to address it.”

DPSCD will hold an in-person meeting to cover the same topics from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Renaissance High School.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Iris Taylor, leader in Detroit healthcare and DPSCD board member, dies at 74

2026-07-31T01:14:15+00:00

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Iris Taylor, a champion for quality education and healthcare in the Detroit Public Schools Community District, died Thursday at 74.

Taylor’s death comes a week after she filed to run for reelection on the school board.

Taylor wanted to run one last time to continue the work she’s done over the years and to bring stability to the board, friend and former board member Sherry Gay-Dagnogo told BridgeDetroit.

Taylor was treasurer for the DPSCD board, the former nursing director for the City of Detroit, and a longtime nurse and health care administrator for the Detroit Medical Center.

DPSCD Superintendent Nikolai Vitti and board President LaTrice McClendon said Taylor was a driving force in the district’s progress.

“Her guidance shaped decisions that will benefit generations of Detroit students, and her presence at the board table will be greatly missed,” the joint statement said.

McClendon said all members are deeply saddened by the loss.

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield also released a statement, saying the city “lost one of its most dedicated and impactful servant leaders.”

“A Detroiter through-and-through her entire life, Dr. Taylor’s 45-year career in the health field undoubtedly helped to improve and to save countless Detroiters’ lives,” she said. “Her impact as a member and past president of the Detroit Public Schools Community District board also cannot be understated. She was a true leader and a steady hand that helped make the great progress being made by the district and by its students possible.”

Former Mayor Mike Duggan said in a statement that Detroit has “suffered a great loss.”

“She has been my close friend for more than 20 years,” said Duggan, the former president and CEO of DMC. “She made an enormous impact in helping save the Detroit Medical Center, rebuilding the Detroit Public Schools after their return to an elected School Board, and improving the lives of Detroiters in her leadership in the Detroit Health Department.”

Taylor took the reins of the first elected DPSCD board in 2017 as president.

When Taylor was sworn in, she said it was the new board’s job to prove it was trustworthy and transparent.

DPSCD school board member Iris Taylor, shown here during the June 2019 graduation at Cody High School, passed away a week after she filed to run for reelection.

Taylor lost reelection in 2020 but won again in 2022. She also served as board chair of the DPSCD Foundation beginning in 2024 and was integral in the return of Davis Aerospace Technical High School to Detroit City Airport.

“Throughout her remarkable career, she brought together leaders across healthcare, education, philanthropy, government, and business because she believed lasting change happens when communities unite around a shared purpose,” the DPSCD Foundation said in an Instagram post honoring Taylor.

Gay-Dagnogo, who served on the school board with Taylor until Gay-Dagnogo became the city’s ombudsman last year, was shocked to hear of Taylor’s passing. She last saw her on July 7 at an event hosted by former board member Angelique Peterson Mayberry.

Taylor and Gay-Dagnogo both received distinguished alumni awards from Wayne State University in May.

“We talked about going out to brunch,” Gay-Dagnogo said. “She was getting ready to go out of town for a gospel music workshop. It’s a little melancholy thinking just how fleeting life can be.”

A leader in healthcare

A product of Detroit Public Schools, Taylor graduated from Central High School. Taylor later graduated from Wayne State, earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing in 1974 and 1978, according to the university. She received her doctorate in 1996.

Taylor began her career in 1975 as a head staff nurse at DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital and University Health Center. She was eventually promoted into leadership roles, becoming DMC’s chief nursing officer and senior vice president of patient care in 1999. Taylor was appointed president of Harper Hospital and Hutzel Women’s Hospital before leading Detroit Receiving in 2004. In 2010, she became chief business officer for DMC, but would return as president of Detroit Receiving before her retirement from the medical center in 2015.

Ramona Benkert met Taylor in the late 1990s when she was a nurse practitioner at Detroit Receiving Hospital. Benkert, who’s now the dean of the Wayne State College of Nursing, said Taylor was a mentor and a “motivating leader.”

“She was the true embodiment of a servant leader,” she said. “It wasn’t about her. It was about improving systems of care, improving healthcare and improving public education in the city. It’s always been about service for Dr. Taylor. It’s hard to find that in a leader to be able to do all those things for the community as well as improve the lives of so many people.”

In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Duggan appointed Taylor as director of nursing for the Detroit Health Department. The position had been vacant since 2019. In her role, Taylor was responsible for being the city’s lead public health nurse, overseeing clinical operations and public outreach.

An advocate for health hubs

Taylor encouraged DPSCD to open Health Hubs across the district. The hubs have distributed food and resources to families thousands of times and helped reduce chronic absenteeism since opening in 2023, according to the district.

Gay-Dagnogo said the hubs project was Taylor’s “baby,” and that she wanted to ensure children in the district receive quality health care. Being prepared and having strategic plans for her goals were Taylor’s strengths on the school board, Gay-Dagnogo said.

“How are we going to get from A to B to C? That is something that is often missed in people that have a vision,” she said. “They don’t think through strategically, ‘What are the steps to get there?’”

Thirty-four people are running for five open seats on the board for the November election.

Taylor was one of three incumbents running to reclaim seats on the DPSCD board in the Nov. 3 election. Last week, two other current board leaders, McClendon, who chairs the board, and vice chair Corletta Vaughn, were disqualified from the ballot.

Gay-Dagnogo said she’s glad she got to be in the presence of Taylor’s genius and see her generosity as a servant of Detroit.

“I wish that her story of the accomplishments and the impact that she had at DMC and the cohort of nurses that she helped to mentor could have been heightened and shared while she was among us,” she said. “But I am glad that our alma mater honored us both this past May, and we got a chance to celebrate that together. She will sorely be missed.”

Micah Walker is a reporter for BridgeDetroit. You can reach her at mwalker@bridgedetroit.com.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Detroit school board signals desire to find alternatives to demolition for four closed buildings

2026-07-30T22:06:23+00:00

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The Detroit school board is reconsidering plans to demolish four recently closed schools after facing community criticism.

The Detroit Public Schools Community District originally planned to begin demolitions in June 2027. In the months preceding the school closures at the end of the 2025-26 school year, community members expressed their concerns. Multiple public speakers at recent board meetings asked the district to find alternative solutions, such as selling or leasing the buildings. Some criticized the school system for holding onto land that could remain vacant for extended periods instead of allowing others to repurpose it sooner.

“I tend to personally agree with that,” board president LaTrice McClendon said at a Wednesday committee meeting, agreeing with concerns about the district retaining the land.

Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said the board in 2022 approved razing buildings and retaining the land at schools identified for phaseout in the facilities plan.

The board did not vote or take any action on the schools at the meeting. However, four members signaled their desire for the district to seek new proposals from outside entities, such as businesses or nonprofits.

The four schools – Ann Arbor Trail Magnet School, J.E. Clark Preparatory Academy, Catherine C. Blackwell Institute, and Greenfield Union Elementary-Middle School – closed at the end of the 2025-26 school year because of low enrollment and high costs.

Demolition of the buildings will cost nearly $5 million, according to a district report.

Board member Ida Simmons-Short said at the meeting she would rather see the district put the money into classroom resources.

“If we can sell the buildings and make more money, then that’s better for us because we have more financial resources for our students,” she added.

Thurgood Marshall Elementary-Middle School is slated to be next on the district’s list of small schools to close.

After Marshall’s closure, the district will monitor 17 more school buildings where operating costs are high, largely because of low enrollment. The district is exploring ways to boost enrollment at the schools, and there are currently no plans to close them.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Here are the 35 people running for the Detroit school board

2026-07-22T14:18:17+00:00

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Three incumbents, multiple former school board members, and several people who have run before are among a crowded field of 35 people running for five open seats on the Detroit school board.

It’s the largest number of candidates to run for the board since 2016, the year the Detroit Public Schools Community District was created and more than 60 people vied for seats on the new board.

Incumbent board members Steve Bland, Jr., Bessie Lee Harris, and Iris Taylor are running to reclaim their seats on the seven member board in the Nov. 3 election. Two other incumbents, board chair LaTrice McClendon and vice chair Corletta Vaughn, were disqualified from the ballot. McClendon had already decided not to run for reelection, while Vaughn chose not to run on Tuesday.

Two incumbents, Bland and Harris, were appointed to seats in 2025 to fill out the terms of board members who stepped down.

With five open seats and 35 candidates, the November election has the potential to change the direction of the Detroit Public Schools Community District, something Superintendent Nikolai Vitti acknowledged in a statement to Chalkbeat Wednesday.

“We all know that the November 2026 election would be a watershed for the District. We will either move forward with greater progress and momentum or backwards,” Vitti said.

“Our progress has been built by a strong majority-led School Board that believes and implements the difficult but proven standard that the School Board governs the District and holds a Superintendent accountable to manage and lead the District day to day,” Vitti said. “School Board challenges in DPS are well documented prior to the establishment of DPSCD. The District cannot afford to go backwards.”

There are a number of other familiar names on the ballot. Georgia Lemmons and LaMar Lemmons, who are married, previously served on the DPSCD board. LaMar Lemmons also served on the board for Detroit Public Schools. Other former board members include Tawanna Simpson.

Also on the ballot are candidates who have previously run unsuccessfully for the board, including Nicole Conaway, Tabrian Joe, and Aliya Moore.

Here’s a full list of candidates, provided by the Detroit clerk’s office:

Natalie La’Vonne Bien-Aime
Steve Bland, Jr.
Michelle Rene’ Broughton
Katrina Lanise Brown
Cidney Julia-Angela Calloway
Bobby Lee Christian
Nicole Marie Conaway
Vilma Valeria Escamilla-Durán
Daniel Franklin Ferguson, III
Duane Larry Grisby, Jr.
Bessie Lee Harris
David Dwayne Harris, II
Henrietta Ivey
Christopher Allen Hubbard
Ijazz Johnnay Jackson
Tabrian Chas Joe
Shinese DeCarol Johnson
Theodore Rhett Jones
Georgia Mae Lemmons
LaMar Demetri Lemmons
Clement Ogden Lett
Phillip E. Lloyd, II
Aliya Rebekah Moore
Darious Lamar Morris
Liana Stern Mulholland
Tyshea Elaine Pope
Danetta Lynese Simpson
Tawanna Simpson
Jameel Montgomery Smith
Calesther J. Smith-Arnold
Iris Alice Taylor
Shawn Vaughn
Terry Eugene Whitfield
Elizabeth Ann Williams
Theresa Arleen Williams

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

July 28, 2026: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Vilma Valeria Escamilla-Durán and Natalie La’Vonne Bien-Aime, whose names were misspelled in a list of candidates provided by the city.

Detroit school board’s chair and vice chair will not seek reelection in November

2026-07-22T01:01:48+00:00

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Two leaders of the Detroit school board will not be on the Nov. 3 ballot, creating the potential for a major shake-up in the governing body’s future direction.

LaTrice McClendon, who chairs the Detroit Public Schools Community District board, and Corletta Vaughn, the board’s vice chair, were both listed as disqualified on a list of candidates city officials provided Chalkbeat shortly after the filing deadline Tuesday.

Vaughn was disqualified because of late fees owed to Wayne County, city officials told Chalkbeat.

McClendon said she was disqualified because of a late fee her campaign team missed in December 2025. That late fee was paid last week. McClendon said she’d received notice that she could refile until 4 p.m. Tuesday.

But by then she had already changed her mind about running for reelection, opting instead to prioritize family.

“I’m going to miss it because I’ve worked hard,” she said of her time on the board since being elected in 2022. “But you have to know when to move on.”

Five of the seven board seats are up for grabs in the election. In addition to McClendon and Vaughn, the terms of Iris Taylor, Steve Bland Jr., and Bessie Harris will end this year.

Bland, Harris, and Taylor filed for candidacy, city records show.

Vaughn, first elected in 2018 and reelected in 2022, told Chalkbeat Tuesday she made a last-minute decision that she wouldn’t run this time. A county filing from July 13 showed that Vaughn owed $950.

“I sometimes think maybe those things are signs to not keep going,” she said of the filing issue.

Political consultant Mario Morrow said paperwork issues and unpaid fees that invalidate candidacies are common in Michigan elections.

“Either you mess up or you have a campaign team or people who are running the organization of your campaign who dropped the ball,” he said. “That’s why you have to be on top of this stuff day and night. Signatures, financial reporting errors — anything can happen.”

Morrow said McClendon’s and Vaughn’s absence from the race could be problematic for Superintendent Nikolai Vitti’s administrative agenda.

“You’re losing two allies,” Morrow said. “It’s going to be a major power shift which will change the direction of the Detroit Public Schools Community District over the next four years.”

Vitti did not respond to a request for comment.

The board has the power to hire and fire the district’s superintendent. It also makes decisions that shape district policy, curriculum, and funding.

McClendon, a parent of three children enrolled in DPSCD, said she is proud of holding the district accountable and pushing for transparency. She was elected board chair in January.

McClendon is director of the Knight Foundation’s Detroit program. She previously was a market executive for Huntington Bank.

Vaughn, a bishop and senior pastor of Holy Ghost Cathedral Church, said she is pleased with her work expanding faith-based partnerships in the district. She said she advocated to streamline services for children experiencing homelessness, as well as for the creation of the district’s Health Hubs.

Vaughn started her career as a nurse, wrote a book, and had a stint on reality TV.

This story has been corrected to make it clear that Board Chair LaTrice McClendon paid late election fees last week and could have filed to run to reclaim her seat, but decided against another reelection campaign.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Christine Ferretti is the managing editor for BridgeDetroit. You can reach her at cferretti@bridgedetroit.com.

Detroit students canvass to ask voters to support Proposal S

2026-07-14T10:00:00+00:00

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Shadiya Begum, 16, waited patiently on a Corktown porch in the blistering heat Wednesday afternoon.

She decided it was time to move on after a couple of minutes. She left a pamphlet that read, “Vote yes on Proposal S!” and a handwritten note before soldiering on to the next door.

Begum said she and her Cass Technical High School peers will be directly affected if Detroit voters reject Proposal S, a measure on the Aug. 4 primary ballot. The proposal would authorize an operating millage — a tax levy on businesses and rental property owners – for the Detroit Public Schools Community District. If the millage is not approved by July 1, 2027, administrators say there will be a deficit of $111 million the following school year.

“I think the most important thing is getting people aware because a lot of people may support the bill or whatever we’re doing, but they don’t know about it,” Begum said.

Around 80 volunteers with the local education equity nonprofit 482Forward have canvassed so far to garner voter support for the millage. With less than a month to go until the election, the group’s goal is to knock on 4,000 doors and make 150,000 phone calls.

Before heading out Wednesday, students, teachers, parents, and community members went over the basics of the millage at the Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation building on Trumbull Street. Juanita Zuniga, youth lead organizer for 482Forward, asked if they knew why they were canvassing.

“So we can get better funding for our schools,” one student answered.

Parent volunteer Amy Dent wanted clarification on a question many voters still have: “Are we asking the community for more money?”

No, said Lindsey Matson, deputy director of youth organizing for 482Forward. Voters are only being asked to allow a different entity to collect the 18-mill tax business owners are already paying, she explained.

Until now, Detroit Public Schools – a separate entity from DPSCD that exists only to collect tax revenue and pay off the district’s historic debt – has collected the operating millage. Now that the debt is set to be paid off in September, the state told DPSCD it must begin collecting its own operating millage.

The state has given DPSCD funding to fill the gap in operating revenue since the district was created in 2016. This year’s state budget eliminates those dollars.

Another key point to educate voters on, Matson said, is that every Michigan school district is required to levy 18 mills. Districts that fail to pass an operating millage would receive less funding from the state.

Matson said most of the people she’s met while canvassing haven’t asked detailed questions about why the millage is needed now or the history of the debt. Most voters the group encountered were supportive once told the funding goes to support schools.

DPSCD administrators expressed concerns this measure may be harder to explain, given the city last passed a millage in 2024. Earlier this year, the district hired a public affairs firm for $1.4 million to help educate voters about the 2026 proposal.

Still, there’s slightly more pushback and confusion than usual, Matson said.

“I think people are frustrated with the state of schools sometimes, and so they are like, ‘Oh, why do they need any more money?’” she said. “My answer is you can be frustrated, but I don’t think less money is going to help, you know.”

Ultimately, less funding would hurt students, Matson added.

As canvassers trickled back into the Trumbull Street building Wednesday afternoon, they exchanged anecdotes from the field. Many doors went unanswered. Most residents that did come to the door supported the proposal. Only one was somewhat argumentative.

Begum said she’ll be out canvassing again whenever she can. She hopes hearing directly from a student will resonate with voters, she said.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Detroit school district releases 2026-27 calendar

2026-07-02T15:04:19+00:00

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The Detroit district has released its 2026-27 school year calendar, with an Aug. 24 start date for students.

The Detroit Public Schools Community District’s board approved the calendar last month, shortly before the district reached a tentative agreement with the teachers union. The calendar includes 175 student attendance days, with five additional days for professional development for staff, which reaches the state’s 180-day school year minimum. Michigan law allows the professional development hours to count toward instruction, even though students are not present on those days.

The calendar does not include observance of Eid al-Fitr, a Muslim holiday expected to fall on March 10. Last school year, students, teachers, and community members spoke at multiple board meetings to ask the district to not hold class on the holiday.

Although the holiday counts as an excused absence, Muslim students said they sometimes have to make up tests and assignments after missing the day. They also miss out on receiving a weekly perfect attendance incentive the district offers from January through March.

Superintendent Nikolai Vitti has said the holiday hasn’t been on past calendars due to pushback during union negotiations over adjusting other breaks or extending the school year.

Detroit Federation of Teachers President Lakia Wilson-Lumpkins told Chalkbeat the union did not ask for the holiday to be observed in 2027 because of a lack of membership support.

Here are some key dates in the calendar:

Fall count day will be Oct. 7. The day is crucial for the district because the number of students in attendance helps determine how much state funding schools receive. Spring count day will be Feb. 10.
Thanksgiving break begins Nov. 25, with classes resuming Nov. 30.
Winter break starts Dec. 21. Students will return to school Jan. 4.
Midwinter break starts Feb. 15. Class starts again Feb. 22.
Spring break will be March 26 through April 2, with students returning April 5.
The last day of school is June 7. The following week will include four make-up days in case of emergency cancellations.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Detroit school district loses court appeal against state over paying debt with operating tax revenue

2026-06-29T22:53:48+00:00

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The Michigan Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court’s decision against the Detroit school district in its battle over collecting operating tax revenue.

Unless appealed again, the ruling means the Detroit Public Schools Community District will have to rely on voter approval on a ballot measure that would allow the district to collect its own operating millage for the first time. Until now, Detroit Public Schools – which now exists only to take in tax revenue and pay off old debt – collected the operating millage and DPSCD received other state funds to pay for daily operations.

Because voters renewed the levy in 2024, district officials have said voters may be confused about why another ballot measure is needed.

The August proposal would not create a new tax. Instead, it would allow DPSCD, rather than DPS, to collect the existing tax.

Judges Michael J. Riordan, Daniel S. Korobkin, and Philip P. Mariani last week issued a ruling siding with the Michigan Department of Treasury. The case centered on whether DPS could continue collecting operating tax revenue to pay off capital debt ahead of schedule.

In their ruling, the Court of Appeals judges agreed with the lower court, writing that DPS “cannot continue to levy the operating tax” once it pays off operating debt.

District officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. It is unclear whether DPSCD will appeal.

Ron Leix, deputy public information officer for the Treasury Department, told Chalkbeat in an email that the department remains “committed to working with the district to support a strong education for Detroit’s students.”

If the district’s ballot measure does not receive voter approval by July 1, 2027, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti has said DPSCD would face a $120 million deficit the following school year.

DPSCD’s fight with the state over use of tax dollars

Lawmakers created DPSCD in 2016 to take over day-to-day school operations while DPS remained responsible for collecting taxes to pay off its $3.2 billion debt.

Under that agreement, DPSCD did not receive local tax revenue. Instead, it received state funding from the 1998 Tobacco Settlement Fund.

Revenue from DPS’ operating millage is close to paying off a $150 million emergency loan the district received in 2016 because rising property values generated more revenue than expected.

DPSCD officials wanted DPS to continue collecting the operating tax revenue – even after the emergency loan is paid off – to accelerate the payment of the district’s $1.3 billion capital debt and $355 million in state School Loan Revolving Fund debt. Those debts are currently paid through a separate millage. District officials argued the change would save taxpayers $326 million in interest.

But the Treasury Department rejected the request, saying state law does not permit operating millages to pay nonoperating debt.

After legislation that would have allowed the change failed, DPSCD sued the state.

In March, a Court of Claims judge ruled against DPSCD, finding that current state law does not permit the district’s request. The final order also said DPS will continue collecting debt millages until its capital and revolving fund debt is paid off, which is expected around 2040.

DPSCD will rely on voters and property rates for operating costs

DPSCD began preparing to collect its own operating millage before the Court of Appeals decision.

Vitti previously said the lower courts’ decision was not ideal because it would require the district to explain that the existing 18-mill levy is not a new or higher tax.

The tax applies only to non-homestead properties, such as rentals and businesses. It is not placed on homeowners.

If the measure fails in August, the district plans to place it on the November ballot. If it fails again, officials estimate a special election in May 2027 would cost between $1 million and $2 million.

In March, the school board approved a $1.4 million contract with a public affairs firm to educate voters on the millage ahead of the August election.

The change also means DPSCD’s operating budget will rely on local property tax revenue for the first time. If rates fall in the future, the district would receive less local funding. In the past, the district received a set amount of state funding for its operating costs.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Housing, groceries, and medical needs: Detroit’s Health Hubs helping to get kids to school

2026-06-29T10:00:00+00:00

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Upbeat on-hold music blared from Jerrica Mickens’ cellphone for nearly 50 minutes as she searched on her laptop for affordable housing for a parent in Detroit.

Mickens was on a three-way call with a mother and a legal aide hotline the morning of April 21 in her Central High School office. As the two waited for a representative to answer questions about the mother’s landlord troubles, Mickens asked what else her family needed. Did they want to pick up a box of groceries for the month? Did the kids need new clothes? Did anyone in the family need mental health services?

Mickens is one of nine “navigators” whose job is getting to know school communities and discerning their needs. They play a critical role in the Detroit Public Schools Community District’s 10 Health Hubs. Since launching in 2023, the hubs have contributed to improved attendance in the district and helped thousands of families, officials say.

DPSCD Health Hub navigator Jerrica Mickens poses for a photo.

Mickens’ time and care is often a lifeline for parents in survival mode. Sometimes, she said, families just need someone to listen.

“My passion is serving people,” said Mickens. “So if that’s what a person needs, then I’m gonna be here for that.”

The navigators lead parents through a complex web of district resources, social services, and nonprofit assistance they may not otherwise know how to access. Their offices serve as a one-stop-shop to triage the root causes that keep students from regularly attending school, such as poor health, unstable housing, and food insecurity.

At the hubs, students are connected with vision and hearing screenings, as well as medical, dental, and mental health care. The centers connect families with housing, utility assistance, and legal services. The school community can stop in for food and hygiene product distribution.

From July 1, 2023, through June 14, the hubs served families 19,200 times and more than 1,100 referrals were made.

“We know that for students to show up ready to learn and focus on their academics, their basic health and well-being needs must be met first,” said Superintendent Nikolai Vitti. “Schools are the natural, trusted, and most convenient hub for families to access these vital resources.”

DPSCD's 10 Health Hubs are distribution centers for hygiene products and food, as well as onsight health centers.

Prolonged absenteeism has long been a problem for Detroit schools due to systemic socioeconomic barriers, which in turn severely hinders students’ learning.

Michigan students are considered chronically absent when they miss 18 days or more in a 180-day school year.

Nearly 61% of the district’s students were chronically absent in 2024-25. Though the rate was considerably higher than the statewide average of 28%, DPSCD has outpaced the rest of Michigan in reducing absenteeism since the COVID-19 pandemic.

District officials attribute the improvement to many long-term efforts – like creating a culture of improving attendance among leaders, hiring more counselors to address mental health needs, and student incentives – but they believe the hubs are a key piece.

Students get lunch inside Osborn High School’s Health Hub.

Overall, the district’s chronic absenteeism rate decreased by 5.2 percentage points last year compared to 2022-23, the last year before the hubs opened. Academic performance has also improved, with third-grade reading proficiency and graduation rates reaching historic highs last year.

“K-12 students who accessed the Health Hubs during the 2024–25 school year had better average daily attendance and lower rates of chronic absenteeism than students who did not access the Hubs,” said Vitti, though he didn’t provide detailed numbers.

Jaiden Mabins' house burned down when he was a 10th grader at Osborn High School. Health Hub navigator Jerrica Mickens helped his mom find new housing close to the school.

Jaiden Mabins, who recently graduated from Osborn High School, said his attendance improved and his postsecondary plans were affected by Mickens’ work as a navigator at his school.

In 10th grade, Mabin’s home burned down, which meant moving in with his sister near 10 Mile – a considerable distance from his school on the east side of Detroit. The limited transportation options forced him to stay home many days, he said.

“Ms. Jerrica, she helped us find a new place, still close in the neighborhood for school,” said Mabins.

The navigator gave him new clothes, school supplies, and a laptop. When it came time to think about his post-high school options, she helped him fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

Addressing Detroit families’ needs beyond the school day

At 11:50 a.m. at Central High School, 17-year-old Jeremy McKinney was led by a school employee through Mickens’ office door, held open by two stacked boxes of canned green beans overflowing from the hub’s food distribution pantry.

McKinney squinted when he introduced himself, struggling to see. His glasses had been stolen. The navigator got him on the waiting list to get a new pair from a nonprofit that regularly visits the school.

Around 185 pairs of glasses have been given to kids in the district since the hubs opened, according to DPSCD.

As Mickens got back to packing boxes of groceries for scheduled pick-ups, she paused periodically to answer calls from parents.

Jerrica Mickens updates case files at her desk at Central High School.

“Oh Lord Jesus, I hope I can help her,” she said of a mother whose house flooded. Once a new place was secured, Mickens said she knew an organization that would build new beds for the kids. She could also help them get gas cards to get to school and some clothing.

While DPSCD has always tried to fill gaps for students with attendance agents and wraparound services, district officials say the hubs streamline the process. Navigators have the time for deeper conversations with families and take detailed notes on their case files. They can also better track how the children are served by outside organizations beyond the initial referral.

All of the hubs are strategically placed so every school has a location within 3 miles.

Mickens is currently responsible for 10 feeder schools in addition to Central and Durfee Elementary-Middle School. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, she travels to the other schools to get to know parent outreach coordinators, principals, and social workers who relay family needs.

There are currently hubs in 10 DPSCD schools – Central, Denby, Henry Ford, Marygrove, Martin Luther King Jr., Mumford, Osborn, Southeastern, and Western International high schools, as well as East English Village Prep Academy.

There will also be hubs at the new Cody and Pershing high schools when they open for the 2027-28 school year. There are plans for a Detroit Lions Academy location, though an opening date has not been set.

A sign outside of a DPSCD Health Hub provides information for students.

It costs around $500,000 a year to operate each hub, said Vitti. But because most of the expenses are covered by donations from community partners, the actual cost for DPSCD is around $172,000 a year per hub, he added.

Coordinated school health plan models in New York City’s school system and the Oakland Unified School District served as models for the district. Those districts reportedly saw improvements in attendance and academic achievement, as well as lower rates of student discipline.

A third-party evaluator is currently examining how the hubs affect DPSCD student attendance. It is expected to be complete in the fall.

Later that day at Central, Mickens grabbed two tuna snack packs and a chocolate milk for a teen boy in between classes.

The navigator asked if he’d filled out the dental exam permission slip she gave him days before. No, he said, because he wouldn’t be at the school for long.

She consoled the student after learning the reason he had to leave. “No judgment,” she said.

Mickens said she understands some of the challenges the students she serves face. She dropped out when she was a ninth grader at Central years ago.

“A lot of it was because of the disconnect of social services that I needed,” she said. “ I have a heart to not let kids go through what I have.”

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Detroit teachers’ union approves tentative 2-year contract with school district

2026-06-24T23:17:22+00:00

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The Detroit teachers union voted to approve a tentative agreement with the school district that would give new bonuses to attendance agents, career and technical education teachers, and staff certified to teach English language learners, union officials confirmed Wednesday.

Many of the Detroit Federation of Teachers’ bargaining priorities made it into the proposal, including higher wages for all members and additional workplace protections, a copy of the tentative agreement obtained by Chalkbeat shows. The contract covers the 2026-27 and 2027-28 school years.

“This contract is important for the Detroit Federation of Teachers, and for all of the other unions here in the district,” said union president Lakia Wilson-Lumpkins at a Wednesday press conference. She added the DFT’s contract wins could serve as an example for other unions in the city and the state.

More than 80% of the 2,600 members who participated in the vote approved the contract this week, said Wilson-Lumpkins.

More than 5,000 people belong to the DFT. Union membership includes teachers, paraprofessionals, academic interventionists, and psychologists, among other school staff.

The school board must approve the contract before it is final. The union has not publicly released a copy of the tentative agreement.

The current union contract expires June 30.

School board president LaTrice McClendon praised the union and the district for moving the agreement forward. The board is focused on ensuring higher pay for educators and meaningful professional development, she added.

“Our teachers are the foundation of that progress, and we are proud to support them,” she told Chalkbeat in an email.

District administrators did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the tentative agreement.

Here are some key highlights of what is new in the tentative agreement:

All union members would advance one step in the pay scale each year of the contract, except those in alternative certification programs. The starting annual salary would be $57,400 for those with bachelor’s degrees. It is $55,000 a year in the current contract.
The agreement includes a 7.49% increase to the maximum salary for teachers and credentialed ancillary staff, such as counselors, speech language pathologists, psychologists, and other positions. The top annual salary possible for teachers with a master’s degree would be $96,500 in 2026-27 and $100,100 in 2027-28. The maximum in the current contract is $93,000 a year.
Substitute teachers would get a 3% raise in 2026-27 and 2027-28.
Attendance agents would get performance bonuses of up to $2,000 annually for decreasing chronic absenteeism rates in their schools.
General education prekindergarten through fifth grade homeroom teachers would not have more than six students diagnosed with autism or emotional impairment in their classrooms. Teachers would get stipends of up to $4,000 a year based on the number of students with the diagnoses in their classrooms.
Ancillary staff with an endorsement in English as a second language or bilingual education or those asked to serve a school with a student population of 50% or more English learners would get a one-time $5,000 retention bonus. The current contract only provides the bonus to teachers with the certification.
Members in career and technical education programs would get bonuses of up to $2,000 annually based on the percentage of their students who earn credentials or licenses in their fields of study.
Building administrators would have to notify employees of any potential threats to physical safety or threats to staff and students, such as lockdowns, disease outbreaks, and major facility issues.
If schools close or merge, the district would have to make “all reasonable efforts” to transfer staff to the new neighborhood school students are assigned to.
Employees would still get up to 12 weeks of maternity and paternity leave through the federal Family and Medical Leave Act. However, the new agreement would return six weeks of leave to the employees after their parental leave.

The agreement would also keep current bonuses for special education teachers and staff who evaluate students, those who remain in the district for 15 or more years, as well as retention pay for full- and part-time staff.

The agreement does not include language asking DPSCD to reinforce its commitment to its status as a sanctuary district for immigrant students, as union president Wilson-Lumpkins said the union would seek in a new contract earlier this year.

Kelsey Wiley, a teacher at Cass Technical High School, said she is disappointed the contract does not include mandatory Know Your Rights training for staff on interacting with immigration enforcement. Members were told months ago the language would be in the contract, she added.

“It’s unfortunate and it’s a complete misstep on the union’s end,” said Wiley.

Wilson-Lumpkins said the state and national teachers unions the DFT belongs to have issued “very strong resolutions” that express support for immigrant students and their educators. The DFT has held forums and provided Know Your Rights information.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Detroit school board adopts $1.1 billion budget that prioritizes security, reducing chronic absenteeism

2026-06-16T23:54:59+00:00

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The Detroit district school board voted Tuesday night to adopt a $1.1 billion budget for the 2026-27 school year that prioritizes attendance efforts, mentorship for students, and school security.

The Detroit Public Schools Community District budget also raises pay for all employees, adds nine more school counselors, hires about 12 more assistant principals, and gives teachers funding for classroom supplies so that families don’t have to bear the cost.

The budget includes $13.9 million for efforts to reduce chronic absenteeism, which is defined as a student missing 10% or more of days in a school year. The money will pay for attendance agents, financial incentives for middle and high school students who have perfect attendance, wraparound services, and yellow bus service pilots for students at four high schools.

Chronic absenteeism has long been an issue in Detroit. DPSCD has outpaced the rest of the state in reducing chronic absenteeism since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Still, 60.9% of DPSCD students were chronically absent in 2024-25.

The budget keeps DPSCD’s current programming and staffing without any major changes and is based on predicted 3% enrollment growth, or about 1,478 more students. The district estimates a $12.9 million increase in state funding and will spend the final $31.4 million allocation of the literacy lawsuit settlement funds.

However, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said last month that after the next school year, the district will face financial uncertainty.

After the $94.4 million settlement runs out, the district will have to make tough decisions about which programs and staff it can afford to keep.

DPSCD will also begin relying on a voter-approved property tax to cover operating costs, meaning if rates fall, the district will receive less money. There is also ambiguity about the fate of federal dollars and whether future state funding will continue to include the same weighted funding levels for students from impoverished families.

In the long term, DPSCD will need to consider phasing out more small and underutilized schools to reduce costs, Vitti said.

The district sped up the closures of four small schools at the end of this school year to save funds. Thurgood Marshall Elementary-Middle will close earlier than expected for the same reason at the end of 2026-27.

Once specific state grants end, the district also needs to prepare to cut some mental health supports, nurses, or security guards hired this school year, administrators said.

Earlier this year, DPSCD received a surplus of $10.3 million in one-time state mental health and school safety funds.

Some of those dollars went toward hiring more school resource officers, guards, and piloting upgraded security checkpoints after two incidents involving students bringing weapons to classrooms.

Michigan districts are required to adopt annual budgets by June 30, though state allocations may change. The district will make a budget amendment in the late fall to reflect any changes in state funding.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Detroit district to address concerns over demolishing Cooley High School at community meeting

2026-06-08T19:23:51+00:00

June 10, 2026: This story has been updated to reflect that the in-person meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. today.

June 9, 2026: This story has been updated to reflect the location of the public meeting changed to Renaissance High School and a virtual option was added.

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After community and alumni outcries, the Detroit district will hold a public meeting this week to address concerns about its planned tear-down of the historic Cooley High School.

Nikolai Vitti, superintendent of the Detroit Public Schools Community District, will field questions and complaints at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Renaissance High School at 6565 Outer Dr. W. The public may also attend a virtual meeting at 2 p.m. Thursday.

Vitti said in a statement on Sunday he will detail the district’s commitments to “honor Cooley’s history through the new athletic complex.”

“The hope is that the District can also find ways to partner with alumni and community on future projects at the new athletics complex,” he said.

DPSCD last held community meetings about its plans for the 1928 building in March. At that time, the plans for the full tear-down were shared, according to district officials.

The school closed in 2010. It is now one of Detroit’s largest vacant public school buildings.

After decades left unoccupied, DPSCD announced in 2025 it would turn the site into a $25 million sports complex. The original plans were to keep the building’s main facade. Part of the building would serve as a locker room, weight room, community gathering space, and dedication to alumni. The cost and timeline to complete the preservation made the district change its original plans, Vitti said.

The state gave the district $15 million for the new complex. Those dollars must be used by DPSCD by Sept. 30.

The preservation the district originally intended for the building was not feasible under the timeline of the state grant, Vitti said.

“The District understands that the demolition of an historic high school such as Cooley can be an emotional moment for alumni and the community,” the superintendent said. “We are sensitive to this fact and this is why we are preserving bricks, the bell towers, terra cotta medallions, and entry archways.”

Bricks from the building will be saved to give to alumni, Vitti added, and artifacts will be incorporated into the new complex.

A football field, outdoor track, and green space will be housed in the new complex. The remaining $10 million to complete the project was provided by philanthropic funds raised by the DPSCD Foundation. It is expected to be complete by 2028.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Nearly 84% of Detroit district high schoolers were paid for attendance this year

2026-06-03T20:07:48+00:00

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Nearly 84% of Detroit district high schoolers were paid for coming to school this year, with far more students in neighborhood schools receiving the payout.

Roughly 12,800 Detroit Public School Community District students received at least one $100 Visa gift card for showing up to each class every school day in five-day cycles from Jan. 5 through March 20, according to the district. The district has 15,247 students enrolled across 26 high schools in the district. Students could earn up to $1,000 total.

The chronic absenteeism rate for the district’s high schoolers decreased by 10 percentage points this school year compared to 2023-24, before the incentive began. This year’s rate was 54% by the end of April compared to 64% in 2023-24, according to DPSCD.

The program began last year as part of the district’s ongoing campaign to curb chronic absenteeism, which is defined as a student missing 10% or more of days in a school year. That’s 18 days of instruction in a typical 180-day school year.

Schools in Detroit and other communities like it have long struggled with kids missing too much school due to systemic issues, such as poverty. Though DPSCD had a chronic absenteeism rate of 60.9% in 2024-25, the district has outpaced the rest of the state in reducing rates since the COVID pandemic.

More students were eligible for the attendance incentive this year in part because eligibility was calculated in one-week cycles, Superintendent Nikoali Vitti said at an April board committee meeting. Last year, students had to have perfect attendance in two-week cycles to receive the money.

DPSCD data shows the incentive reached far more students attending neighborhood high schools, compared to last year when the majority who received the money went to students at application or exam schools.

“That was something that was a challenge last year that definitely improved this year,” Vitti said.

For example, only 16% of students at Pershing High School got the incentive at least once in 2024-25. More than 62% of the school did in 2025-26.

Data shows the program largely supported students who already had good attendance, however, and those who were at risk of becoming chronically absent.

“It’s still not at scale getting at those students that are dramatically absent,” said Vitti.

DPSCD defines dramatic chronic absence as missing 45 days or more of school.

The district’s data tracks with what studies on attendance incentives suggest: Such programs do not address demotivating factors like unsafe routes to school.

Still, Vitti said the incentive has been a success overall in improving high school attendance.

“I think it’s also creating greater advocacy among their students themselves,” he said, adding that students are making sure their attendance data is correct and following up with their teachers, principals, and the superintendent.

The district recommended the program expand to include middle school students next school year in a budget proposal presented to the board last month. If the board votes to adopt the idea, students in grades 6-8 would get $50 for each week of perfect attendance January through March.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Detroit district: Yellow bus pilot improved attendance for Henry Ford High School students

2026-05-04T21:05:51+00:00

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The Detroit district began the school year with a $600,000 experiment: Would yellow bus service for high schoolers improve attendance?

As the school year wraps up, the Detroit Public Schools Community District’s data suggests it can – with caveats. A pilot program offering yellow bus service at two high schools – Henry Ford High School and East English Village Preparatory Academy at Finney – produced different results.

The data indicates the pilot reduced chronic absenteeism for students who live near Henry Ford and frequently rode the bus, administrators said during a board committee meeting last week. The results were inconclusive for East English students, because few students participated, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said at the meeting.

“As we think about the budget process, I’m comfortable in saying that yellow bus services in a neighborhood school where there’s a larger concentration of students who live in the neighborhood can reduce chronic absences,” said Vitti.

The bus rides were only available to students who lived within the feeder pattern of the two high schools.

This likely reduced the number of riders at East English Village, Vitti said, because a smaller percentage of its students live near the school.

Board Chair LaTrice McClendon said during the meeting the district should also continue to search for transportation fixes for students on the east side, where population density is lower.

“That doesn’t mean we don’t still need to provide buses,” she said. “We need to think outside of the box.”

The district spent around $600,000 to run four buses twice a day at each of the schools for the entire school year, according to DPSCD. A total of 102 Henry Ford students rode the buses through April 2. Only 29 did at East English Village.

Ridership increased significantly at Henry Ford in the winter months, as the district expected. In November, an average of 15 students rode the bus every day.

Both schools had higher chronic absenteeism rates in the 2024-25 school year than the DPSCD average – 82% at Henry Ford and 77% at East English Village. The district’s overall rate was 60.9%.

Students are considered to be chronically absent if they miss 10% or more of days in a school year, or roughly 18 days of instruction in a typical 180-day school year.

City buses are the main mode of transportation for most Detroit high schoolers because DPSCD does not provide yellow bus service to most. Though city bus rides are now free for all Detroit students, service remains unreliable. Some students say it takes them hours to travel to school due to inconsistent schedules and inconvenient routes. Others report feeling unsafe while they wait at bus stops.

Yellow bus pilot results varied at the two schools

Most high school principals in the district want yellow buses for their students, Vitti said during last week’s committee meeting.

“I feel that the Henry Ford pilot can tell us that it’s worth exploring,” Vitti said. “I would not scale at every high school, but it is something to explore maybe at certain schools.”

The 59 Henry Ford students who rode buses more than 10 times reduced their chronic absenteeism by 8.5 percentage points so far in 2025-26 compared to the year before, according to DPSCD. The change represented the biggest reduction in chronic absenteeism of all student groups across ten neighborhood high schools, administrators said.

The 43 Henry Ford students who rode between one and nine times reduced chronic absenteeism by 7 percentage points, according to DPSCD.

The remaining 263 Henry Ford students who were in the boundary for bus pickup but did not ride at all increased their chronic absenteeism rates by 3.8 percentage points, the district said.

Another 141 students at Henry Ford were not eligible for rides because they lived too far away, DPSCD data shows. They represented about 27% of students at the school.

More than 300 East English Village students who were eligible for rides at the school never participated. Another 266, or 55% of students at the school, did not qualify for rides.

Only 18 East English students rode buses more than 10 times. Eleven rode between one and 9 times.

Board member Monique Bryant, who rode along on the buses with McClendon a couple of times, said during the meeting many of the East English Village stops were not in areas “conducive for students to walk.”

“We saw an overwhelming number of students being dropped off, or they were in vehicles waiting in those areas that were too dark, where there were abandoned houses,” she said.

Both Bryant and McClendon had concerns about the district’s data collection around bus riders, saying there were likely more students participating than were captured.

In order to continue the pilot or expand it to other schools, a majority of board members must approve the plans. The district has not made any formal proposals to do so.

Budget discussions for the 2026-27 school year will begin at next month’s committee meeting. The board must approve a budget by the end of June.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

DPCSD: Savings from mayor’s free student bus passes could fund after-school programs at three sites

2026-05-01T10:00:01+00:00

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Mayor Mary Sheffield wants the Detroit Public Schools Community District to use the money it previously spent on city bus passes to expand after-school programs.

But the money freed up in March when Sheffield made bus fare free for all Detroit students would only allow the district to add high-quality after-school programs at three pre-kindergarten through eighth grade schools, administrators said this week.

The mayor’s Ride to Rise program will save roughly $700,000 for DPSCD, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said during the district’s April board meeting. It would cost $200,000 annually at each school to run programs serving around 120 students, five days a week, with a ratio of 15 kids to one staff member, Vitti said during a board committee meeting Wednesday.

The last time DPSCD explored the idea of paying for after-school programming at each of its K-8 schools was before the COVID pandemic. Vitti said Wednesday that the cost was too high for the district.

“We were looking at $20 million, and that’s why we walked away,” he said.

After the mayor asked DPSCD to consider using the free bus fare money for new out-of-school programs, Vitti said the district did an analysis to determine options with the greatest potential impact.

The district mapped out the current availability of after-school programs and identified schools with high rates of chronic absenteeism and lower enrollment since 2020, said Vitti.

The three schools selected — Ronald Brown Academy and Bow and Marquette elementary-middle schools — were chosen as sites that future investments would likely pay off, Vitti said.

The presentation was the first breakdown of how the district might allocate the funds and was not an official recommendation to the board, which has the final say. It will begin discussing the budget for the next school year at next month’s committee meeting and must approve a budget by the end of June.

Sheffield has made access to after-school enrichment one of her key priorities to improve education and outcomes for youth in the city. Her goal is for there to be a program within a 2-mile radius of every Detroit school. She also proposed $2.2 million in the city’s budget for such programs — an increase of 120% from 2025.

Many families in Detroit and southeast Michigan want their kids to have access to after-school programs, but only about 1 in 5 students do, according to a 2025 survey.

Years of research show after-school programming benefits school attendance, student behavior, and academic performance.

In Detroit, chronic absenteeism is high and academic performance lags behind statewide averages because of systemic barriers.

At the state level, legislators have also increased funds for before and after-school programs. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recommended increasing the grants to $135 million in the next budget. The state education budget has not yet been approved. The grants are awarded to specific after-school program providers.

Every DPSCD school offers after-school tutoring in literacy and math at the K-8 levels and SAT preparation for high schoolers.

But tutoring does not offer the kind of enrichment, social activities, sports, or social emotional development after-school programming does. Those activities give students opportunities to explore robotics, music, visual arts, and more. Providers say the programs help leverage kids’ interests into academic success.

Some DPSCD schools use their budgets to pay for their own programs, but the district does not allocate specific dollars to pay for them, Vitti said. Organizations also use philanthropic or state grants to offer programs at district schools.

Board Chair LaTrice McClendon asked officials during Wednesday’s meeting to put a call out to community organizations and nonprofits that may be able to provide programming at DPSCD schools.

Vitti agreed, but cautioned there are not many providers in the city with the funding or capacity to expand.

“We did dig into this during the pandemic, and it was disappointing. When you try to ensure for quality and the right number of staff-student ratio and the background to actually do it, there aren’t that many providers,” he said.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Detroit district says it will not renew Barack Obama Leadership Academy’s charter despite protests

2026-04-30T01:19:21+00:00

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Dozens of Barack Obama Leadership Academy students chanted “Save our school!” in the rain Wednesday afternoon from the sidewalk in front of the Fisher Building in Detroit’s New Center.

The kids traveled from their school on the east side of Detroit in two yellow buses. They picketed with signs that said, “Our school is more than a building – it’s our community,” “Protect our place to learn,” and “My opinion counts.”

It was a last-ditch effort to convince the Detroit Public Schools Community District’s board before its meeting that evening to authorize another one-year contract for the charter to operate.

But board members had already come to a final decision.

A majority of the board does not plan to authorize a new contract, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said in a statement released Wednesday morning. Vitti said he agreed with the board’s position, citing concerns about the school’s budget and transparency, as well as its teacher licensure rate. Some board members had previously signaled they would not approve a one-year contract due to the school’s poor academic performance, and the statement cleared up any uncertainty about the board’s position.

Formerly known as Timbuktu Academy, the Obama school offers African-centric education to about 300 students in grades K-5. The school has been open since 1997 and is one of the oldest charters in Michigan.

If the school can’t find a new authorizer, it will be forced to close. The school’s current contract ends June 30.

Cha-Rhonda Edgerson, CEO of the charter school, said the charter is seeking other authorizers in order to stay open, but called the board’s decision “deeply concerning.

“The most important thing is to protect the kids’ continuity of learning,” she said.

Obama charter supporters plead their case

At the beginning of Wednesday’s meeting, board member Ida Short requested to change the agenda to discuss the charter’s future. She also asked to do the same to talk about four district schools set to close at the end of the school year.

Short did not explain the reasoning behind her request. She was absent from the March committee meeting in which the board opted not to advance a one-year contract renewal for the school to a vote.

But all four other present board members rejected Short’s proposal.

That decision did not deter the Obama school’s supporters from making their case later in the meeting.

Monique Philpot, the office manager at the charter school, said during public comment that the school offers resources and wraparound support for families and community members.

“I want to tug on your heartstrings,” she said. “Look at our beautiful students. There’s so much more that we give.”

Philpot was among a group of community members who came to the meeting to support the charter school. But the small conference room where the meeting was held has a capacity of 33 people, and most of the seats were occupied by district staff and contractors.

So Philpot and the others sat outside and waited to enter the conference room to address the board.

Some community members who came to speak in support of the charter complained the district changed the time and room of Wednesday’s committee meeting.

The meeting began at 1:30 p.m. but was originally scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m. in a larger meeting room. DPSCD spokesperson Chrystal Wilson said the time was changed on the public board calendar on Monday.

DPSCD changed its recommendation for Barack Obama charter

Despite pleas from the school’s supporters, Detroit school officials have expressed several concerns about the school.

Last month, board members said the charter failed to adequately improve its academic performance after multiple warnings over the years. The majority of the four board members at the March 25 committee meeting chose not to put the contract to a vote.

Administrators in DPSCD’s Charter School Office originally recommended last month the board approve a three-year contract.

Vitti said Wednesday that he had changed the recommendation to a one-year contract to allow the charter time to transition to find a new authorizer.

But in Wednesday’s statement, Vitti said he reexamined the rubric the district used for his recommendation for a one-year renewal after a public outcry at the April board meeting. Supporters were upset the board did not include a vote on the one-year contract renewal on the meeting’s agenda.

After a closer look, Vitti said the charter breached its current contract because it submitted an annual audit late to the district and the state. He added the charter also did not maintain sufficient “transparency reporting” on its website.

“As a result, the reassessed rubric’s scoring would not meet the standard for reauthorization,” he said.

The superintendent said he also supported the board’s decision because the charter has an unsustainable budget and only 25% of its teachers are certified. The rest are either working as daily substitute teachers, or working with a permit issued to the school from the Michigan Department of Education while they work to complete certification, he said.

Bernard Parker, co-founder of the school, said the board’s decision will essentially force the school to shutter. Without a new contract from DPSCD, he said, the charter “will close our doors and be another blighted building in the community” on June 30, “and 300 students will have to seek other schools.”

But Vitti has said at multiple meetings that DPSCD’s decision to not reauthorize the charter does not close the school. The charter may seek other authorizers to continue operations, he said.

Edgerson said the charter has reached out to 11 other authorizers to seek a new contract. Nine said it was not possible to move forward with a contract by the end of June, she said.

Vitti countered that it’s possible for charter schools and authorizers to reach a contract within as few as 30 days. But he also acknowledged the district needed to be more transparent with charters.

“We have to do a better job in the future of directly communicating back to the charters and really explaining how we are evaluating you,” he said.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Parents say Detroit schools fail to complete special ed evaluations on time. Here is what the data shows.

2026-04-28T10:00:01+00:00

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Many students in the Detroit school district are not receiving special education evaluations within the time frame required by state and federal law, according to data shared last week with the school board.

Of the 1,680 evaluation referrals the Detroit Public Schools Community District received from the start of the school year through March, 72 were not completed on time and 728 are still in process, the data shows.

The numbers, which were given to board members during a study session, underscore what advocates and parents have said for years: that some students in DPSCD and other districts across the state are missing out on crucial services due to delays in the process.

Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said the district has improved its number of on-time evaluations, but it needs to continue to establish a “no-excuse culture” around evaluation times.

“The standard is 100% ,” he said of the requirements of the law.

District officials pointed to some circumstances beyond their control to explain the numbers. Lohren Nzoma, assistant superintendent of the Division of Exceptional Student Education, said some of the delays are due to conflicting parent schedules, difficulty getting in touch with families, and students moving schools or homes frequently.

LaTrice McClendon, the board’s chair, asked district administrators for a breakdown of how many students with pending evaluations are moving frequently and how many cases are delayed because parents can’t be reached.

“How many are in school, and also, how long have they been in process?” she said, asking if students are waiting for “six months, a year, two years” to receive an individualized education program, or IEP, which maps out the educational needs, goals, programs, and services schools will provide students with disabilities.

District administrators did not have the information available at the meeting, but told board members they would follow up to provide it. If evaluations are not completed on time due to situations out of the district’s control, Vitti said those reasons need to be better documented at the school-level.

An initial evaluation is a comprehensive assessment conducted by a multidisciplinary team to determine whether a child is eligible for an IEP.

Initial evaluations may be requested by parents, school staff, or public agencies when a child displays signs of having a disability. If a district requests the evaluation, a parent must provide consent for it to move forward, according to the Michigan Department of Education. Districts must complete evaluations within 30 school days.

The law allows the timeline to extend beyond 30 days when parents agree in writing before the initial deadline.

As the number of students diagnosed with disabilities has increased in DPSCD and across the state, districts have struggled to hire enough staff to keep up with demand for evaluations. National staffing shortages and inadequate state funding for special education compound the problem, Vitti said.

“The fact is, in the state of Michigan, we are not appropriately funding [special education],” he said.

The district estimates that its special education costs this school year will total more than $214 million. Local, state, and federal grants will bring in around $179 million for special education. The district will have to use more than $34.9 million from its general funds to fill the gap.

Vitti attributed some of the district’s improvements to hiring more school psychologists and speech language pathologists earlier this school year.

Corletta Vaughn, vice chair of the board, said she hears from parents that the district does not follow up about pending evaluations for long periods of time.

“People are saying that, and what’s going to happen is we’re going to do better at communicating with our families,” Nzoma said.

Here is a breakdown of the district’s data on evaluations:

Administrators said they expect about 65% of the 728 pending initial evaluations to be done on time, while some others will get extensions.
Of the 811 complete initial evaluations this year, 637 were done on time and 102 were given permissible extensions.
Around 1,095 students who have already been identified as needing an IEP were not reevaluated on time this school year through March, up 16% from the same time in 2024.
There was a 48% decrease in the number of late annual IEP evaluations through March this year compared to the same time in 2024. Still, 249 were not completed on time.
Nearly 18% of the complaints parents filed against the district with the state stem from delayed responses to requests for initial evaluations. Another 7% of the complaints are from parents who say their children’s reevaluations were not done on time.

Changes to DPSCD’s special education system

This school year, the district revamped special education with centralized hubs at neighborhood schools. The change increased the number of self-contained classrooms from 174 to 185. Students with disabilities receive instruction and services in self-contained classrooms while they attend general education schools.

According to the district, the change streamlined administrative processes and led to stronger compliance in evaluations.

The district has reduced vacancies for special education staff from more than 100 in 2018 to as few as four at the start of the 2025-26 school year, according to DPSCD.

Recruitment and retention efforts, such as a $15,000 incentive to keep special education staff in the district, as well as programs for current staff to earn new certifications, have driven the change, Vitti said.

The main area the district still needs to improve, said Vitti, is customer service.

“We have to treat all parents better, but we have to be particularly more empathetic with our [special education] parents,” he said. “They are struggling more than the general ed students. They have more questions, they have more issues, they have more concerns.”

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Wayne County will consider new schooling options for its juvenile detention facility

2026-04-23T18:33:00+00:00

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The Detroit school district’s board approved a one-year contract with a charter school that operates in the Wayne County Juvenile Detention Facility, as the school’s future remains uncertain.

Board members signed off on the contract last week for Infinity Institute of Learning Strict Discipline Academy after district administrators said the school made enough progress to merit the extension. The one-year contract could also serve as a transition period as Wayne County officials consider other options for educating youth detained in the facility.

Mervat Jaafar, county spokesperson, told Chalkbeat last week the county is preparing to ask for proposals from other contractors and charter schools.

“The purpose is to ensure we secure the highest‑quality educational services for the youth in our care, supported by strong oversight, appropriate interventions, and programming aligned with their individual needs,” said Jaafar.

The charter’s current authorization contract ends June 30.

Infinity Institute of Learning Strict Discipline Academy went through a number of changes last year after the Michigan Department of Education found its management company did not evaluate students for special education services in the time required by the law.

A new management company, Infinite Pathways, overhauled the charter’s staff and brought the charter into compliance with special education requirements, according to the state. Zakia Gibson, CEO of Infinite Pathways, said during the board’s March committee meeting the charter has added transitional services for youth exiting the program.

“I think that we are needed,” she said. “I think that our students and our youth appreciate the services of continuing their education, even under these difficult and trying circumstances.”

The county may seek another one-year renewal with the current management company after this one to “provide the necessary transition period” and ensure there is no lapse in educational services, Jaafar said.

The detention facility has faced scrutiny in recent years for complaints of understaffing and overcrowding. In 2022, youth were left to mostly educate themselves for seven weeks when they were moved to a different facility because the charter was only authorized to operate in Detroit, the Detroit Free Press reported.

Jaafar said the facility has not experienced overcrowding in more than three years.

“The facility has maintained adequate staffing and continues to strengthen staffing levels to support safe operations and high‑quality services,” she added.

Improvements to education in the Wayne County JDF

The charter in the Wayne County JDF, formerly Capstone Charter Academy, was first authorized in 2012, according to DPSCD. It is the only strict discipline academy in Detroit.

Strict discipline academies serve students referred by the court system, have been expelled or suspended from other schools, and those whose special education plans require it. They are intended for students who may otherwise not have an opportunity to be educated.

Michigan law requires that juvenile justice facilities make every effort to ensure the educational needs of the youth in their custody are met. Youth must be provided with appropriate educational services within five days of their arrival.

Schools in the facilities must also comply with special education laws, including providing immediate assessments if a child displays signs of a disability. Students, parents, and public agencies may request initial evaluations, which must be completed within 30 days.

Of the 102 students enrolled in Infinity Institute of Learning Strict Discipline Academy at the start of this school year, 39 had disabilities, state records show. The school serves youth as young as age 10.

The MDE issued a corrective action plan for the charter in February 2025, state documents obtained through public records requests show.

The charter’s students generally have a history of dropping out, previous incarceration, placement in other residential facilities, and short windows of enrollment in other schools, state records show. Students’ typically stay between one and 90 days, according to the state.

A “high percentage” of the students enrolled in the charter were either not evaluated for special education or given an individualized education program, or IEP, in the amount of time the law requires, according to state records. (Records didn’t give the specific percentage.)

The MDE also ordered the charter to train its staff on the revised special education procedures.

Last spring, after the MDE’s initial findings, the charter hired a new superintendent and created several new positions to address gaps in service, according to DPSCD.

A new special education coordinator changed the academic programming, created a new documentation process to ensure students received services, and created a plan to provide outstanding compensatory hours to make up for service and instructional time students did not previously get.

There has been a reduction in the number of compensatory hours owed to students, though there are still more for the charter to make up, DPSCD administrators said.

The charter also improved family engagement and communication, as well as coordination with the JDF, the district said.

The MDE found the charter in compliance in January and closed the corrective action plan.

Felecia Brimmage, superintendent of Infinity Institute, said during the March committee meeting that students are now engaged in their education.

“We are making sure that when youth are coming to us, not in compliance with their IEP, that we are changing that for them,” she said.

Charters are not the only option for educating kids in detention in the state.

For example, the Macomb County Juvenile Justice Center contracts education services with L’Anse Creuse Public Schools, a traditional public school district.

DPSCD’s role with the Wayne County JDF is as an authorizer of the charter that operates within it. Michigan school districts, community colleges, and universities can authorize charters, which means they monitor schools’ compliance with state and federal education laws. They earn up to 3% of the state funding the charters receive.

The Detroit district currently serves as an authorizer for seven charters, including Infinity Institute.

In recent weeks, the DPSCD board began to discuss how it will navigate its relationship with charters. Superintendent Nikolai Vitti has said the standard for authorization is for charters to either meet or exceed the academic achievement of district schools or offer a unique service that DPSCD cannot.

Charter operators, like Infinite Pathways – also known as educational service providers – handle key aspects of daily operations, such as payroll and hiring teachers. In Michigan, most of those companies are for-profit.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Detroit district’s safety funding more than doubles after other Michigan schools reject it

2026-04-17T18:06:22+00:00

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The Detroit district’s state mental health and school safety grant funding has more than doubled after hundreds of other school systems rejected the money, Michigan Department of Education records show.

The district will receive an additional $10.3 million for the two-year grant period, on top of the $8 million the state originally allocated for Detroit schools.

The Detroit Public Schools Community District is one of 512 districts to share in $321 million for mental health and safety after agreeing to new controversial conditions for the money by the end of last year. In order to get the grant funding, district and school leaders had to consent to disclosing information that would otherwise be legally protected if a school shooting or other mass casualty event occurs. They also had to agree to allow a comprehensive state investigation of such incidents.

DPSCD’s board voted to agree to the waiver in November in order to get its original $8 million allocation for 2025-26. At the time, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said the district “could not afford to walk away” from the funding, which it uses to contract mental health services at all schools and cover some security guard and officer salaries.

Some of the $10.3 million in additional funding Detroit received in February can cover expenses next school year, district administrators said.

The district did not respond to questions about how it will recommend spending the extra dollars. The board will vote to make the final decision on where the funding will be allocated. The board must approve a budget for next school year by June 30.

The state funding can be used by the district on mental health screening tools, firearm detection software, cameras, and mental health training for staff, among other purposes.

The state funding allocated by districts to pay the salaries of school resource officers and mental health support staff may carry over into 2026-27, according to state law.

School security has been top of mind for many Detroit parents this school year, following two incidents in which students brought weapons into classrooms.

After the incidents, DPSCD approved spending $1.7 million to hire 38 additional security guards. Another $490,000 was approved by the board to pay for a pilot of new metal detectors at seven schools.

The push to require school districts to sign waivers in exchange for the funding came after the 2021 Oxford High School shooting. Several districts’ challenge to the requirement is making its way through the courts.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

These 4 Detroit district schools are closing. What will happen to their students?

2026-04-16T21:00:58+00:00

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One yellow bus dropped off several students outside of J.E. Clark Preparatory Academy early Thursday in the Morningside neighborhood.

The kids filed into the school through a gothic arched doorway at the front of the large building on Detroit’s east side. The only sounds on the street were the muted chatter of a couple of kids who walked themselves to school and several cars stopping to drop off students. A staff member blew a single whistle to signal the start of school at 7:30 a.m.

Jaqueisha Loyd watched her three children go off to class. They all started kindergarten at Clark. The mother will need to find new schools for all of her kids after the school year ends June 5, when the school is set to permanently close and eventually be demolished.

Clark and three other schools have been on the Detroit Public Schools Community District’s list of phase-out buildings for four years, but district officials moved up the timeline in part because of budgetary concerns. That news, shared in letters in February, has brought complex feelings for some families and staff members.

Loyd said she wishes things were different. She values having a traditional public school in her neighborhood.

“I would love for it to stay open,” she said.

Detroiters have seen mass school closures over the years due to declining population, the state’s emergency management of the district, and enrollment lost to neighboring charters and suburban districts. Since 2000, more than 200 school buildings have closed in the city.

During last year’s budget cycle, the district’s board voted to accelerate the closure of Clark – along with Ann Arbor Trail Magnet School, Catherine Blackwell Institute, and Greenfield Union Elementary-Middle School – to save $10 million-$19 million. The board also voted to speed up the planned phase-out of Thurgood Marshall Elementary-Middle School, though there are no plans for it to close this school year. This district has not said when Marshall will close.

The under-utilized buildings cost the district more money to operate than the revenue each brings in, officials said. The threat of federal funding cuts, demands for higher teacher pay, and inflation were all considered when district officials recommended closing the schools earlier.

There was not a date set for the closures when the district’s board voted to phase them out in 2022, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti told Chalkbeat in an email. The original plan was for each lower grade to be phased out and for grade levels with fewer than 10 students to be eliminated.

Staff at the closing schools will be reassigned to other positions in the district, Vitti said.

All four school buildings are set to be demolished, according to last year’s budget presentation. The district has not shared a timeline for demolition.

About 330 students total have been affected across the four schools. Their families should have received letters in February letting them know their new assigned neighborhood schools for the upcoming school year. Students, however, may attend any neighborhood school in the district they choose, though transportation isn’t guaranteed.

They may also opt for a DPSCD application or examination school, as well as choose to leave the district for a suburban district or charter school.

Nearly 25% of school-age children in Detroit attend a charter in the city, according to DPSCD data based on 5-Year American Community Survey estimates from 2023. Another 17% go to charters outside of Detroit and 10.6% are in traditional school districts in the suburbs. More than 39% attend DPSCD.

At the beginning of the 2025-26 school year, DPSCD enrolled about 49,400 students, state records show. Enrollment fell significantly during the COVID pandemic, and the district has not yet fully recovered its numbers.

Here are details about the closing schools.

Ann Arbor Trail Magnet School at 7635 Chatham St. in northwest Detroit enrolled 51 students at the start of the school year, according to state data. There are 21 total staff members, including 10 teachers. The district estimates that it lost about $15,000 a student by running Ann Arbor Trail in the 2024-25 school year, according to a DPSD report. Students’ new assigned neighborhood school is Dixon Educational Learning Academy, about 1.4 miles away.
Catherine C. Blackwell Institute at 9330 Shoemaker St. on Detroit’s east side enrolled 61 students at the start of the school year. The school employs 21 total staff members, including 10 teachers. The school operated at a loss of about $8,000 a student in 2024-25, according to DPSCD. Students’ new assigned neighborhood school is Hutchinson Elementary-Middle School at Howe, about 2.2 miles away.
J.E. Clark Preparatory Academy at 15755 Bremen St. enrolled 83 students at the start of the school year. The school employed 23 total staff members, including 10 teachers. It operated at a loss of around $3,000 a student in 2024-25, according to DPSCD. Students’ new assigned neighborhood school is Hamilton Elementary-Middle School, about 1.7 miles away.
Greenfield Union Elementary-Middle School at 420 W. 7 Mile Road on the north end of Detroit had 138 students at the beginning of the school year. There are 29 staff members, including 13 teachers. The school operated at a loss of about $2,506 a student in 2024-25, according to DPSCD. Students’ new assigned neighborhood school is Nolan Elementary-Middle School, about 1.6 miles away.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Detroit district to accelerate closure of four small schools amid financial constraints

2026-04-15T21:31:00+00:00

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The Detroit school district will close four schools at the end of this school year, officials confirmed Wednesday.

All four schools – Ann Arbor Trail Magnet School, J.E. Clark Preparatory Academy, Catherine Blackwell Institute, and Greenfield Union Elementary-Middle School – had previously been identified to be phased out in 2022 by the Detroit Public Schools Community District due to low enrollment and high operation costs.

District officials originally planned to stop enrolling new students at the schools, phasing out grades over time to minimize disruption to families. But Superintendent Nikolai Vitti indicated during Tuesday’s board meeting that the plan had changed because of budgetary concerns.

“When we looked at the budget and the threats at the federal level, increased inflation, need to continue to increase wages for all of our employees with an upcoming bargaining season, we said, ‘How do we maximize our costs and still help children?’” Vitti said. “And one way we did that was to accelerate the phase-out of the original phase-out schools.”

These 4 Detroit district schools are closing. What will happen to their students?

Vitti only mentioned one of the four schools during Tuesday’s meeting — Greenfield Union Elementary-Middle School. DPSCD spokesperson Chrystal Wilson confirmed to Chalkbeat on Wednesday that four schools, including that one, will close at the end of June. The last day of the school year is June 5.

District officials did not immediately respond to questions about when families were notified of the accelerated school closures.

Rudaina Kainaya, a middle school science teacher at Greenfield, told Chalkbeat the school’s principal shared the news of the closure last month during a staff meeting. Staff were told they will be placed in other district positions, she added.

The board meeting Tuesday was marked by shouts of frustration from the crowd and a tense exchange between board members. Security circulated the auditorium at Renaissance High School to warn audience members to settle down. At one point, an officer appeared to ask a mother to leave but stopped at the direction of Board Chair LaTrice McClendon.

None of the schools were on the meeting agenda, but some of Greenfield’s teachers and parents showed up for the public comment portion of the meeting.

Kainaya, who spoke during public comment, said staff members at Greenfield were originally told the school would close one grade level at a time.

“Dr. Vitti said that even if we had 10 students left [per grade] at that time in 2022 and 2023, they would phase out that last year for those students as eighth graders,” she said.

Vitti said the district did stick to that promise for the higher grades at Greenfield and has given families time to move their children to other schools. He added that he was troubled by the public comment, because the closures have been discussed for several years.

“It’s disingenuous to come to the mic tonight and say we didn’t know the school was going to close,” he said.

But he acknowledged that the accelerated closure plan is new.

Mass school closures in the district – both before and after the state’s period of emergency management – enraged many families over the years and prompted some to abandon the school system.

In 2019, Vitti told Chalkbeat the district would not “replicate the sins of the past,” and he would take a different approach to closures than previous administrations.

“We would phase schools out and phase grade levels out rather than abruptly closing schools,” he said. “But part of this process has to be rightsizing the district. We have too many open seats.”

There are 15 other schools the district says cost more to keep open than the revenue they generate, according to a 2025 report.

“This is a districtwide challenge that is not going away,” Vitti said during Tuesday’s meeting.

Former board member LaMar Lemmons, and others who spoke during public comment, said school closures are a reflection of the district’s failure to grow enrollment.

Vitti said low enrollment is a long-term problem stemming in part from Detroit’s population decline and the fallout of the state’s emergency management of the district.

When emergency management ended, the district enrolled about 45,700 students. The numbers increased by more than 5,000 the following year when Vitti took the helm. However, enrollment declined during the COVID pandemic, and the district has not yet fully recovered its numbers.

At the beginning of the 2025-26 school year, there were around 49,400 students, state records show.

Community support for a charter school with an uncertain future

Dozens of community members also spoke during Tuesday’s meeting to urge board members to renew a one-year contract for Barack Obama Leadership Academy.

Four board members, who were present during a committee meeting last month, decided not to put a vote on the Obama charter on the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting – a move that likely means the charter would not be approved by the district to operate for another year. At the time, some members said the charter had received multiple warnings that it needed to improve its academic performance and had not shown enough growth.

If the board does not approve a new contract by June 30, the charter will either have to rush to find a new authorizer or face closure.

Michigan charters must sign a contract with an outside body, known as an authorizer, in order to operate. DPSCD, like other school districts, colleges, and universities, can serve as an authorizer. Its role is to monitor the schools’ compliance with education laws.

The district currently authorizes six charters, excluding the Obama school. One more is expected to open in the fall.

Cha-Rhonda Edgerson, CEO of the charter, said during Tuesday’s meeting that the school wanted a final one-year contract with DPSCD to allow enough time to find a new authorizer.

“This is not a request to reverse the course indefinitely,” she said. “We’re asking for the opportunity to continue serving our students while we complete that transition in a thoughtful and structured way.”

During public comment, Tiffany Walls, a parent at the school, described the charter as a community hub and safe haven.

“A school is more than just a list of test scores,” she said. “It’s a vital pillar of the community.”

It is unclear whether the board will revisit the matter at its next committee meeting on April 29 or if it will be on the agenda of the regular board meeting on May 12.

A tense exchange among board members

At the start of the meeting, board member Ida Short asked to make changes to the agenda related to school closures and the Obama charter’s contract.

She said she wanted to “plan a way in which agenda items can be provided by individual board members, so that it does not matter who is the president or not the president, because we’re all equal members.”

McClendon, the board chair, said that “any board member at any time can add an agenda item.” She encouraged Short to attend the board’s committee meetings, where policy is discussed and agendas for regular board meetings are decided.

“I know you’ve missed the last two meetings, but that is the place where you can discuss [policy],” she said.

Short responded, “If I don’t attend any meeting, it means that I have something personal that’s very important.”

Later in the meeting, Short asked about another agenda item, and McClendon responded that the item was discussed at length during the last committee meeting, including the answer to Short’s question.

She suggested Short go back and listen to a recording of the committee meeting.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Report: Many Metro Detroit families want their kids in after-school programs but don’t have access

2026-04-13T10:00:00+00:00

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Ajia Phillips sometimes had no choice but to keep her daughter home from school.

On days when she worked 14-hour shifts as a kitchen manager, Phillips couldn’t get to Beacon Elementary School in the Harper Woods School District by 3:10 p.m. dismissal. Traveling by bus also made her arrival time unreliable. And sometimes the cost of the school’s “latchkey” program was too high for the family. As a result, her first grader, Marley Tucker, had to stay home with her aunt or uncle.

“I can’t leave her stranded at school,” said Phillips, who lives in Harper Woods, a Wayne County city that borders Detroit.

Now that Marley is enrolled in the new free Out-of-School Time program at Beacon offered by the nonprofit Sound Mind Sound Body, Phillips said her daughter’s attendance has improved.

Beacon Elementary School students paint during the Sound Mind Sound Body after-school program.

Many families in southeast Michigan want their kids to have access to similar programs – but only about 1 in 5 do, according to a 2025 survey released last month by the national nonprofit Afterschool Alliance.

Parents of about 500,000 kids in the region are interested in after-school programs, but only about 90,000 children are enrolled, according to the survey. In Detroit, the need is similar. Parents of about 101,000 children in the city want their kids in programs, while only about 20,000 are enrolled. (Data specific to Harper Woods was not available.)

The findings are based on answers from 1,146 households in southeast Michigan, and the projections made by the nonprofit are based on U.S. Census Bureau 5-year estimates made in 2022.

After-school programming has a number of benefits, including improvements in school-day attendance, student behavior, and academic performance.

In communities like Detroit, where 84% of students come from low-income homes, chronic absenteeism has long been an issue due to systemic barriers, such as inadequate transportation and parents’ inflexible work schedules. Academic performance in the Detroit Public Schools Community District, as well as in city charters and suburban districts where high percentages of Detroit students are enrolled, has lagged behind statewide averages for years.

Mary Sheffield, Detroit’s new mayor, has made after-school access one of her administration’s key priorities.

During her first State of the City address, Sheffield said her goal is to have an after-school program within a 2-mile radius of every Detroit school. She said she will increase the city’s budget for after-school programming to $2.2 million, an increase of 120% from the year before. Her administration has also made bus travel free for all students in the city, and Sheffield said she is advocating for DPSCD to take the money it previously spent on bus passes and direct it toward after-school programs.

Denzel McCampbell, Detroit City Council member representing district 7, said he is working with the mayor’s office to identify how the additional funds could have the greatest effect. He’s heard from existing program leaders and his constituents that not every Detroit family is keyed into the resources available.

“What I’m particularly focused on is how do we reach the kids that we’re not interacting with on a regular basis?” McCampbell said.

Students find motivation, purpose after-school

Bryan Jordan, 16, of Harper Woods, said he didn’t have much motivation to come to school once football season ended.

Now that he’s in the Sound Mind Sound Body, or SMSB, program at Harper Woods High School, Jordan said he has a reason to show up to class ready to learn. The program extends coaching, team building, and mentoring for football players through the rest of the school year.

He and many of his teammates get to school by 6 a.m. for weight training and stay well after the school day ends. They get training on how to apply for college, financial aid, and potential career paths.

Harper Woods High School students work out during the Sound Mind Sound Body after-school program.

“They make it cool to come around, conversate, laugh, have fun, focus on our work, focus on bonding as a team,” Jordan said.

Ray Lanlyons, an attendance agent for Harper Woods, said early data suggests the program has improved attendance for most of the boys.

For the 27 students enrolled in the SMSB program, average daily attendance improved from around 69.2% at the beginning of the school year to 81.7% since the end of January, Lanlyons said.

Curtis Blackwell II, founder and president of SMSB, said the organization’s many programs in 27 schools across the region, including in DPSCD, are designed to leverage kids’ interests to succeed in school — whether it be robotics, video games, sports, music, or art.

“It encourages young people to dream bigger and to feel like school has a meaning,” Blackwell said.

Cost, location are barriers for kids to attend after-school programs

Unique Reid, a Detroit resident whose son attends SMSB at Beacon, said the cost of other programs was prohibitive.

“We try to minimize all the bills that we pay, especially as single mothers,” she said.

The average cost for after-school programs in Detroit is around $98 a week, according to the Afterschool Alliance.

Unique Reid, left, and Ajia Phillips, right, pose for a photograph at Beacon Elementary School.

In addition to cost, a lack of availability, not enough safe transportation options, and inconvenient site locations also keep kids out of programs, said Jen Rinehart, senior vice president of strategy and programs at the Afterschool Alliance.

In order to make programs more accessible, Rinehart said the city will need to address all of those factors.

Michigan and Detroit leaders have begun to address some of the obstacles.

Last year, the state allocated $75 million in out-of-school time learning grants – including nearly $4 million to SMSB. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recommended increasing the grants to $135 million in the next budget.

Though the recent increases have allowed SMSB to expand, Blackwell said his organization doesn’t have enough resources to meet the demand. For example, in Southfield, nearly 120 students asked to be in the program. They were only funded to serve 40, he said.

Some of the city’s plans are to better resource existing programs, said McCampbell.

“What I’m hearing a lot from programs is we would love to do more, we could do that if we had more (funds),” he said.

Another avenue to having a greater effect, McCampbell said, is to find innovative ways to get the word out about existing programs. The city, schools, and community organizations can partner on outreach, McCampbell added.

“Let’s meet folks where they are,” he said. “They may not come to a community meeting, they may not read a newsletter, but they may hang out at the park.”

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Detroit school district begins to weigh options for the end of $94.4 million literacy lawsuit settlement

2026-04-08T18:39:08+00:00

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The Detroit Public Schools Community District has started planning for what it will do when it spends the last of the $94.4 million from its literacy lawsuit settlement.

Superintendent Nikolai Vitti, speaking at a board committee meeting last week, said once the one-time funds are gone, the district may have to make difficult choices about what programs to keep. The district has been spending about $30 million a year from settlement funds. The money will be gone by the end of the next school year.

Vitti said his top priority is to keep the hundreds of academic interventionists hired by the district. Last year, the district spent $17.3 million of the settlement funds to pay the salaries of 267 interventionists.

An anticipated increase in state funding could cover the cost of the positions, he suggested. If not, the district may have to make “hard decisions,” he said, including considering other budget cuts.

The 2016 federal “right to read” lawsuit alleged long-time funding inequities in Michigan led to unsafe conditions in Detroit schools, which denied children in the city “access to the most basic building block of education: literacy.” The literacy lawsuit was settled by the state in 2020, and three years later, the money was allocated to DPSCD.

District officials created a three-year plan to use the money to improve literacy instruction, provide intervention for struggling students, and boost proficiency rates. The plan was based on community input and recommendations made by a task force.

Next school year will be the final one in the plan.

The district began spending the settlement in the 2024-25 school year. Those dollars have been used to add the 267 academic interventionists to work with students in grades K-2, hire 44 more teachers to reduce class sizes in some schools, hire another 43 teachers to free up teacher leaders for coaching other educators, and contract reading tutors, among other items.

(Before the settlement, the district employed interventionists in some schools with federal and grant funding. In 2022, DPSCD received $20 million from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, which was used to hire more.)

Imani Foster, an advocate with 482Forward, a local nonprofit focused on educational equity, said the interventionists have helped close gaps for struggling students.

“I think it’s really important to keep the [academic interventionists],” she said. “It’s really unfortunate the way our budget works and that there may not be enough money to keep them and everything else the district has invested in.”

Vitti has previously pointed to district data to show how the settlement investments have paid off. For example, among students with similar performance on district assessments, students in classrooms with interventionists showed more improvement over time compared to their peers without, he said.

The district also reached an 11-year high in the percentage of third graders who met or exceeded proficiency in English language arts on the 2024-25 state assessment. Students in the district showed more year-over-year growth in proficiency compared to the statewide average.

Despite the growth, overall proficiency rates in DPSCD still lag far behind the statewide average. While 38.9% of grade 3 Michigan students scored at or above proficiency last spring, the average in DPSCD was 13%.

In order to continue DPSCD’s progress in literacy, Vitti said the district’s initial strategy will be to use anticipated increases in state at-risk funding to absorb the cost of the academic interventionists.

Initial budget conversations in Lansing suggest the legislature has an interest in continuing to increase weighted per-pupil at-risk funding, Vitti said. The amount of targeted funding given to districts in Michigan is based on the percentage of students they serve living in poverty. The dollars can be used for instructional programs and some services, including medical, mental health, or counseling services.

Other costs of initiatives paid for with settlement dollars, such as merit pay for educators whose classes met ambitious literacy goals, may be eligible to be absorbed by other state or federal grants, Vitti said.

Though Foster is glad the district has focused on improving early literacy, she said she hopes other initiatives that reach older students, like free after-school online tutoring, will remain.

Some students who are now in high school were starting school when the inequities highlighted in the literacy lawsuit were still acute, said Foster.

“We can’t forget about them,” she said.

The superintendent said the board will have to start having more in-depth conversations about making up the funding gap around the beginning of next year.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

April 6, 2026: This story was updated to show the average proficiencies in third grade reading in Michigan and DPSCD.

The Detroit school district’s latest tactic to boost enrollment: student influencers

2026-04-08T18:38:54+00:00

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Employing student influencers is the latest strategy in the Detroit school district’s ongoing efforts to grow enrollment in city schools.

District officials unveiled a plan last week to hire 23 students to share positive messages about their schools in the Detroit Public Schools Community District. The high schoolers will create and share social media content aimed at winning over prospective students and parents, as well as engaging their peers.

The initiative is one of several new ideas the district is considering to reverse a 20-year trend of dwindling enrollment.

“Our students are at the center of everything that we do,” said Sharlonda Buckman, assistant superintendent of Family and Community Engagement, during last week’s meeting. “They have real stories, real accomplishments, real growth.”

When families hear students’ stories and see possibilities for their children, their perceptions about the district may shift, Buckman added.

Applications for the student influencers have already opened. One student from each of the district’s high schools will be selected to take on the task. If approved by the board, the influencers will be assigned content and events to promote each month on rotating schedules, earning $250 each month they post.

Many factors have contributed to enrollment declines, including a shrinking population in Detroit, lower birthrates, state emergency management of the district, and COVID. The district also competes with charter schools, which enroll about half of kids in the city, as well as suburban districts that heavily recruit Detroit students.

Traditional strategies to attract students – including canvassing neighborhoods, hosting Summer on the Block events, expanding prekindergarten, focusing on reenrollment rates, and putting up billboards – have produced modest results, according to the district.

The district estimates it currently has more than 49,200 students – an increase of about 400 compared to the official count at the end of last school year.

Last summer, board members asked the district to come up with innovative, cost-efficient ways to drive enrollment more rapidly.

Board member Monique Bryant said during a July committee meeting she wanted to see students tell the stories of their own schools.

“I think we have an opportunity to use our students more, and I think we get more bang for our buck than what we’re spending now,” she said.

Students and parents would be ‘brand ambassadors’ for their schools

Overall, the district’s plan to boost enrollment is to shape the public’s perception of DPSCD to be more positive, increasing awareness of its schools with targeted advertising and connecting with more families in the city.

Marketing research supports the board’s idea to center student voices to reach those goals, district officials said.

In a survey of about 300 people conducted by the district, about 30% said they wanted to see student success stories, said Deputy Executive Marketing Director Jessica Byrd.

In addition to winning over parents, students also want to see themselves in district messaging, Byrd said. By partnering with high schoolers who are gifted at reaching peers on social media, the district will reach more potential students, she added.

“They bring their audience to our platforms, and that’s essentially what we want,” Byrd said.

The influencers will participate in monthly content creation workshops with the marketing team. They will post both on the district’s social media and their own.

DPSCD also proposes hiring 10 to 15 parent and community ambassadors to “counter negative perceptions and amplify enrollment messaging.” The presentation did not include how much the ambassadors would be paid.

The ambassadors may be people who are trusted by their communities, such as church leaders, block club presidents, and parents of students in the district. They will have monthly themes for their messaging, including safety, the district’s gains in literacy achievement, and career and technical education programs.

The district has relied on volunteer ambassadors in previous years, with slightly different roles. In the past, ambassadors represented the district at community and school events.

This year, the district proposes spending nearly $42,000 on both the student influencers and the community ambassadors.

In total, the marketing plan, including other new initiatives such as web content managers, would cost around $1.4 million, according to the district’s presentation.

The district will continue its traditional enrollment campaigns, including canvassing, yard signs, and events.

Board members at last week’s meeting said they were pleased with the new plans, which would be funded in the district’s budget for the next fiscal year. The board must approve a budget by June 30.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

The future of one of Michigan’s oldest charter schools is uncertain

2026-03-27T10:00:01+00:00

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One of Michigan’s oldest charter schools, Barack Obama Leadership Academy, will likely not be approved by the Detroit school district to operate for another year.

At a committee meeting Wednesday night, administrators from the Detroit Public Schools Community District recommended that the school board approve a one-year contract for the school, which would allow it to either make plans to close or find a new authorizer. But board members, who are frustrated with the charter’s struggling academic performance, said the school had not shown enough improvement to continue through the 2026-27 school year.

The charter’s current contract ends June 30.

“The improvement is sad,” Board member Bessie Harris said during the meeting, referencing the assigned school grade given to the charter by the district. “From an F to a D – that’s not an improvement.”

The four board members who were present at the end of the committee meeting decided not to put a vote on the charter’s contract renewal on the agenda of the April board meeting – a move that signaled the body will not allow the district to authorize another year of operation.

Cha-Rhonda Edgerson, CEO of the charter, described the board’s decision as “devastating.” She said it also would give the school, students, and families very little time to make other plans. She described the school as a “pillar in that community.”

She also chastised board members for making the decision without a full board present.

Of the seven board members, Harris, Vice Chair Corletta Vaughn, Chair LaTrice McClendon, and Steve Bland Jr. were present for the discussion about the charter. Monique Bryant left the meeting early. Iris Taylor and Ida Carol Simmons-Short were absent.

Harris, Vaughn, and McClendon each said during the meeting that they were not interested in voting on whether to renew the charter’s contract.

Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said the one-year recommendation was meant only to give the charter a “transitionary year” to find another authorizer or prepare to close. “That’s up to the charter,” he said.

Edgerson did not immediately respond to questions Thursday about whether the charter will seek another authorizer.

Formerly known as Timbuktu Academy, the school offers African-centric education to about 300 students in grades K-5. The school has been open since 1997 on the east side of Detroit.

DPSCD – like other Michigan school districts, community colleges, and universities – can authorize charters. In exchange for monitoring the schools’ compliance with state and federal education laws, authorizers can earn up to 3% of the funding the state gives to charters, also known as public school academies.

The discussion around the Obama academy comes weeks after the Detroit board began navigating its future plans for the district’s relationship with charters. In a February meeting, board members said they want district-authorized charters to meet or exceed the academic achievement in district schools.

The district currently authorizes seven charters, including the Obama school, with one more charter expected to open in the fall.

More than half of Detroit’s school-age children go to charters. There were 81 city charters last year.

Small academic gains were not enough for the board

The Obama charter has long struggled academically.

Last year, DPSCD approved a one-year contract with the Obama charter with the condition it improve student achievement and the handling of its finances, as well as reduce chronic absenteeism. The district has given similar warnings to the charter since 2020.

In the 2024-25 school year, only 10.4% of students at the charter met benchmarks on state tests for reading and writing. In math, 2.8% met benchmarks. The numbers reflected a small margin of improvement from the previous year.

In DPSCD the same year, 15.4% of students in the same grades tested at or above proficiency for reading and writing and 12.3% in math.

The charter also reduced chronic absenteeism to 62.2% last year – a reduction of 2.1 percentage points compared to the previous year.

The chronic absenteeism rate was 60.9% last school year in DPSCD.

In December, the charter was released from its “partnership agreement” – a three-year contract that districts make with the Michigan Department of Education to rapidly improve – because it needed testing proficiency gains.

As part of efforts to improve, the charter has taken a number of steps.

It hired a full-time data coach and stepped up professional development for staff, according to DPSCD. It also made a plan to address its debt with the MDE, and the charter reduced staffing to align with its budget.

Though the charter showed improvement, it still did not meet the performance standards of district schools in the same neighborhood or those with African-centered curriculums, according to DPSCD.

Vaughn, the vice chair, said despite years of warnings, the school has “never, ever been able to come up.”

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Detroit school district may allow independent parent organizations after conflict involving PTAs

2026-03-24T18:59:55+00:00

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The Detroit school district is considering recognizing parent organizations that operate independently from the state and national Parent Teacher Association.

The proposal, introduced by the Detroit Public Schools Community District during a Feb. 26 board committee meeting, came after members expressed frustrations over reported dysfunction and conflict within some local PTAs last year. Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said during a June board meeting some PTAs have had challenges with “proper implementation of elections” and “following protocols.”

Board Member Monique Bryant told Chalkbeat this week the proposed policy would create better balance by allowing parents to choose what works best for their individual schools.

Some school communities may not have parents with the time or bandwidth to formally organize and run PTAs, she said. A better option for some parents may be to join an organization overseen by the district’s Family and Community Engagement Department, or FACE.

The proposed policy amendment could mean that formal parent engagement ends up looking different from school to school. It would recognize independent, locally organized parent-teacher organizations, as well as other parent organization models approved by FACE. The proposal would also clarify the voting model all organizations must rely on: Each year, every school would vote on the type of parent organization model it wants to use and submit results to district administrators.

The proposed amendment follows incidents of mismanagement by two parent-teacher organizations reported by the district’s Office of Inspector General over the last seven years.

The National PTA is a nationwide volunteer-led organization with state and local chapters, which organize to fundraise, plan educational events, and advocate for students’ needs. PTAs are self-governed, separate entities from local school districts.

DPSCD’s current policy only recognizes the PTA as its “official parent organization of record” for its schools. There are multiple Detroit PTA councils that oversee school-based chapters in the district.

The board has not yet voted on the proposed changes.

Tonya Whitehead, president of the Michigan PTA, and leaders of several Detroit PTA councils did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

But Whitehead said during public comment at a July committee meeting that state and Detroit PTA leadership provided support and additional training to local chapters to address the issues raised by the board and Vitti.

“We are committed to continual improvement within our organizations, including streamlining processes to improve response time, providing additional training to members and PTA leaders at all member levels, and working together with the FACE office to improve two-way communication and behavior problem solving,” she said at the time.

Board members did not discuss the policy when the district introduced the proposal at the February committee meeting. However, members called for change at multiple meetings last year.

Bryant said she complained last year about the handling of a PTA election at Cass Technical High School. Bryant, who is a Cass Tech parent and was a member of the PTA, said the organization did not follow its bylaws when it took nominations for new leadership. The result was that PTA’s entire executive board was reelected before their terms were up, said Bryant.

The Cass Tech PTSA — which also includes students — did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Bryant added she contacted the Michigan PTA with concerns, but the organization was unresponsive.

“I don’t think we should be moving forward with individual schools still trying to have elections after this,” she said during the June meeting.

Detroit brought back PTAs to ‘heal the divide’

When the state appointed an emergency manager to take control of Detroit Public Schools in 2009, PTAs were removed. That emergency management ended in 2016, and PTAs returned to district schools after Vitti began as superintendent in May 2017.

“We set out to try to heal the divide that was between the community and schools – one of the ways that the board and I thought best to do that [was] bring back the PTA,” said Vitti at the July committee meeting.

Whitehead said during public comment of that meeting that DPSCD staff “were closely integrated in trying to start units in every school in the district” when emergency management ended.

She said their efforts “included collecting dues and being listed as the contractor for PTAs in district documents,” which resulted in “incomplete paperwork” and made it appear that PTA concerns should be directed to district staff.

“Post-pandemic, PTA, in cooperation with the FACE office, has been working hard to end those practices and ensure that adults engaged with PTA and the district know the difference between the roles and responsibilities of each,” she added. “But there is more work to be done.”

Vitti said it is challenging for the PTA “to monitor elections, ensure the training and capacity of officers once they’re elected, and problem-solve through conflict between officers at certain schools.”

Conflict over policy arose at PTAs beyond Cass Technical last year, Bryant said. For example, PTA members at two schools complained it was unfair that school staff who were also parents of students at their school could become executive officers of their PTA, she said. Bryant did not identify the two schools.

Mismanagement of parent organization funds were found in previous years by the Office of Inspector General, or OIG, which serves as an independent oversight office for the district.

In 2019, the OIG received complaints the PTA committee of a district school mismanaged fundraising proceeds. Because the PTA did not properly document the amount of funds raised, the OIG investigation could not determine how much money was reportedly missing.

The district mandated cash management training for all PTA officers and fundraising organizers as a result of the OIG’s recommendations stemming from its investigation. Detroit schools also began requiring PTAs to submit financial statements after every school-based fundraising event.

In 2022, the OIG found that a parent organization improperly retained funds for a school field trip, and also reported a lack of district oversight of support organizations. The OIG recommended the parent group pay an outstanding bill of more than $7,200. The OIG also recommended better collaboration between district offices to improve donation tracking, as well as internal controls for parent support organizations.

However, board members did not mention those two incidents when they shared concerns about PTAs, and Vitti did not address them. It is unclear whether they contributed to the district’s decision to introduce the proposal in February to change how parent organizations work.

“I think the issue has been the PTA has not been able to demonstrate the capacity … to work within the district at the scale that we operate at, because we’re so much larger,” said Vitti in July.

Vitti said the PTA needed to expedite its response to issues at individual schools and improve its communication with the board.

Some board members raised the option of letting individual schools decide whether to continue their PTAs or start new organizations, a choice that’s included in the new policy proposal.

“Instead of creating a one size fits all approach … we might be looking at individual schools that seem to have repeated problems, which is high level conflict, move away from that and run it at the district level in order to create better balance,” said Vitti.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Muslim Detroit students say district rule is unfair for those observing a major holiday

2026-03-20T20:26:08+00:00

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As the sound of fireworks boomed around Detroit neighborhoods to mark the end of Ramadan Thursday night, Humayra Ahmed stayed up late weighing a heavy decision.

The 17-year-old had not yet decided if she would miss school at Cass Technical High School the next day to observe the sacred Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr. If Ahmed didn’t go to school on Friday, she would not be eligible to receive a $100 perfect attendance incentive from the Detroit Public Schools Community District. She said she needs the money to cover the costs of activities for the end of her senior year.

Ahmed and other Muslim students in the district have expressed frustration over missing out on the attendance incentive for observing Eid, which can be celebrated for up to three days. The observances commemorate the end of Ramadan, a month of fasting, prayer, gatherings, and time with family. Eid is not recognized in the district’s calendar this year, despite years of student advocacy. However, observance is considered an excused absence.

“We’re not asking for the whole month off for Ramadan – it’s one day to celebrate with family and feel closer to God,” said Ahmed. “We still continue to show up to school while we are fasting to get the work done and score good grades.”

Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said in an email the district is “committed to including Muslim holidays in the calendar next year.” He added that will depend on factors outside of the district’s control, such as union negotiations.

The holiday is based on the Islamic lunar calendar, which means it falls on a different day each year.

The district’s attendance incentive began last year as one of its efforts to combat chronic absenteeism, which is defined as a student missing 10% or more of the days in a school year. In a typical 180-day school year, it amounts to about 18 missed days of instruction.

Students missing too much school due to systemic barriers such as inadequate transportation, chronic illness, and parents’ work schedules has long been an issue for communities like Detroit, where 84% of students come from low-income homes.

Last school year, nearly 61% of DPSCD students were chronically absent.

This year, students who showed up to each class every school day for a week got $100 Visa gift cards. There were 10 weeks students could get the incentive this year, giving them a chance to earn up to $1,000. This week is the last of the incentive, which is given in the winter and early spring months when attendance tends to drop due to inclement weather.

Vitti previously said the incentive helped improve attendance last year, with nearly half of all high schoolers receiving a payment.

Studies suggest attendance incentives may have minimal effects because researchers said the programs do not address demotivating factors like unsafe routes to school.

The district’s attendance incentive does not make exceptions for any excused absences – whether they are for religious holidays, chronic illnesses, deaths in the immediate family, or college visits.

Both excused and unexcused absences are included when the state calculates chronic absenteeism.

Vitti told Chalkbeat the district relied on state guidelines regarding which absences contribute to chronic absenteeism when it created the incentive.

Students, educators, and advocates asked during public comment at multiple board meetings this school year for a 2026-27 calendar without classes on the holiday.

Vitti said including Eid in the district’s 2026-27 calendar may require an agreement with unions to shorten midwinter break. Some other school systems in Metro Detroit, home to one of the country’s largest Muslim populations, do so to accommodate students.

Another option, said Vitti, is “adjusting the midwinter break and/or spring break” next year. Having a spring break that does not occur from March 29 through April 2, 2027, as mandated in the Wayne Regional Educational Service Agency’s common calendar, would require a waiver from the Michigan Department of Education and union approval, he added.

It is unclear what adjustments to the breaks the district may consider.

“We do not want to extend the school year into mid to late June by adding days off to the calendar because this leads to worsening student attendance, behavioral issues, and the risk of temperatures being too high in most of our schools,” he said.

After years of student calls for change, DPSCD recognized the holiday for the first time in its 2021-22 calendar. Union negotiations and considerations for extending the school year upended plans for observances other years.

Muneer Taher, a senior at Western International High school sits for a portrait at Clark Park on Thurs., March 19, 2026 in Detroit, MI.

Muneer Taher, a Muslim Western International High School senior, planned to miss school on Friday. Instead, he planned to wake up early to go to a Mosque for hours of prayer, lecture, and spend the rest of the day practicing the tenets of Islam.

Taher exchanged emails with Vitti expressing his and his peers’ frustrations over not getting the attendance incentive.

The superintendent’s explanation of union calendar negotiations and why exceptions could not be made for excused absences fell flat to the 18-year old.

“There are a big number of Muslim students in DPSCD, and accommodating those students will help the community,” he said.

Ultimately, Ahmed, the Cass Technical senior, decided to attend school Friday. She said she needs the money to pay for an outfit for her senior pinning ceremony and supplies for an upcoming Muslim Interscholastic Tournament.

“I think it’s just unfair,” she said. “But I have this financial strain weighing on me.”

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Detroit school district revisits idea of making FAFSA completion a graduation requirement

2026-03-11T19:43:58+00:00

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The Detroit school district is considering requiring students to apply for federal student aid for higher education in order to graduate.

Doing so would open the Detroit Public Schools Community District up for state grants to pay for initiatives that help students get into college or work-study programs.

The district’s proposal is intended to get more students to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as the FAFSA. However, there would be several exemptions for students who don’t fill out the form, including for those with privacy concerns.

“We want to ensure that it’s not putting a barrier for our students,” said board President LaTrice McClendon when the policy was introduced during a committee meeting last month.

The board has not yet voted on the proposed policy.

The FAFSA helps determine student eligibility for federal grants, loans, and work-study scholarships. In some cases, it’s used to decide whether students qualify for state and private aid, as well as Michigan universities’ tuition assistance programs.

In 2024, the Michigan legislature proposed making FAFSA completion mandatory for all districts. But, at the time, DPSCD board members said they were opposed to such a policy. Advocates and community members expressed concerns to lawmakers during hearings for the bills about forcing vulnerable student populations to provide personal information, including immigration status and gender identity. Some Michigan school administrators also said it would not be possible to achieve with a shortage of college counselors.

Others said they didn’t want the requirement to hinder DPSCD students from graduating. The district has made significant gains in its graduation rate in recent years.

The state effort also failed in part due to the rocky rollout of the new FAFSA process in 2024. If the legislation passed, Michigan would have been the 13th state to have the requirement.

The issue was revisited at December DPSCD board and committee meetings after members expressed interest in a state grant that offers millions of dollars to local districts each year if they make FAFSA completion a graduation requirement.

“This grant is over a million dollars,” said board member Ida Short during the December board meeting.

The grant dollars can be used by districts to pay for “activities that are known to drive FAFSA completion,” including financial incentives for students, guest speakers, and seminars. The money can pay the salaries of the staff and administrative costs needed to run the initiative.

Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said during the December board meeting he agreed that not applying for the state grant left “a lot of money on the table.” The grant was not pursued since it began two years ago because of the previous board’s position, he added.

If the proposed policy is approved, the change would be implemented for the class of 2027 and DPSCD could apply for the next school year’s grant.

Under the district’s proposed policy, students who don’t want to fill out the FAFSA may complete a waiver with a parent or guardian. The waiver acknowledges that the student understands the purpose of FAFSA but does not want to participate.

The district must confirm a good-faith effort was made by schools to help students who don’t complete the FAFSA or turn in a waiver. In those cases, students can be exempt from doing either if their parent or legal guardian is unresponsive or refuses to sign.

More than 43% of Michigan high school seniors completed the FAFSA by March 9, according to the Michigan College Access Network tracker, slightly up from the 39.5% that had at the same time last year.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

The Detroit school district considers a charter application with a cap on enrolling its own students

2026-03-03T22:27:22+00:00

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The Detroit school district is considering a new strategy when it comes to authorizing city charter schools: limiting how many of its students the schools can enroll.

The idea comes from a proposal to authorize a new charter, called Sound Mind Sound Body Preparatory Academy, which would serve students in grades 4-8. The new charter would agree to enroll no more than 20% of its students from the Detroit Public Schools Community District and to require those students to apply to district high schools. District administrators said no such agreements have ever been included in previous charter contracts.

Board members discussed the potential shift in strategy around charter authorization last week during a board committee meeting.

Superintendent Nikolai Vitti signaled that his philosophy on charters has changed since he took the helm of the district nine years ago. At the time, he recommended that DPSCD get out of the business of charter authorization and instead focus on improving its traditional public schools.

He said he is considering now how the district can partner with K-8 charters that cater to specific student needs to feed into district high schools instead of those in the suburbs.

“Over time, I’ve come to accept that charter schools are not going anywhere,” he said, adding that his views have also been affected by the new mayor’s approach to taking a citywide outlook to help youth in Detroit.

“I think if she is going to promote a more agnostic approach to … how we share resources as a city to help Detroit youth, I think there is an opportunity for DPSCD to step up as a stronger authorizer to improve quality,” he said.

Board members said during the meeting that they are hesitant to approve the contract for Sound Mind Sound Body before they develop an overall approach and goals for charter authorization in the district.

“We don’t need a one-off,” said Board President LaTrice McClendon. “We need to be in, or we need to be out.”

School districts and other entities, like community colleges and universities, can authorize charters through an application process. Authorizers monitor charters’ compliance with state and federal education laws, and in exchange, can take up to 3% of their state funding.

Anyone can operate charters, or public school academies, in Michigan. The operator handles key functions, such as hiring teachers and managing payroll. Many Michigan charters hire for-profit companies to fill the role.

When Vitti became superintendent in 2017, the district authorized 13 charters. It currently authorizes seven charters, with one more set to open in the fall.

More than half of Detroit’s school-age children attend charter schools. There are 62 city charters, according to state data compiled in May. There are 24 high school charters in Detroit and 17 in the suburbs where Detroit students make up more than half of enrollment. Many Detroit kids also attend traditional public schools in the suburbs.

As the number of charters in metro Detroit has increased over the last three decades, enrollment in the Detroit district has declined.

A charter for young student athletes

The Sound Mind Sound Body Foundation, whose founders applied for the charter contract, is a nonprofit that runs out-of-school programming geared toward athletics, social emotional learning, and mentoring. The new charter would develop student athletes, according to the proposal.

DPSCD currently contracts with the nonprofit to provide student enrichment programs.

The nonprofit was founded in 2004 by four Detroit Public Schools alumni.

The charter’s plan is to incorporate athletics into its daily schedule and curriculum. It will offer sports leadership, arts and creative expression programs. It will also have college and career exposure, out-of-school activities, mentoring, and an innovation hub for science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.

Deputy Superintendent Alycia Meriweather said during last week’s meeting the agreement would allow coaches and program leaders from DPSCD high schools to visit the charter and work with its students.

The charter proposes opening in the 2026-27 school year with 50 fourth graders. The next year, there could be up to 100 students in grades four and five, then 200 students in grades 4-6 in 2028-29, followed by 400 in grades 4-7 in 2029-30, and 500 in 4-8 in 2030-31.

For 2026-27, DPSCD would collect a 3% authorizer fee, estimated to be around $81,000.

The charter plans to open at 11433 Beaconsfield St. on the east side of the city, near King High School.

The district’s proposed contract is for three years of operation and requires the board’s approval in order to move forward.

A potential shift in thinking around charters

Vitti said there are some charters that would not be interested in partnering with DPSCD for fear of losing their autonomy but others would be interested. He said the board needs to have a broader conversation about a potential shift in strategy.

“It’s not something that I think is top of my priority list, but I do think it’s an opportunity moving forward,” he added.

Vitti said the district supported Purpose Charter Academy – which the board voted to authorize last year to serve students experiencing homelessness, chronic absenteeism, and interactions with the criminal justice system – and Sound Mind Sound Body because they are tailored to meet specific student needs that may go unmet in DPSCD.

McClendon said the district needs to do its due diligence to ensure the charters it authorizes will be sustainable, pointing out the recent closure of Detroit Lions Academy.

“We know that charter schools close left and right and leave our kids hanging,” she said.

The board president said she is not comfortable moving forward in approving Sound Mind Sound Body’s contract until the board has developed a clear charter strategy. She added the board will likely soon hold a study session on the topic.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Detroit school district loses lawsuit against the state over paying debt with operating millage revenue

2026-03-02T22:07:29+00:00

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A state judge has ruled against the Detroit school district in its fight with the Michigan Department of Treasury over collecting operating tax revenue.

That means the Detroit Public Schools Community District will have to ask voters to allow it to collect a local operating millage, which has been collected by Detroit Public Schools. DPSCD also will lose some state funding.

Judge Christopher P. Yates, who issued a summary judgment last month in favor of the Treasury Department, said state law will not allow Detroit Public Schools to continue to collect operating revenue to pay off its capital debt ahead of schedule, as proposed by DPSCD.

Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said last week at a board committee meeting that DPSCD must now get voter approval to collect the operating millage by July 1, 2027.

“If we don’t, then by that summer, as we roll into the next school year, we would have a $120 million deficit,” he said.

Vitti said the district will also appeal the Court of Claims’ decision.

Use of tax dollars sparks dispute between DPSCD and the state

In 2016, lawmakers created a new district to resolve a debt crisis in DPS. The new district, DPSCD, took over day-to-day school operations, while DPS remained only to collect tax revenue to pay off its existing $3.2 billion debt.

Since DPSCD would not receive local property tax revenue, the state then filled the gap with money from the 1998 Tobacco Settlement Fund.

In late 2024, nearly nine years after the legislative deal, DPSCD ran into a disagreement with the Treasury Department, as higher property values in the city accelerated a $150 million emergency loan repayment.

District officials wanted to use operating revenue to speed up its payment of the remaining $1.3 billion in capital debt and $355 million in debt to the state’s School Loan Revolving Fund.

A separate debt millage had been paying off the capital and revolving fund debts, but DPSCD officials said the move would allow the debt to be paid off years earlier, saving taxpayers about $326 million in interest costs.

But the Treasury Department said state law does not allow operating millage to be used for non-operating debt. The department’s position was that DPS could no longer collect the operating millage once the emergency loan was paid off.

Because the two could not agree and proposed legislation that would have changed the law failed, DPSCD sued the state.

(In February 2025, the court denied the district’s request for a preliminary injunction to require the state to continue making payments to DPSCD and allow DPS to keep collecting the operating millage as the case continued.)

Though the court recognized the potential benefit to taxpayers if DPS were allowed to pay off the remaining debts faster, Yates sided with the state, saying there was no way to allow the district’s request based on existing law.

“It may be wise to read a provision authorizing DPS to use the operating levy to repay all outstanding debt,” the judgment reads.

But “courts cannot insert a provision simply because it would have been wise of the Legislature to do so to effect the statute’s purpose,” the judge added, citing a 2021 Michigan appellate court decision.

The final order also said DPS will remain intact to continue to collect debt millages to pay off the remaining loans by around 2040.

The district’s next steps

As the district waits for a decision in its appeal, Vitti advised the school board to put an item on the ballot for the August election asking voters to authorize DPSCD to collect the operating millage.

If that ballot measure fails, Vitti said it could be added to the November ballot. If it does not pass then, the district may have to pay between $1 million and $2 million to the city to hold a special election in May 2027.

The board is also considering a $1.4 million contract with a public affairs firm to educate voters about the operating millage.

Vitti said he is optimistic voters will pass the measure, but the main challenge will be communicating to Detroiters that they will not have to pay additional taxes. The only thing changing will be that DPSCD will collect the money instead of DPS.

In November 2024, voters overwhelmingly approved Proposal S, which allowed DPS to levy the full 18 mills on non-homestead property.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Gas cards, bikes, and money for parents considered in Detroit district’s chronic absenteeism fight

2026-02-26T00:04:23+00:00

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More financial incentives, gas cards, and stronger early pick-up policies may be in the Detroit school district’s future as part of ongoing efforts to improve attendance.

The potential strategies were mentioned on Tuesday during a Detroit Public Schools Community District board work session on chronic absenteeism. Board members requested the meeting to springboard new strategies and better understand current efforts.

With a new mayor who has promised to focus on city issues that affect youth and education, there could be momentum to address root causes of chronic absenteeism.

Mayor Mary Sheffield, has already begun conversations with the district around improving transportation, district officials said. Those conversations have included the possibility of expanding city bus routes in specific areas where school-age kids have the highest rates of chronic absenteeism and hiring staff to make sure students feel safe riding the bus.

“If we’re going to partner with the city, maybe we should try to galvanize our community,” said Board President LaTrice McClendon during the meeting.

Students are considered chronically absent if they miss 10% or more of the school year, or about 18 days of instruction in a typical 180-day school year. Even as the state’s chronic absenteeism rate has climbed in the years following the pandemic, DPSCD has made substantial ground reducing its rate.

Last school year, 60.9% of DPSCD students were chronically absent, an improvement of nearly 5 percentage points from the year before. The district also decreased the rate by nearly 16 percentage points from the 2021-22 school year, when quarantine rules caused many students to stay home.

Still, the district’s rate was nearly 30 percentage points higher than the state average last year.

Districts in communities like Detroit, where 84% of students come from low-income homes, have long grappled with kids missing too much school due to systemic issues such as inadequate transportation, poor health, dangerous routes to school, and parents’ inflexible work schedules.

Gift cards, carpooling, bikes, and city partnerships

The district is considering building on existing financial incentives for attendance, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said during the meeting.

Instead of an across-the-board incentive, like its perfect attendance payouts for high schoolers, the district could offer gift cards to families of early-grade students living in neighborhoods with the highest concentrations of poverty, Vitti said. The district could even target the incentive to neighborhoods and grade levels with the highest rates of chronic absenteeism, he added.

The chronic absenteeism rates in kindergarten, first grade, and second grade were higher than the district average last year, according to the district’s data. The kindergarten rate, for instance, was 68.3%.

The district may also give more gas cards to parents who carpool, bringing students from the same neighborhoods to school together. Attendance agents would organize this strategy at schools, Vitti said.

The district will also recommend updating school policy to curb the frequency of early pick-ups, said Vitti. Caregivers would still be allowed to pick up students early, but the new policy would set a standard about how often is acceptable.

“This has been a big problem for a lot of schools where we have parents consistently removing children from school before the end of the day,” he said. “It disrupts the learning process.”

This spring, the district will give some students at Cody and Osborn high schools bicycles to get to school, Deputy Superintendent Alycia Meriweather said during the meeting.

Students told the district in a recent survey that bikes would help them get to school. They are already being used at Davis Aerospace Technical High School, where the chronic absenteeism rate dropped by more than 14 percentage points last school year compared to the year before.

The bikes will be given to a targeted group of students to create data around whether the move can improve their attendance, she added.

DPSCD will continue to explore the idea of adding more yellow or shuttle bus services. Vitti said specific student data will be needed in order for those efforts to pay off.

“You will hear, ‘Why don’t we do more transportation?’” he said. “We can add a bus, but if we don’t have any assurance that there’s actually kids that are going to go from point A to B, then we’re just going to have an empty bus.”

The district does not currently provide yellow bus service to most high school students. Exceptions are made in some cases, including for those with disabilities or experiencing homelessness.

Although the district’s yellow bus pilot at Henry Ford High School and East English Village Preparatory Academy at Finney served few students last year, the district said it may have helped improve attendance at one campus.

Chronic absenteeism declined by 8.5 percentage points last semester at Ford compared to the 2024-25 school year, according to the district. In the same time frame, the district’s nine other neighborhood high schools’ rate decreased by 0.1 percentage point.

Ford went from having the highest chronic absenteeism rate of all 10 neighborhood high schools to the third lowest, according to the district.

The same was not true at East English – the chronic absenteeism rate there went up by roughly 1 percentage point in the fall compared to last year, the district said.

Board members want to see more parent, community investment

At an October board meeting, some members asked what could be done to hold parents more accountable when their kids miss too much school.

This year, the district began more coordination with its police department in issuing “parental responsibility” citations for egregious truancy cases, according to the district. The citations require parents to improve their child’s attendance or enter the court system.

The citations are a “last resort,” said Meriweather, the deputy superintendent.

Board members asked whether the district could expand attendance contracts to students at risk of severe absenteeism in neighborhood schools.

Currently, the contracts are used for students who attend a school outside of their attendance boundary who are at risk of missing 45 days. They are asked to sign contracts, with their parents, agreeing to improve their attendance or risk being transferred to their neighborhood schools.

The policy was adopted for the 2024-25 school year. More than 2,900 students were identified under the policy and 434 were transferred, according to the district. The average chronic absenteeism rate went down by 7 percentage points for the group who signed contracts. Chronic absenteeism reduced even more for the group of students who were forced to transfer back to their neighborhood schools, with the average rate dropping by 10.1 percentage points.

Board members asked if the at-risk threshold could be reduced from 45 days.

“We can definitely look at bringing that number down,” said Vitti.

McClendon suggested the district partner with community organizations, parent-teacher associations, volunteers, and block clubs to help get kids to school. The groups could help walk kids to school, monitor bus stops for safety, make phone calls to parents, drive carpools, and more, she said.

The district spends around $14 million a year on improving attendance, said Vitti, and most of the funding pays for attendance agents.

The district has hired more attendance agents and concentrated them in neighborhood schools with the most absenteeism in recent years. The agents have a number of duties, including home visits, data collection, dropping off resources to families, making connections to wraparound services, and more.

Board members said they would like to discuss whether it would be possible to hire more agents in future budgets.

“We need to talk about capacity to help, whether it’s on an office level, whether it’s on the school level, to ensure that we’re able to touch every student,” said McClendon.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

The Detroit school district achieved its highest graduation rate since 2008 last year

2026-02-24T11:00:01+00:00

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The Detroit school district’s four-year graduation rate reached a new high and nearly closed the gap between the district and the statewide average last year, newly released data shows.

The Detroit Public Schools Community District’s 2025 graduation rate of more than 83% was the highest since the state began using its current measures in 2007-08. The rate was nearly 5 percentage points higher compared to the previous year and more than 7.3 percentage points higher than in 2019, the last year before the pandemic.

Of the district’s 24 high schools, 13 met or exceeded the state graduation rate average last year and 18 improved their rates from the year before.

The district’s dropout rate was 10.6% last year, about 3.5 percentage points higher than the state average. The numbers don’t include students who took longer than four years to graduate, earned a GED certificate, or aged out of special education.

“This moment is more than a milestone; it is a bold promise of what DPSCD can achieve when we remain aligned, accountable, and courageous in our vision for students,” said board President LaTrice McClendon in a statement from the district.

Of the 24 high school charters in Detroit and the 17 suburban high school charters where Detroit students make up more than half of enrollment, a Detroit Free Press analysis found 2025 graduation rates varied widely by school.

The graduation rate was more than 88% at Cesar Chavez Academy, 93.4% at Voyageur Academy, 95.7% at University Preparatory Academy, and 81.3% at Old Redford Academy.

Around half of the school-age children who live in Detroit attend district schools. The remainder largely attend charter schools in the city, suburban charters and districts, or private schools.

The statewide average graduation rate was more than 84%, up from 82.8% the previous year and also the highest since the state started using its current formula.

The state calculates the four-year graduation rate with a cohort model that tracks the percentage of students who earn a regular diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

Brian Love, state director for research and advocacy group the Education Trust-Midwest, said in a statement the improvement is promising for the state.

“It shows that the collaboration of our state leaders and educators is working for our state’s students,” he said. “At the same time, our state leaders have more work to do to ensure all students are college and career ready, particularly students with the greatest needs.”

State data suggests many Michigan students are still not prepared for college coursework.

According to the College Board, which produces Advanced Placement courses and exams, as well as the SAT, students who meet the SAT benchmarks have a 75% chance of earning a passing grade or better in first-semester college courses.

More than 72% of students in the state scored below math benchmarks on the SAT in 2024-25. More than 44% scored below reading and writing benchmarks.

SAT scores are not a high school graduation requirement in Michigan and many students don’t enroll in college after graduation.

The most recently available data shows 53.4% of 2024 graduates in the state enrolled in college or university within six months of completing high school. In DPSCD, 45.6% of graduates enrolled in higher education.

In DPSCD, 85% of students scored below benchmarks in math and 63.9% scored below benchmarks in reading and writing. In recent years, the district has improved its college readiness scores and narrowed the gap between DPSCD and state scores.

Among most Detroit charter schools, few students met college readiness benchmarks in at least one subject. At Voyageur Academy, for example, more than 95% of students did not meet the math benchmark and more than 91.3% did not meet the reading and writing benchmark.

Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said in an email the district’s first goal is to graduate students with a high school diploma in four years.

“As you know, we have made strong improvements in that area,” he said. “At the same time, we are working differently and harder to ensure they are ‘college ready.’”

He added the district’s High School Redesign initiative “recognizes the different interests and talents of our students—honors, arts, career—this we believe will better motivate, inspire, and prepare them to be more ‘college’ or ‘career ready.’”

Some Detroit neighborhood high schools saw big gains

Most of DPSCD’s neighborhood high schools improved their graduation rates compared to before the pandemic.

Cody High School’s 72.4% graduation rate in 2025, for example, was an improvement of nearly 11 percentage points from 2019.

At Central High School, the graduation rate was more than 79% in 2025 – an increase of 9 percentage points from the year before. It improved by 14 percentage points compared to 2019.

Principal LaToyia Webb said as a small neighborhood school, the staff know students well and quickly identify their needs.

“We track student performance, attendance and behavior closely, so our staff can intervene quickly when students show signs of falling behind,” she said in an email.

In addition to credit recovery offered during the school day and districtwide initiatives to reduce absenteeism, Webb said community partnerships, after-school programs, and student mentoring contributed to the improvement.

“We create a supportive environment where students feel seen, heard, and valued,” she said. “A strong school climate directly contributes to persistence and academic achievement.”

More funding, wraparound supports appear to pay off for DPSCD

Districts like Detroit have long experienced inequities compared to schools in wealthier Michigan communities, which result in disparities in academic performance and graduation rates.

The pandemic exacerbated systemic problems that affect students’ ability to show up for school and learn, such as poverty, poor health, and homelessness.

At the height of COVID in 2021, DPSCD’s graduation rate was 64.5%. At the time, the district rate was 16 percentage points lower compared to the state’s.

Since then, an influx of $1.27 billion in one-time federal COVID relief dollars allowed the district to address infrastructure needs and ramp up efforts to combat chronic absenteeism, defined as a student missing 10% or more of school days. The district was also allocated more per-pupil and at-risk funding in recent state budgets.

The district has made big strides in reducing chronic absenteeism rates in the subsequent years. In 2024-25 it fell below pre-pandemic rates at 60.9%.

School system officials say the same strategies that have improved attendance – creating health hubs, offering more counseling, and boosting wraparound services – have also contributed to the higher graduation rates.

Those efforts appear to have paid off in particular for vulnerable students. Last year, 75.8% of the district’s students experiencing homelessness graduated in four years. The number improved by 12.8 percentage points compared to 2024.

In addition to increasing wraparound support, the district credits expanded college and career-level courses, a stronger academic intervention model for struggling students, and professional development for school counselors for the higher graduation rate.

In the next school year, DPSCD will launch its “High School Redesign” plan for incoming freshmen. It will introduce four-year diploma pathways, expand advising, and create more career pathway opportunities at neighborhood schools.

Imani Foster, communications director for the educational justice organization 482Forward, said the district has listened to what students want to see in their schools to keep them more engaged.

She also noted financial incentives for students to participate in a tutoring program or to have perfect attendance.

McClendon said strengthening early warning systems for middle schoolers falling behind and creating more flexible schedules for students balancing work or family responsibilities are options the district may consider to improve college readiness.

Foster is hopeful Detroit’s new Mayor Mary Sheffield will follow through on her promises to improve conditions in the city that affect education, including better transportation options, child care, and affordable housing.

“Oftentimes, when we only have the schools addressing these issues, we leave students out,” she said.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Micah Walker is a reporter for BridgeDetroit. You can reach her at mwalker@bridgedetroit.com.

Kristi Tanner is a reporter for the Detroit Free Press. You can reach her at ktanner@freepress.com.

Michigan high school graduation rate reaches new high. Check your school’s rate.

2026-02-20T22:17:49+00:00

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Michigan’s four-year high school graduation rate is at a new high, according to data released by the state Friday.

The high school graduation rate for 2025 was just above 84%, up from 82.83% the previous year. Michigan’s high school dropout rate is 7.13%, slightly slower than 7.68% the previous year.

The numbers don’t add up to 100% because they don’t account for students who had been in high school for four years but had not yet graduated, those who earned a GED certificate rather than a high school diploma or those who had aged out of special education.

“Michigan’s historically high graduation rate is a reflection of the efforts of Michigan students, educators, families and communities as well as state leaders,” said State Superintendent Glenn Maleyko in a statement.

“It takes all of us collaborating to put Students First and support them so they can graduate, be successful in postsecondary endeavors, and realize their dreams. There’s more work to do because we want all students to graduate, but we know we can make further progress while also improving other student outcomes such as literacy.”

The state uses a model that measures the time it takes for ninth grade students to earn a high school diploma. It has done so since the 2007-08 school year.

High school students can stay in school to complete their diploma even if they do not complete it in four years. The state also keeps track of students who graduate with both a high school diploma and associate degree from an early middle college. These programs typically take five years.

Statewide, graduation rates are also up for economically disadvantaged students and students with disabilities. Students experiencing homelessness had a 64% four-year graduation rate, compared with nearly 60% the year before.

Improvement strategies are working for many students

The more than 83% graduation rate for the state’s largest district, Detroit Public Schools Community District, was its highest since the state began using the current formula.

“Our teachers, counselors, principals, and staff knew we could do better and put in the work every day to get us here,” said Superintendent Nikolai Vitti in a statement Friday.

The district’s rate is less than a percentage point below the statewide average, Vitti noted, and 7.3 points higher than it was in 2018-19, the last school year before the pandemic. At that time, DPSCD was 5.5 percentage points behind the state’s average.

The school system improved its rate by expanding ways for students to make up course credit, additional counselors, improved tracking of students’ academic progress and putting mental health intervention programs at neighborhood high schools, according to the superintendent.

Still, SAT scores show many DPSCD high schoolers are not meeting college readiness benchmarks. In 2024-25, 85% of students in the district scored below benchmarks in math and 63.9% scored below benchmarks in reading and writing.

According to the College Board, students who meet the SAT benchmarks have a 75% chance of earning a passing grade or better in first-semester college courses.

“We still haven’t completely arrived where students need us to be as a district but we are certainly making historic strides,” he said.

At Lansing School District, the improved 94% graduation rate and 2% dropout rate for 2025 are the result of deliberate efforts by the district" The graduation rate is significantly higher than four years ago, when it stood at 62.1%.

Graduation specialists and high school counselors from throughout the district meet monthly to review data on students who are on track to graduate, and those who are off-track or have dropped out, said Anna DiPonio, director of data and accountability for the district. Staff also discuss ways to support students and try to reconnect with those who have left school.

“We’re super happy about the improvement that we’re making because we know what that means for kids,” said Interim Superintendent Jessica Benavides.

She said the diploma means more college and career opportunities. Recent high school graduates are eligible for a host of college grants and scholarships. The state’s signature Michigan Achievement Scholarship provides up to $5,500 annually for a state public university or independent nonprofit college. The program also covers up to full tuition for community college.

Despite the improved graduation rates, 94.9% of Lansing students are testing below college readiness benchmarks for math and 72.9% for reading and writing.

Venessa Keesler, president and CEO of Launch Michigan, a bipartisan group working to change high school graduation standards, called the increased statewide graduation rates “great news.”

“What we need to do now is increase the rigor of what that diploma means and what students are prepared to do with that diploma.”

Keesler is urging the state to adopt graduation standards that combine academics, college and career exposure and “durable skills” like teamwork and communication.

Statewide, only about 27% of high schoolers are college-ready, as determined by student performance on the SAT.

Making high school more meaningful for students helps

The graduation rate for Kentwood Public Schools was 84.35%, up more than 2.5 percentage points above the rate in 2024. Superintendent Kevin Polston, said “We’re not where we want to be,” but that he is proud of the work that has been done in the district. Like other districts, far fewer of the district’s high school students are considered college-ready based on the SAT benchmarks.

“We really rolled up our sleeves to make learning relevant and more meaningful for students,” Polston said.

They’ve done that by offering more career and technical education options and giving students more access to work-based learning. The goal is to make learning more connected to the interests of students and their potential careers.

At Crossroads High, the district’s alternative high school, students spend two days a week in the community in a work setting. The district is in the third year of that effort, and Polston said it helps connect students to jobs or career training after high school, and they’ve seen attendance and graduation rates increase.

The district has worked to add new career and technical education programs that students desire, including a culinary arts program he said has had a waiting list of 400 students. The district has also added more career classes that allow students to explore careers without committing to a lengthier CTE program.

“When we talk to students, they want learning to make sense. They want it to be something they’re interested in and passionate about,” Polston said.

The decline in the dropout rate, as well as the improved graduation rates for some of the most vulnerable students in the state, including those experiencing homelessness, is heartening, said Bob Kefgen, the associate director of government relations at the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals.

“Those are big wins,” he said. “Principals reviewing their graduation and dropout rate data don’t just see numbers. “These numbers represent relationships, they represent interventions … on behalf of students.”

Getting a student across the stage to graduate starts in ninth grade and includes constant monitoring, making sure the student is on track to graduate and intervening when necessary, Kefgen said. Sometimes those interventions are academic, making sure the students get the support they need to improve in their classes. But it can also include addressing barriers to getting to school, building relationships with families, and building relationships in the community.

“Really, we throw everything in the kitchen sink behind getting kids across the stage.”

Look up your local district’s graduation rate in the tool below.

This story was completed through a partnership between Bridge Michigan, Chalkbeat Detroit, BridgeDetroit and the Detroit Free Press.

Lori Higgins from Chalkbeat Detroit contributed to this story.

Isabel Lohman is a reporter for Bridge Michigan. You can reach her at ilohman@bridgemi.com

Kristi Tanner is a reporter for the Detroit Free Press. You can reach her at ktanner@freepress.com.

Hannah Dellinger is a reporter for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

State superintendent says Trump’s Michigan schools investigations are based on false info

2026-02-20T00:23:56+00:00

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Michigan’s superintendent is firing back at the U.S. Justice Department by saying the Trump administration’s Title IX investigations into three districts are based on false information about the state’s health education guidelines.

U.S. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon sent notices of compliance reviews to superintendents of the Detroit Public Schools Community District, Lansing School District, and Godfrey-Lee Public Schools on Wednesday. The department said it is investigating whether the districts have included “sexual orientation or gender ideology content” in any classroom and if parents were notified of their rights to opt their children out of such instruction. It will also determine if transgender students are allowed to use bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity.

The letters cited the Michigan State Board of Education’s November revision of its “Michigan Health Education Standards Guidelines” that recommended students be taught about gender identity and sexual orientation. The correspondence said “health is a required class for graduation in the state of Michigan, with no opportunity for parents to opt their children out of receiving instruction.”

In a statement Thursday, State Superintendent Glenn Maleyko said the premise of the investigations are a “mischaracterization.”

“Local school boards set health curriculum with input from local sex education advisory boards,” he said. “Local control remains in place. Parents retain the right to decide whether their children should participate in sex education instruction.”

The current health education guidelines noted that under existing state law, parents must be notified ahead of sex education classes, have a right to review curriculum, and can opt their children out of all or some of it without penalty.

Michigan districts decide their own curriculums and are not required to comply with suggestions in the state board’s guidelines.

When the state’s current health education guidelines were proposed last year, many conservative and religious parents and community members spoke out against the changes. They claimed their rights to protect their children’s religious upbringing were stripped away.

Maleyko also reaffirmed the state’s commitment to ensuring all students feel safe and included.

“The much-needed updates to health education guidelines—which the Department of Justice falsely said are state requirements—help local districts make decisions on how they can support student health,” he said.

The Justice Department is asking the districts to hand over numerous documents, including library books with mentions of LGBTQ+ matters, curriculum texts, and presentations.

The letters threaten terminating federal funding if the districts do not comply.

All three districts receive high percentages of their funding from federal grants, said Peter Spadafore, executive director of the Michigan Alliance for Student Opportunity, an organization that works to help students in districts with the greatest needs by creating educational equity.

Advocates worry the investigations will hurt youth

Erin Knott, executive director of the LGBTQ+ advocacy organization Equality Michigan, said in a statement that the group is disappointed about the investigations.

“LGBTQ+ youth are among the most vulnerable young people in our state,” she said. “They face higher rates of bullying, harassment, and mental health challenges. Inclusive education policies are not ‘ideology,’ they are evidence-based efforts to ensure that every student feels safe, respected, and seen in their own school community.”

Jay Kaplan, a staff attorney for the ACLU of Michigan, said while the investigations may not have legal bearing, they could cause a chilling effect that results in districts rolling back protections for LGBTQ+ students.

“This is an attempt to harass and bully districts into discriminating against trans kids and into erasing the existence of LGBTQ people,” he said.

Taryn Gal, executive director of the Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health, a nonprofit advocacy group, said the political pressure on districts puts schools in an impossible situation.

“Do they comply and risk violating state law, implementing policies and practices they know harm students and the entire school environment?” She said. “Or do they risk federal funding and do what’s right to ensure every student, regardless of their identity, can succeed in school?”

Many Michigan LGBTQ+ youth say they fear the ripple effects of political rhetoric in President Donald Trump’s second term. A 2024 survey by the nonprofit advocacy group the Trevor Project found 89% of Michigan LGBTQ+ students said recent politics negatively impacted their sense of well-being.

Affirming policies are potentially life-saving, other surveys suggest.

Why the DOJ opened the investigation

The Department of Justice said in the letter that the revised standards could violate Title IX or a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, Mahmoud v. Taylor, which requires districts to allow parents to opt their children out from classes with LGBTQ+ themes.

Spokespeople from the Department of Justice did not immediately respond to questions about why the three districts are the target of the investigations.

Kaplan said it appears districts with large populations of Latino and Black students in communities experiencing high rates of poverty were targeted. He said investigations are unusual because they don’t appear to be prompted by parent complaints. He added the letters are “constitutionally flawed,” and that current law does not allow the executive branch to dictate what local schools teach.

Gal said the letters also appear to “misunderstand the timeline and the standards it references.”

“The Supreme Court’s decision in Mahmoud was issued in June 2025, and Michigan’s updated health standards were finalized later in 2025, yet the investigation is requesting materials and communications going back to 2023,” she said. “That kind of mismatch creates confusion and fear for school districts about what is actually expected of them.”

Arnetta Thompson, superintendent of Godfrey-Lee Public Schools, said in an email the district will provide all information the Department of Justice requested.

“At this time, this is a standard review process. “The District is not facing any charges or findings of wrongdoing. We remain committed to complying with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and have consistently operated in accordance with those laws.”

Spokespeople for the Detroit Public Schools Community District and the Lansing School District declined to comment.

Monique Bryant, a member of the DPSCD board, said as a parent she has never had a concern about classroom material.

“Sometimes you can have students and parents go too far left with something, and we have to be thoughtful and mindful of everyone,” she added.

Lansing school board President Guillermo Lopez said he had not heard complaints from any parents about not being able to opt out.

House Speaker Matt Hall, a Republican from Richland Township, said at his regular news conference on Feb. 19 he supports the investigations because he doesn’t think most parents want their children receiving that type of instruction.

If it is happening, officials should “put a stop to it,” Hall said.“I would welcome more investigations.”

State Board of Education member Tom McMillan, a Republican from Oakland Township, said he was pleased to learn of the Department of Justice investigation: “This is one of the things the federal government can do to make kids safe.”

Even though state law says that parents have a right to opt out their children from sex education lessons, McMillan said there are no consequences for districts that do not follow the opt-out law.

“I think there should be serious consequences, removal of funds, maybe jail time, prison, for districts that don’t follow the law,” he said. “If they are harming kids, allowing boys to go into girls’ locker rooms, showers, that’s perversion and should be met with some kind of serious consequences.”

Pamela Pugh, president of the State Board of Education and a Democrat from Saginaw, said the investigation is a “politically motivated fishing expedition” and “a misuse of federal resources” that will burden local schools.

Trump threatens funding over transgender student protections, DEI

As promised during his campaign, Trump has targeted transgender communities and diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in multiple executive orders.

Since last year, the Michigan Department of Education has pushed back on those executive orders, saying its efforts to incorporate curriculum that reflects diverse experiences won’t change.

The Trump administration has also targeted districts across the country with investigations and funding threats.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights announced an investigation into New York City’s education department for a policy that allows transgender students to play on sports teams in line with their gender identity.

Denver Public Schools was investigated last year by the Department of Education for converting a girls’ restroom into an all-gender restroom.

Chicago is facing a loss of millions in federal funding for magnet schools due to a dispute with the Department of Education over how the district serves transgender and Black students.

Another Title IX probe began in Maine in April. The Department of Justice sued Minneapolis Public Schools over its layoff protections for teachers of color in December.

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Georgea Kovanis is a reporter covering LGBTQ+ issues for the Detroit Free Press. You can reach her at gkovanis@freepress.com.

Paul Egan contributed to this report.

Detroit teachers union asks district to reaffirm commitment to immigrant students in new contract

2026-02-17T21:58:34+00:00

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The Detroit Federation of Teachers plans to ask for more support for teachers whose students are impacted by immigration enforcement in its new contract.

The district’s current agreement with the teachers union will end June 30 and discussions around the new contract will begin in the coming weeks, said Detroit Federation of Teachers President Lakia Wilson-Lumpkins.

The request will come after months of unmet teacher and community pleas to the Detroit Public Schools Community District and its board to provide more training around dealing with federal immigration enforcement. Educators have repeatedly asked the board to do more to protect newcomers and their families as at least five students in the school system have been detained in the months since federal immigration enforcement has ramped up in the second Trump administration.

While the district has provided some training to certain staff, Wilson-Lumpkins told Chalkbeat it can “do a much better job.”

“Parents are still afraid,” she said. “If you go into some of those neighborhoods, where you would normally see hundreds of parents walking their kids to school, you don’t see those parents. That has truly hurt our classrooms.”

The DFT will also seek contract language that reinforces the school system’s commitment to being a sanctuary district, said Wilson-Lumpkins.

Kristen Schoettle, an English as a second language teacher at Western International High School and DFT member, said she wants the contract to include mandatory training for all district staff as a baseline.

Schoettle said the contract should have protections for immigrant workers, as other unions in large urban districts have achieved.

“There are quite a lot of employees with varying immigration statuses,” she said. “They are not represented at all in the contract. There are no special protections for them.”

At last week’s board meeting, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said he recently met with community leaders in Southwest Detroit, where a large portion of the district’s immigrant students and English learners attend school, to discuss strategies to support kids.

Vitti said it is clear enrollment is down and chronic absenteeism has increased in Southwest schools due to fears of ICE.

“We are actively working with Southwest leaders to proactively anticipate increases in ICE presence in Detroit,” said Vitti. “We’re doing this through individual leaders, community organizers, and groups. School staff and central office staff are working with those leaders to provide additional resources to immigrant families that have lost family members or are fearful of the ICE presence.”

The DFT’s bargaining priorities

The teachers union will fight for more competitive wages and better benefits so the district can better attract and retain staff, said Wilson-Lumpkins.

“Stability in our workforce directly impacts student achievement,” she said.

Vitti told Chalkbeat in an email the district and the DFT share the goal of “aggressively increasing teacher salaries to continue our improvement in recruiting and retaining the best teachers to serve our students.”

“A persistent challenge in providing our teachers with what they deserve — which is to be the highest paid teachers in the nation — is unequal and inequitable state/local funding,” he said.

The DFT’s bargaining priorities also include paid maternity leave.

The district provides protected maternity and paternity leave for up to 16 weeks, but it goes unpaid. Another four weeks may be allowed for those who qualify for family and medical leave. Some employees may also use paid sick or vacation time for their leave.

Most states don’t guarantee paid paternity leave, a recent study found, and just one-third of teachers reported access to any paid parental leave in a 2024 survey.

The union is also seeking more resources for students with autism spectrum disorder, saying that working conditions for teachers in special education and autism spectrum disorder or mild cognitive impairment classrooms are leading to burnout, said Wilson-Lumpkins.

This school year, the district revamped its special education department and restructured classrooms to be at centralized hubs. It also hired more staff to keep up with the growing demand for students’ special education service evaluations.

Even with the additional staff, Wilson-Lumpkins said members say the timeline for completing evaluations is unrealistic and causing staff to leave their jobs.

“The last contract scratched the surface,” Wilson-Lumpkins said at a recent board meeting. “This contract must be progressive, creative and innovative, so that there is no question about this district and this union’s expectations about what we have as a union and a district.”

The board went into its first closed session to discuss negotiations for this cycle of negotiations on Tuesday night.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Detroit school district is spending millions to increase security after safety concerns

2026-02-12T23:38:23+00:00

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Following two incidents involving students bringing weapons into classrooms, the Detroit school district is investing millions in ramping up security.

The Detroit Public Schools Community District’s board voted this week to spend $1.7 million to hire 38 additional security guards for the rest of the school year. This month the district will also begin a pilot program of new security screening at 7 schools and a new visitor check-in process.

The district promised in October to make changes to its security protocols after an eighth grader stabbed another girl in class at Gompers Elementary-Middle School with a knife her mother allegedly brought into the school past a metal detector.

Months later, a student reportedly chased another with a boxcutter around a Denby High School classroom. Superintendent Nikolai Vitti told Chalkbeat in an email the student brought the weapon into the school due to a security guard’s screening failure.

“It is important to note that while we have strengthened monitoring and reinforced protocols district-wide following the Gompers incident, no system is effective without consistent execution at the school level and with personnel,” said Vitti. “This situation reflects a failure in implementation not a change in protocol.”

The additional security guards will help supervise students throughout the day at 29 schools. The district is currently working to fill 41 security guard vacancies, which includes the 38 new positions. Once the positions are filled, there will be a total of 252 security guards in the district.

The superintendent said the district is confident there will be room in the budget to continue filling the positions next fall.

The security screening pilot will last the remainder of the year at seven schools: Renaissance, Cass, Mumford, Western, East English Village, Gompers, and Earhart. The pilot will cost $490,000.

“As we move through implementation, the district will use what we learn from these pilot sites to determine effectiveness, identify operational best practices, and inform any decisions about potential expansion next year,” said Vitti.

Parents were notified Wednesday that the district began implementing a uniform visitor check-in process at all schools.

Now, all visitors, including parents, must show a photo ID, be photographed at the front desk, and wear a visitor badge with their name and image.

Parents or guardians who forget their IDs are required to fill out additional paperwork.

“We realize this is a new process and may be frustrating for some visitors but please keep in mind that this is another safety strategy we are implementing to keep everyone safe and accountable,” Vitti said in the district’s notification.

Vitti said at a recent committee meeting board members asked for a proposal to increase security personnel after the Denby incident on Jan. 21.

A video of the incident circulating social media showed a teacher trying to stop the student with a chair, Fox 2 Detroit reported.

“The student has been arrested and will not be returning to Denby or another district school,” Chrystal Wilson, DPSCD spokesperson, said in an email. There were no reported injuries.

The guard was immediately removed from screening duties, Vitti said, and was placed on administrative leave while an investigation is pending.

Additional police were placed at the school the following day.

Since the Gompers attack, the district spent a total of $4.3 million on additional security measures, which include more staff and support for risk assessments and hiring 10 more police officers in the district’s police department. There are now 41 officers in the department.

The district also began in-person and virtual monitoring of the screening procedures at schools, said Vitti. Administrators and public safety teams now conduct unannounced visits and live camera reviews of screening practices in real time. Principals are now required to log their monitoring of the screening process.

“When deviations from protocol are identified, we act immediately with additional support and accountability,” said Vitti.

Since October, the district conducted refresher training for security staff and reinforced administrative accountability.

“We remain committed to continuous improvement and to ensuring that screening procedures are carried out with fidelity every day in every school,” said Vitti. “We also need to have the continued support of our families to ensure backpacks are spot checked and the message is reinforced at home that weapons cannot be brought to school.”

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Feb. 17, 2026: This story has been updated with new information from DPSCD and comments from Superintendent Nikolai Vitti.

This Michigan assistant principal wants to help students succeed in college

2026-02-04T22:39:42+00:00

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Scheduling conflicts, disinterest, and fear of failure can keep students from taking college prep classes, says Tara Becker-Utess, assistant principal at Mason High School south of Lansing.

The veteran educator is part of a statewide cohort coming up with fixes to help college-bound students gain confidence.

“One of the misconceptions is that they are not smart enough – and that’s not the truth,” she said.

Honors, advanced placement, and dual enrollment courses can help prepare students for college.

Students who don’t receive scores of 4 or 5 on AP exams can still benefit, she said. “Even if they are getting a 2, that means they are prepared for a college-level course.”

Becker-Utess is close to completing an 18-month Michigan Leadership for Equity and Transformation fellowship. The program, a collaboration between the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals and the Michigan College Access Network, helps educators advance as school leaders.

The fellows complete projects aimed at helping students be successful in higher education. They consider data that shows how many students in their schools go on to finish college in four years and how many have to take a remedial course in their first year of college.

Tara Becker-Utess

Michigan has historically had a low rate of residents with college degrees. In 2023, the state’s post-secondary attainment rate was 51.8%, below the national average of 54.9%.

However, over the last decade, state data shows Michigan has significantly increased the percentage of students who successfully complete college or university. The most recently available data shows 60.6% of students who matriculated in 2020-21 graduated within four years from the state’s public universities – up by 16 percentage points compared to 10 years ago.

Chalkbeat talked with Becker-Utess about how she connects with students, handles difficult conversations, and more.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Was there a moment when you decided to become an educational leader?

There was not a specific moment, but I enjoyed the work that I was doing as a teacher leader in Charlotte, Michigan. I began giving presentations on topics including standards-based grading and the flipped classroom. My first job out of the classroom was as a mathematics and social studies consultant, where I was able to support teachers across Ingham county. I learned so much in this role, but felt a calling to get back to a building in an administrative role.

How do you get to know your faculty members and/or students?

I find that the best way to get to know faculty members is simply to listen. When I first started at Mason, I made it a priority to meet with all of the faculty that I would be evaluating to see what support I could provide them.

I recognize that it is just as important to get to know the faculty as humans and not just teachers. It is fun to hear about how their kids are doing at college or plans for upcoming breaks. However, it’s equally important to know the hard things they are going through so that I can provide support in the moment to help them focus on the hard things at home.

I find that being present during the school day in classrooms, hallways, and the cafeteria is the best way to get to know students. I enjoy greeting students at the front door each morning as well. Students will often come up to me to ask questions or just even ask about my day. It’s a good way to get to know students in a positive way before they are in my office for disciplinary issues. I try to do daily classroom pop-ins where I can talk to kids about what they are learning.

Tell us about a favorite piece of advice. Where did the idea come from?

A former colleague of mine shared that she always started her class with “good things.” She simply asked students each day what was going good in their lives. I started this with my own students at Charlotte and it was fascinating how much I would learn about each student and how much they would learn about each other.

I still use that technique as an assistant principal. We start all staff meetings with good things.

What object would you be helpless without during the school day?

Without sounding like the teenagers that attend Mason, I would say my phone. I really enjoy being out and about in the building during the day. Having my phone with me allows me to answer emails or handle other building business while I am still visible in the school.

Tell us about a memorable time — good or bad — when contact with a student’s family changed your perspective or approach.

At our Student Support Team meetings, we try to determine the root cause of student struggles with attendance, behavior, or discipline in order to assign the most effective intervention. In some cases, we determine the best course of action is to meet with the student and family.

My initial approach was to get down to business and try to identify the problems and look for solutions. However, I now start the meetings getting to know the student and parent better. I let the student and family know that everyone sitting in the room is on their team). I also involve the students in these meetings to get their perspective on what is going on and how we can help. I believe it helps the student and parent leave feeling supported by the school rather than simply getting a list of things to do.

What part of your job is most difficult?

The unknown on a daily basis is what causes the most stress in my position. I often enter the day with a plan of what work I want to accomplish, which classrooms I want to visit, and who I want to check in with. However, a student incident can change that entire plan before the first bell even rings.

What was your biggest misconception that you initially brought to education leadership?

My biggest misconception was that I had to know all of the answers. I was concerned that if I didn’t know the answers, people would lose faith in me as a leader. When COVID hit and I was consulting with districts on how to use the various technology tools, I did not have all of the answers. It forced me to say “I don’t know” at times and then look for the answer. I often tell people that I am not sure, but that I will find out for them or I look for others (including the people who asked the question) who can help with problem-solving!

Tell us about a book that helped you become a better leader.

I read and took a training on “Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High” by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler earlier in my career. It really breaks down how to have difficult conversations. When I know I am facing a difficult conversation, I can go back to the Situation-Behavior-Impact template from the book.

I have used this approach many times while at Mason. In fact, for particularly difficult conversations, I will write down what I want to say for each component of the model before I have the conversation. It helps to keep the emotion out of the conversation and focus it on facts and moving forward.

What’s the best advice you’ve received about educational leadership?

All of the textbooks will tell you how important it is to get to know your staff and students. I saw this in action when I started at Mason High School. Principal Lance Delbridge and Assistant Principal Nick Toodzio served long tenures here and I noticed how much they knew about our staff and students. The strong knowledge came from setting aside a great deal of time to simply talk with these stakeholders and get to know them and their families. As a result, they really understood how to motivate people and who they needed to get on the bus to get something done at the school.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Detroit school board considers $79.4 million plan for vacant buildings, new athletic complex

2026-02-02T22:45:30+00:00

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The Detroit school district is weighing spending $79.4 million of surplus funds to chip away at long-needed infrastructure improvements.

The plan, presented to the Detroit Public Schools Community District board’s finance and academic committees, includes demolishing 11 vacant buildings, boarding up another 11 vacant properties, building an athletic complex, repaving 36 parking lots, and improving fencing at 28 schools. The money, which comes in part from increased revenue in recent fiscal years, would also be used to replace the roof at one school and build two new health hubs, among other expenditures.

“I think it’s a major, major investment in our kids, and we can afford it — the time is right,” said Board Member Iris Taylor during last week’s Finance Committee meeting. The finance academic committees approved the proposal this month. The full board must vote to amend this year’s budget for the plans to take action.

The proposals are additional improvements not included in the district’s existing $700 million facility master plan, which was funded with onetime federal COVID relief dollars. That plan only touched a fraction of the $2.1 billion in infrastructure needs the district identified in a 2018 facilities analysis.

“We have made significant progress but there is a lot to still do,” Superintendent Nikolai Vitti told Chalkbeat in an email last week.

Since 2019, the district has spent more than $123 million in surplus funds on urgent facility repairs focused on health, safety and operational needs, said Vitti.

The district had an unrestricted general fund balance of $212.8 million at the end of the last fiscal year, according to DPSCD. The district also has a $48.3 million rainy day fund, which are reserve dollars that can be used for unexpected costs.

In order to close the gap on facility needs, the superintendent said more equitable state funding is essential. The district can’t use federal funds for such costs, and the state funding model does not earmark dollars for school infrastructure, he added.

Plan would demolish or board up 22 sites

According to the district, 22 vacant properties are costing more than $71,000 a year in city blight fees, landscaping, and emergency board-ups. The school system gets dozens of complaints each year about the safety risks the buildings pose.

The new proposal would get rid of half of those buildings and board up the rest.

Here are the vacant school buildings that would be demolished if the plan is approved:

Brady Elementary School at 2920 Joy Rd.
Harris Professional Building at 3700 Pulford St.
Jemison School of Choice at 16400 Tireman Ave.
Larned Elementary School at 23700 Clarita St.
Lawton Building at 9345 Lawton St.
Loday at 17450 Lenore
Murphy Elementary-Middle School at 23901 Fenkell St.
The former Pulaski Elementary-Middle School building at 19725 Strasburg St.
Stewart Academy at 1312 Wildemere St.
Trix Elementary School at 13700 Bringard Dr.
Yost Academy at 16161 Winston St.

Here are the buildings that would be boarded up:

The former Bunche Elementary School building at 2601 Ellery St.
Courtis Elementary School at 8100 W. Davison
Erma Henderson Lower School at 9600 Mettetal St.
Hancock Academy at 2200 Ewald Cir.
Legacy at 4900 E. Hilldale
McColl Elementary School at 20550 Cathedral St.
Poe Developmental School at 1200 W. Canfield St.
Robeson Early Childhood Center at 14900 Parkside St.
Rutherford Winans Academy at 16411 Curtis St.
Stark School of Technology at 12611 Avondale St.
Von Steuben Elementary School at 12300 Linnhurst St.

The plan would allocate $15 million to fill a funding gap to build an outdoor high school athletic complex at the site of the former Cooley High School at 15055 Hubbell Ave. The additional funds would be used to improve the football field, said Vitti.

The board already approved using $15 million in state funds to demolish the Cooley building, create an outdoor greenspace, and update the parking lots. Previously discussed plans for an indoor sports complex would require additional funding, Vitti said. The DPSCD Foundation said last year it will raise another $10 million for the project.

Another $9.8 million would go to replace the athletic field at Detroit Lions Academy.

A $3.5 million budget amendment would pay to add health hubs — which provide wraparound services such as physical, mental, and dental health care to students and families — to the new Cody and Pershing high schools.

Around $2.5 million would be allocated to replace the Charles Wright Academy roof.

Only 5% of schools in the district meet paving standards, meaning they allow safe access and have proper drainage, according to administrators. Vitti’s proposed plan would bring 33% of schools up to standard.

The proposal would improve fencing so that 50% of schools meet standards, meaning all play areas, parking lots, and athletic fields would have vinyl-coated chain link fencing.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Hundreds of Detroit students walk out of class to protest federal immigration enforcement

2026-01-31T00:20:22+00:00

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Despite the bitter cold Friday afternoon, hundreds of Detroit students walked out of class to protest recent federal immigration actions.

Students poured out of Cass Technical High School before their last period of class began, chanting “immigrants are welcome here” and “no justice, no peace.” They marched around a loop in midtown with hand-painted signs to condemn the recent high-profile killings of two people by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis.

Some signs said: “There comes a time when silence is betrayal” and “U know it’s bad when white people are dying in the street” and “It shouldn’t have to happen to you for it to matter to you.”

“People are scared to leave their houses,” said Miguel-Angel Martinez, a Cass senior who lives in Southwest Detroit. “People are scared to go anywhere.”

The walkout at Cass Technical and others staged at schools around Metro Detroit were part of a “National Shutdown,” an organized day without work, shopping, or school.

“They took our alumni, they took our peers at Western [International High School],” said Hailee Hallman, a senior at Cass who helped organize the protest. “After seeing all this happen in so many places and watching it happen to people we know, it’s important for us to try to make sure they know that we’re not satisfied with this.”

Students feel the effect of immigration enforcement

At least five students in the Detroit Public Schools Community District have been detained by ICE in the months since federal immigration enforcement ramped up in the second Trump administration.

One student, Maykol Bogoya-Duarte, was deported to Colombia in June.

Three students seeking asylum in the U.S. – Santiago Jesus Zamora Perez, Kerly Mariangel Sosa Rivero, and Antony Janier Peña Sosa – were detained by ICE last month.

Mor Ba, another asylum seeker who graduated from Western days before he was detained, was released on bond from ICE custody last week.

Some of the teens at Friday’s protest have been directly affected by immigration enforcement in recent weeks.

Justin Perez, 16, said a member of his church was detained by ICE on his street. His uncle is awaiting deportation now.

“If I hear about any protests happening in the area, I always try to make my way,” he said.

Valerie Ortiz Sanchez, a junior who lives in southwest, said she wants to use her voice to speak out because others in her community are afraid to.

“I want to help my people, because what am I doing if I’m not?” she said. “I don’t want to hide under fear.”

Some fear traveling to school because of ICE

Education advocacy groups say immigration enforcement tactics are having a devastating affect on students and their access to education.

On Tuesday, multiple people reported to local officials that ICE arrested four people in Ypsilanti near a bus stop as parents dropped off their kids at school. ICE officials disputed the reports and said the agency is not targeting Michigan schools or bus stops.

The Michigan Senate on Thursday held a hearing for bills that would restrict immigration enforcement at “sensitive locations,” including schools.

Last year, the Trump administration revoked a longstanding federal directive for agents to not make immigration arrests near schools.

DPSCD Superintendent Nikolai Vitti has said ICE has not attempted to enter any district schools.

Many teachers, students, and community members have pushed the district for months to adopt a stronger sanctuary policy. Among their demands are better transportation options for families with immigration concerns, know-your-rights training, and mandatory instruction for all staff on interacting with immigration agents.

The district has not yet made any policy changes.

DPSCD authorized students to participate in the walkout, said Chrystal Wilson, spokesperson for the district, in an email.

“We believe in encouraging our students to exercise their First Amendment rights and strive to provide a safe environment for them to do so,” she said.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

10 years ago, Detroit teachers protested building conditions. What’s changed since?

2026-01-30T19:46:39+00:00

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Ten years ago, a big crowd of Detroit teachers and their supporters marched down Jefferson Avenue toward Cobo Hall, where the annual auto show was being held, to draw national attention to the substandard conditions inside city schools.

The Detroit Federation of Teachers timed another rally later that afternoon outside Cobo (now Huntington Place) to coincide with the arrival of President Barack Obama at the auto show, whose appearance drew journalists from across the country.

The protests on Jan. 20, 2016, which closed most schools that Friday, produced stunning headlines that explained why teachers in Detroit Public Schools had called in sick en masse multiple times in that month.

“Rats, roaches, mold – poor conditions lead to teacher sick-out, closure of most Detroit schools,” a Washington Post headline said. “These Photos Will Make You Understand Detroit’s Education Crisis,” a HuffPost headline read. “How Detroit’s teacher ‘sickout’ cast a spotlight on unsafe school conditions,” was a Guardian headline.

The local and national coverage of the crisis proved instrumental, prompting the mayor to order school inspections and the district to begin repairs. After years of emergency management by the state, the new administration and school board that took over in 2017 ordered an audit of conditions in every building. More than $700 million in federal funds went into renovating and rebuilding schools, helping address needs officials say were created in part by a lack of equitable state funding. A decade later, the district is still constructing new schools to replace a handful of buildings that were in the worst condition, as well as addressing the biggest needs in other buildings.

But the scale of the challenges — both financially and physically — mean many students still attend school in buildings with significant problems.

“I am proud of the investments we have made and the improvement we are seeing in our infrastructure, but I am not satisfied with it,” Superintendent Nikolai Vitti wrote in an email to Chalkbeat. “Our students and staff deserve EXACTLY and even MORE than suburban districts have.”

The $700 million investment, made during the pandemic with federal COVID relief dollars, addresses a fraction of the $2.1 billion infrastructure needs, according to the district.

“Many buildings still require major modernization, and some remain in deficient or failing condition based on industry standards,” Vitti said. “Aging systems continue to drive future costs, and without sustained investment, deferred needs will grow.”

Teachers push for change in building conditions, higher pay

The protests happened in the midst of turmoil and division within the Detroit Federation of Teachers.

The union’s fiery leader, Steve Conn, had been ousted by the union board in August 2015, after a two-day trial that ended with him being convicted of five misconduct charges, the Detroit Free Press reported.

As part of its attempts to stabilize the union, the American Federation of Teachers, its umbrella organization, asked members to identify the biggest problems facing the district. Building conditions were at the top of the list.

Stories and pictures collected from union members became the basis for the campaign to raise awareness of student and teacher learning and working conditions, said Ivy Bailey, interim president of the DFT at the time. Photos showed ceilings that were caved in and missing tile, vermin infestations, mold, and other troubling conditions.

Teachers and supporters rallied during a protest held Jan. 11, 2016 outside the Fisher Building, which houses headquarters for the Detroit Public Schools.

Contributing to the problems, according to teachers and union officials, were the state-appointed emergency managers who had control of the district. The school board existed but had little power during the years of emergency management, which stretched from 2009 to the end of 2016. Teachers said their complaints about building conditions were often ignored. The emergency managers were tasked with whittling down the district’s debt, but it rose substantially while they were in control.

Nina Chacker, who organized sick-outs as a union representative at Schulze Academy, said areas of some schools would be closed because of water-logged ceilings, forcing students to cram into classrooms that were usable.

Instead of listening to teachers’ pleas to make buildings safe for kids, Chacker said emergency managers sent people into schools “telling us how to teach.”

“We knew things weren’t going to get better as long as they were left in the state’s hands to address,” she said. “We wanted a school board with power. We wanted the democratic process returned to the district.”

Carrie Russell, now a math teacher at King High School, taught at Cody High School before the sick-outs began. An old boiler made it difficult to maintain temperatures in the building. She remembers a teacher who wore hard hats in her classroom at Cody because she feared falling ceiling tiles. (Russell left to teach in the Oak Park school district before the sick-outs and returned to the Detroit district in 2018.)

Teaching in a building with such problems, Russell said, was “demoralizing on so many levels.”

Building conditions were hardly the only issue teachers were concerned about, however. Class sizes were high – one teacher at a rally held a sign saying her class had 39 first graders. Teachers had not received pay raises in years, and many schools struggled with teacher shortages. Many teachers wanted to see an end to the years of state oversight and more attention from state lawmakers in Lansing.

“Everybody deserves a clean and safe environment to work in,” said Bailey, who retired as a teacher in 2018 but remained as union president until 2019. “They shouldn’t have to be worried about if they’re going to get cancer or if it’s going to affect their lungs. I mean, that should not have been an issue.”

The sick-outs started out small in November 2015, but by Jan. 20 they had increased in size, with nearly every building being closed that day. Most were organized by Detroit Strikes to Win, a group of teachers led by Conn.

Conn, who taught math at Western International High School for many years until he retired in 2023, said images of the roofs caving in, mold, and vermin infestations were the best way to demonstrate the inequities in Detroit schools to the public.

By bringing national attention to Detroit schools, he said the movement sparked a larger conversation around inequities in U.S. education.

“It was time to fight for justice, and we did that and set an example,” he said. “I think it was a high point in the struggle. But the struggle goes on for equity in Detroit schools and America’s schools.”

Vitti calls for more equitable state funding to keep improving buildings

When Vitti interviewed for the superintendent job in 2017, he said he was shocked by the conditions he saw while touring schools in the district.

“To actually walk the buildings and see the state of our infrastructure shook me, and in fact enraged me to see that our children have to go to schools where there are holes in the wall, tiles that are not replaced. It’s unconscionable and it’s a clear indication of the injustice our children face here,” he said.

The district during emergency management had “no vision and no resources consistently invested in infrastructure,” Vitti told Chalkbeat in an email.

A large crowd gathered to protest conditions in Detroit Public Schools during a rally on Jan. 11, 2016, in Detroit.

Since he took the helm, Vitti has focused on tackling the widespread problem — and some teachers say they have seen the changes.

Russell, the math teacher at King High School, has seen improvements since she returned to the district in 2018. While she used to be met with silence when trying to get problems in her classroom resolved, the current administration is more responsive, she said.

“They do a better job of trying to maintain issues,” she said.

She’s happy that the district recently broke ground on a new building for Cody High, where she worked a year before the sick-outs began.

Chacker, who now teaches at Bunche Preparatory Academy, is excited to have enough books for her class now, but the lack of air conditioning in her building is still a hindrance.

“The problem is that we started in such an egregious place,” said Chacker. “There’s a lot of improvement needed and still so far to go as far as getting to the standard our peers in the suburbs are enjoying.”

Funding continues to be an obstacle, Vitti said, because the state funding model doesn’t earmark dollars for school infrastructure, which “indirectly requires districts to either take funding from the general fund” or apply additional local taxes. Federal funds received by the district cannot be used for that purpose. (The COVID relief dollars used for the $700 million plan were one-time funds.)

Vitti said he wants to see more equitable state funding to help close the gap.

“DPSCD receives $10,050 per pupil as the minimum, other districts have as high as over $13,000 per student,” he said of state funding. “This difference results in gaps as large as $168 [million] annually.”

Last week, Vitti presented a new proposal to use $79.4 million in surplus funding to demolish 11 buildings, board up 11 properties, build an athletic complex at the former Cooley High School, re-pave parking lots at 36 schools, improve fencing at 28 schools, and replace the roof at Charles Wright Academy, among other items.

Vitti said the district will continue to recommend shifting unspent funds to one-time building improvements.

“When we have extra surplus funding, we know exactly where to invest whether it is in roofs, windows. HVAC, masonry, fences, paving, or football fields,” he said.

Chacker said the protests were an important moment in the history of the district because teachers shared a unified message that the status quo was no longer tenable.

“It set standards for how students should be treated,” she said. “Before that, we got a blatant no when it came to money even if schools weren’t safe.”

Detroit teachers: We want to know more about the state of your classrooms and schools. Reach out to us at detroit.tips@chalkbeat.org and tell us your stories.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Advocates again ask the Detroit district to recognize Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr

2026-01-14T23:46:08+00:00

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Students, educators, and advocates are renewing calls for the Detroit school district’s calendar to recognize the Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr.

The district’s failure to observe the holiday in its academic calendar makes it difficult for Muslim students to celebrate without the stress of catching up on missed schoolwork or tests, speakers said during public comment at the Detroit Public Schools Community District’s board meeting Tuesday night. The group asked the board to adopt a 2026-27 calendar without any classes scheduled on the holiday.

“There is a lack of representation for the religious holidays for the Muslim students who are a part of this community,” said Nabila Wahid, a recent graduate of Cass Technical High School, during public comment.

Superintendent Nikolai Vitti addressed the speakers to say the district will revisit the idea of adding the holiday to the calendar each year.

Metro Detroit is home to one of the country’s largest Muslim populations. Other districts in the area, including Hamtramck and Dearborn, take the day off from class for the holiday every year.

Though the district did recognize the holiday once in its calendar, in 2022, union negotiations and considerations for extending the school year derailed plans for continued observance.

Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, a month of communal fasting and prayer for Muslims. The holiday includes celebrations, meals with family, and prayer. The holiday falls on a different day each year because it is based on the Islamic lunar calendar.

This year, Eid is expected to begin around the night of March 18. The holiday lasts 24 hours, though celebrations may continue for up to three days.

Recent DPSCD graduates Nabila Wahid and Moriym Begum listen to public comment during the DPSCD board meeting Tuesday night.

Moriyum Begum, a 2025 graduate of the Detroit International Academy for Young Women, said students who miss school for the holiday won’t receive the district’s perfect attendance incentive for that week.

Religious observances are generally considered excused absences in the district, and students are given time to make up work.

The incentive, which pays students $100 gift cards in five-day cycles in an effort to curb absenteeism, will continue through the week of March 16.

“There still hasn’t been any communication on this matter from any faculty member or the district,” Begum said during the meeting.

A couple of months ago, MI Students Dream created an online petition calling Vitti and the board to put the holiday back on the calendar next year. As of Wednesday afternoon, 970 people had signed it.

The group also successfully lobbied for the Detroit Federation of Teachers to add a survey question about whether observing the holiday was a bargaining priority for members

Eid al-Fitr observance hinges on calendar negotiations with DFT

For years, students have asked DPSCD to recognize Eid.

The board voted for the first time to add Eid to its 2019-20 calendar. Days after the vote, members of the Detroit Federation of Teachers threatened to take action because they said the calendar violated their contract and prioritized standardized testing. After the backlash, the district revoked the proposed calendar.

Students again objected to the calendar not recognizing Eid al-Fitr in 2020-21. Board members and Vitti acknowledged the students’ complaints, but cited several barriers to including it.

After a student-led campaign and widespread community outreach, the district and the DFT agreed to observe it in 2021-22. In 2022-23, the holiday began on a Friday evening, so it was not included in the district calendar.

In 2023-24, union negotiations again hindered the observance because of objections to extending the school year later into the summer, Vitti said at last night’s meeting.

At the time, district spokesperson Chrystal Wilson told Chalkbeat that DPSCD would ensure any student absent for a religious holiday not recognized by the calendar would be excused and given time to catch up on missed assignments.

Lindsey Matson, deputy director of youth organizing for nonprofit 482Forward, said during public comment a student she worked with had to complete all of her finals in one day so she could take Eid off.

“She really feels like she didn’t get the score that she would have gotten had she been able to spread that out,” she said.

Begum said her sister, who attends Cass, skipped Eid celebrations last year to take her finals.

Vitti told the speakers during the meeting the district will adjust the final exam schedules if the holiday falls on the dates in the future.

Last year, Eid began the evening of March 30 and continued through March 31, which was a school day.

Valerie Ortiz Sanchez, a junior at Cass, said she has advocated for the calendar change for years for her many Muslim friends and peers.

“We have to all be treated equally,” she said after the meeting. “It’s not fair seeing my friends struggle and not getting justice.

Ortiz Sanchez said she’s emailed board members and the district administrators about the issue multiple times, but has not heard anything back.

During Tuesday’s meeting, two DFT members showed support for the calendar change next school year.

Begum and Wahid are hopeful that DPSCD will observe the holiday again.

“It’s not fair that other school districts around the area get the holiday off,” Begum said. “And it is not fair that we should be sacrificing our time over school. I really hope that we can get this.”

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Micah Walker is a reporter for BridgeDetroit. She can be reached at mwalker@bridgedetroit.com.

Detroit students have a chance to earn up to $1,000 for attending school again this year

2026-01-13T20:43:51+00:00

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Nearly half of all high schoolers in the Detroit district were paid for their attendance last year as part of an effort to reduce high rates of chronic absenteeism.

The Detroit Public Schools Community District has continued the initiative this year after seeing an improvement in both daily attendance and chronic absenteeism.

“I believe the incentive did make a positive impact on high school student attendance,” Superintendent Nikolai Vitti told Chalkbeat in an email this week.

Average daily attendance for high schoolers increased by 2.6 percentage points last year, Vitti said, while chronic absenteeism declined by 7.4 percentage points.

More than 7,300 students got a $200 Visa gift card at least once last year from the district for showing up to each class every school day in a 10-day cycle from January to March in 2025. Some students received the incentive more than once. More than 14,300 students enrolled in high school in DPSCD in the 2024-25 school year, state records show.

Around $4 million in gift cards were given to students.

Here is a break down of how many students received incentives each cycle last year:

3,657 students had perfect attendance during the first cycle.
3,873 students had perfect attendance during the second cycle.
4,928 students had perfect attendance during the third cycle.
4,683 students had perfect attendance during the fourth cycle.
4,035 students had perfect attendance during the fifth cycle.

The initiative began as part of the district’s efforts to curb chronic absenteeism, defined as a student missing 10% or more of the school days in a year.

The winter and early spring months were chosen for the incentive, Vitti said, because attendance tends to drop in inclement weather and after winter break.

In 2024-25, more than 60% of DPSCD students were considered chronically absent – a nearly 5 percentage point decrease compared to the year before. It was also the first year since the pandemic that the rate was lower compared to pre-COVID years.

State data shows DPSCD and other districts with the most to overcome are outpacing the rest of Michigan when it comes to reducing chronic absenteeism.

DPSCD, where 84% of students come from low-income families, and other districts like it in the state have long experienced high rates of chronic absenteeism due to systemic barriers, such as housing instability, a lack of accessible transportation, and health concerns.

The district’s multilayered approach to improving attendance over the years has included boosting wraparound services, concentrating attendance agents in schools with the most absenteeism, and hiring more academic interventionists, among other efforts.

When the financial incentive was initially introduced to the district’s school board, some members questioned whether the investment would pay off.

Studies on attendance incentives suggest the practice may have small effects, if any, because researchers said the programs did not address demotivating factors like unsafe routes to school.

Student Mariah Cohens stands in the hallway of Pershing High School.

Mariah Cohens, a 17-year-old Pershing High School student, said she didn’t get the incentive last year. Mental health issues sometimes keep her from coming to school, the teen said.

“Sometimes you just need a break,” said Cohens.

This year, $100 gift cards will be given for perfect attendance in five-day cycles. The district changed the length of the payment cycles this year based on student feedback, Vitti said at a recent board meeting.

The incentive began last week and will continue through the week of March 16, giving students the opportunity to earn up to $1,000.

The first payments will go out to students on Jan. 23.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Buses, safety: Students at Pershing High tell Mayor Sheffield how she can help

2026-01-09T22:31:19+00:00

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Mayor Mary Sheffield made Pershing High School the first stop after her public swearing-in ceremony on Friday.

The stop at the Detroit Public Schools Community District’s neighborhood school reflected her campaign promise to focus her term on initiatives that will improve the lives of young people.

Lines of cheerleaders and a hallway booming with applause greeted Sheffield. As students and adults clamored to point their cellphone cameras at the mayor when she walked in, girls talked to each other about how excited they were to meet the city’s first female mayor.

“I’m very grateful to be in the presence of such a person,” said senior Neveah Washington.

Sheffield, who was sworn in during a private ceremony on Jan. 1, spent 30 minutes with nearly 90 students in the school’s library. She talked about partnering with the city’s schools to address systemic issues that affect the quality of students’ education, from improving city transportation to offering more after-school programming and wraparound services.

DeAngelo Allen, left, and Darnell Miller, right, listen to Sheffield talk about her policy priorities.

The mayor said she also wants to give youth reasons to stay in Detroit, such as more career opportunities and affordable housing.

Though the mayor does not have control over schools, Sheffield told the students, “that does not mean that the mayor cannot be a great partner, that we cannot be visible and hands-on with our youth – and that is what I intend to do.”

Education became a key issue in the mayor’s race as more advocates pushed for the office to address underlying systemic challenges that contribute to poor academic performance and chronic absenteeism in the city’s schools.

Superintendent Nikolai Vitti told the students that Sheffield’s presence at the school reflects her interest in investing in opportunities that will benefit neighborhood schools.

“Being here at Pershing, being here at DPSCD, in a traditional public school, and a neighborhood school on the east side, all of that is intentional,” he said. “If we don’t have strong neighborhood schools, you can’t have a strong city.”

Sheffield told the students she is creating the city’s first youth department. Jerjuan Howard, the city’s new director of youth affairs, said each department in the mayor’s office will make a “youth priority statement” to detail how decisions may affect young people.

“What that means is that you all will be at the center of decision making for anything the city is talking about moving forward,” he said. “No other city in the nation has done this yet.”

Sheffield talked to the students one-on-one and collected their written questions.

DeAngelo Allen, a junior who takes a city bus to school every day, asked Sheffield how she will improve the city’s transportation. Allen said he is often late to school because the buses he relies on either come far earlier or later than their scheduled times.

The teen said he feels like he has to be vigilant about safety when he rides the bus.

“You have to watch your surroundings,” he said. “You see some pretty disturbing stuff.”

Mac Sconi, 17, asked Sheffield how she will address safety concerns – an issue many students say affects their ability to learn and get to school.

The teen said he was optimistic about the response he got from the mayor after she expressed she would take a holistic approach to improving safety with crime prevention programs. The city’s new neighborhood and community safety office will promote long-term solutions like mental health and conflict resolution programs, Sheffield added.

Mac Sconi, center, asks Sheffield how she will make Detroit a safer place for youth.

“There’s a lot of things right now that are threatening the safety of our students,” Sconi said. “It’s something that needs to be addressed, because what is the importance of anything if we are not safe?”

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Detroit district stands to lose $2.2 million in state funding for low daily attendance last year

2025-12-19T22:23:14+00:00

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Detroit’s school superintendent wants legislators to change a state law that mandates penalties for not meeting daily attendance requirements as the district faces millions in fines.

The Detroit Public Schools Community District will lose $2.2 million in state funding for not reaching a 75% attendance threshold multiple days last year, according to the Michigan Department of Education. Superintendent Nikolai Vitti told Chalkbeat the law disproportionately punishes schools in communities with high concentrations of poverty and creates more funding inequities.

He said the fines punish the district for attendance issues rooted in systemic challenges, such as housing instability, lack of transportation, health concerns. Ultimately, it takes away money that could be used to support students in need, he said.

Many school building closures also have been caused by the city’s aging infrastructure, which are beyond the district’s control or ability to fix, the superintendent added.

“It’s a policy that punishes the symptoms while making the underlying condition worse,” said Vitti.

Under the State School Aid Act, districts can lose state funding if less than 75% of enrolled students attend school on any day of instruction. The state superintendent can waive the fines in some situations, such as severe storms or epidemics.

The MDE calculates the fines based on the amount of annual state funding allocated to each district and the percentage school systems fall short of reaching 75% attendance per day. Districts that receive more state funding stand to lose more in fines.

Bob Wheaton, the MDE’s director of public and governmental affairs, said the agency and its auditors are obligated to enforce the daily attendance penalties. All districts in the state are subject to the fines, regardless of student demographics, he added.

When asked if the law is intended to address chronic absenteeism, Wheaton said the percentage of students in attendance on a school day is a different data point than chronic absenteeism rates, which represent how many students miss 10% or more of all days in a school year.

“While chronic absenteeism remains a serious concern for the state, the calculation of chronic absenteeism originates from federal and accountability reporting requirements and is monitored through separate data systems and processes,” he said.

State records show DPSCD fell below the attendance threshold 11 days last school year. Initially, the district faced more than $6.8 million in fines. However, the number was reduced to $2.2 million, according to the MDE, because the district reported absences at one school that went beyond the state’s 180 instructional day requirement.

“We were fortunate; the reduction was only possible only due to a unique circumstance at the specific building that was affected,” said Vitti. “Had the same situation occurred at nearly any other school in our district, we’d still be facing the full $6.8 million.”

So far this year, Vitti said DPSCD has fallen below 75% daily attendance twice.

But, “our challenges typically accrue throughout the year; during the winter months when students face additional barriers getting to school due to weather, and at the end of the year when attendance drops,” he said.

State records showed 142 traditional public school districts and charter schools were initially identified as facing potential fines for last school year’s attendance rates. A final tally was not immediately available from the MDE this week.

The Detroit district, where 84% of students come from low-income families, has long had high rates of chronic absenteeism.

In recent years, the district has significantly reduced the rate with a multilayered approach.

“We’re investing heavily in attendance agents, health hubs, home visits, parent engagement, mental health services; all the wraparound supports that actually move the needle on attendance,” said Vitti.

Last year was the first time students in the district were chronically absent at a lower rate compared to pre-pandemic years. Still, more than 60% of students missed too much school.

The statewide absenteeism rate was higher in 2024-25 than before the COVID pandemic, at nearly 28%.

As Michigan struggles to reduce absenteeism, recent data suggests districts with the most to overcome, like DPSCD, are outpacing the rest of the state in improving attendance.

At a November policy committee meeting, Vitti said this year was the first since he became superintendent in 2017 that the attendance penalty has been enforced for the district.

According to Wheaton, 2020-21 was the only year the penalty was not implemented in the state due to COVID.

In 2023-24, Wheaton said only one district faced a fine, but it was waived once it was verified there was an error in the attendance data.

“That said, it’s common for somewhere between 35 and 50 districts to be initially identified,” said Wheaton.

Vitti told board members at the November committee meeting that the district should begin lobbying legislators to change the law.

“Taking millions from schools doesn’t get a single additional child to school,” he told Chalkbeat “It just means we have that much less to help them get there.”

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Here’s how the Detroit district spent nearly $32 million of its literacy lawsuit funds last year

2025-12-17T22:40:39+00:00

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Last year, the Detroit school district spent about $32 million from its literacy lawsuit settlement to hire more staff to support students learning to read, reduce class sizes in early grades, and pay for tutoring.

Some of the investments are already paying off, said officials in the Detroit Public Schools Community District, or DPSCD. Students in classrooms with academic interventionists and kids who read with in-school tutors showed more improvement on average on the district’s literacy assessments than their peers, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said during a board finance committee meeting in November.

The district’s spending on those initiatives account for about one-third of a one-time $94.4 million settlement in the 2016 federal “right to read” civil rights lawsuit.

The lawsuit alleged Michigan’s longtime funding inequities led to bleak and unsafe conditions in Detroit schools, including vermin infestation, overcrowding, and leaking sewage. The complaint said the alarming state of schools in the city denied children “access to the most basic building block of education: literacy.”

The state settled the lawsuit in 2020 and allocated the money to DPSCD three years later. Last school year was the first in the district’s three-year plan to use the funding to improve literacy instruction, intervention, and proficiency.

The district’s plan for the money is based on recommendations made by a task force and input from community meetings.

The largest chunk of the district’s settlement spending last year went toward efforts to teach students in K-3 to read.

“The idea was investing there to narrow the achievement gap, because it’s the narrowest at the early grades, and to get kids to where they need to be as soon as possible,” said Vitti.

Results on recent state standardized testing suggest those efforts worked.

The percentage of DPSCD third graders who met or exceeded proficiency in English language arts on the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress, or M-STEP, reached an 11-year high in the 2024-25 school year.

The district’s overall proficiency rates, however, still lag far behind the statewide averages.

Last spring, 15.4% of students in grades 3-8 in the district scored proficient or above in English language arts. The statewide average was 38.9%.

Ida Short, a board member, asked Vitti at the committee meeting what the district can do to get students caught up to grade level more quickly.

Vitti said the greatest challenge in closing achievement gaps is chronic absenteeism, defined as a student missing 10% or more of days in a school year.

Last year, more than 60% of students in the district were chronically absent. DPSCD has reduced that rate below pre-pandemic levels, though it remains higher than the statewide average.

Here is a breakdown of how the district has invested the settlement funding so far:

The school system spent $17.3 million to hire 267 additional literacy academic interventionists to work with students in small groups and in K-2 classrooms. Students in classrooms that had interventionists showed more improvement on district assessments over the last two years than peers with similar previous scores, according to DPSCD.
In order to reduce K-3 class sizes, the district spent $4.6 million to hire 44 additional teachers. The largest improvements on assessments were not associated with the most dramatic reductions in class sizes, Vitti said.
Forty-three additional teachers were hired with $4.5 million so that teacher leaders could leave some classroom responsibilities to focus on coaching other educators at their schools. Of the 216 teacher leaders in DPSCD last year, 77 led K-8 English language arts classes while also coaching other educators. According to the district, students taught by teacher leaders were somewhat more likely to meet their goals in learning to read compared to their peers.
Around $2.5 million was spent to hire more multilingual academic interventionists to work with students who were not fluent English speakers. The district also spent $1.1 million to expand an existing newcomer program at Western International High School and establish one at Harms Elementary School. State proficiency assessment results show more English learners met language acquisition goals last year compared to previous years.
This school year, the district will spend $1.8 million on merit pay for educators whose schools or classrooms reached ambitious literacy goals.
The district spent $240,000 for 150 Let’s Read tutors to read with first and second graders. The program previously existed in the district, however, the settlement funds allowed the district to serve about 423 students – up from fewer than 50 in previous years. The funds allowed the district to offer tutors stipends of $2,500, as well as provide more training and curricular tools. Last year, more students who participated in Let’s Read met their goals in learning to read compared to their peers, according to DPSCD, but there was little difference in their proficiency levels at the end of the year.
DPSCD spent $230,000 to offer free after-school online tutoring to students in all grades for six weeks to prepare for end-of-year testing. According to the district, high schoolers who got the tutoring had better PSAT/SAT scores on average than their peers.
The district spent $270,000 to create Parent Academy sessions focused on literacy to help parents encourage their kids to read at home. Parents got $25 stipends for attending up to 15 sessions, with nearly 900 parents from 89 schools participating.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Detroit school district increases staff to keep up with special education evaluation demands

2025-12-10T22:30:31+00:00

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To keep up with a growing demand for special education evaluations, the Detroit school district will spend $9 million more than expected this school year to staff additional school psychologists and speech language pathologists.

The extra funds, which were approved by the school board Tuesday night, will be added to an existing $13.5 million contract approved in June and cover higher hourly rates offered at the start of the academic year to fill open positions.

The Detroit Public Schools Community District increased the pay after the original contract was approved to match private sector rates as part of an effort to retain staff in the hard-to-fill positions. The contract with outside providers allows the district to supplement its full-time special education staff with specialists.

Delays in evaluating students to determine whether they need special education services have persisted in the district and across the state for years, advocates and educators say.

Evaluations are a critical first step in assessing the needs of students with disabilities before they may be given an individualized education program, or IEP, which spells out what accommodations they are entitled to under federal law.

The district has made progress filling vacancies of school social workers, occupational therapists, and physical therapists in recent years, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said at a finance committee meeting last month.

But vacancies for psychologists and speech-language pathologists affected the district’s ability to quickly evaluate students.

Evaluations may require teams of various specialists. Psychologists may help evaluate students with classroom observation, testing, and interviews. Speech-language pathologists may conduct assessments in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

Contracting with outside providers to fill those positions has improved the district’s evaluation process, according to the school system.

“This is a positive in moving into greater compliance with evaluations and direct support to students,” said Vitti of the contract increase.

With the pay increases, the district hired 71 psychologists and 45 speech-language pathologists in hourly positions this school year — more than double the previous year, according to the district.

Of the full-time and contracted positions, there is currently only one vacancy for a psychologist and four for speech-language pathologists, Vitti said at Tuesday’s board meeting.

There are also unfilled positions for six physical therapists and 12 occupational therapist positions, said Vitti, adding the number was “too high.”

All special education social worker positions are staffed, according to the district.

Last school year, there were more than 7,100 students with disabilities identified in the district, making up nearly 15% of the school system’s enrollment. Numbers for this school year are not yet available.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Detroit district will send letter in support of four students detained by ICE

2025-12-10T02:53:18+00:00

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As four students seeking asylum in the U.S. remained in federal immigration custody Tuesday night, dozens of community members asked Detroit school officials to do more to protect newcomers.

All four of the students went to Western International High School in Southwest Detroit.

Before public comment began at the Detroit Public Schools Community District board meeting, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said the district and the board would release a statement calling for the students’ release.

“These continue to be troubling times for the district and our immigrant population,” Vitti said. “We do advocate for our federal government to find better uses of its time and resources to attack the real problems in our society and not immigrant populations.”

Vitti said the district will continue to work with advocacy groups to support the students and will distribute information to students about their rights.

He said immigration officials have not attempted to enter district property.

Many at the meeting said the letter wasn’t enough. They want the district to take a harder stance against immigration enforcement. Among their demands were mandatory staff training, safer transportation, and counseling for students with immigration concerns.

“It’s time to stop being scared,” Heidi West, a teacher at Academy of the Americas, said to the board. “Speak up strongly and publicly.”

There have been at least five DPSCD students detained by ICE in the months since federal immigration enforcement ramped up in the second Trump administration.

‘Shattered dreams’ for students detained by ICE

All four students had pending court dates in asylum cases, said Christine Sauvé, manager of policy and communication at the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center.

Mor Ba, a 19-year-old who came to the U.S. without any family from Senegal in April, graduated from Western International last month.

The night before his detention, Ba filled out college applications, Adja Ndoye of the Detroit-based African Bureau for Immigrants and Social Affairs said. Ba planned to study mechanical engineering.

“He was already going around and asking about apprenticeships,” said Ndoye. “He had his goals set on how to make a new life. I think he was thriving. He was the embodiment of the American dream.”

On Nov. 26, police stopped Ba and blocked his vehicle in search of another person, Ndoye said. The teen, who was on his way to work, provided the officers his identification to confirm he was not the person they were looking for, but was still taken into custody, she said.

Ba is being held at the Northlake Correctional Facility in Baldwin about three and half hours north of Detroit, ICE records show. He had a pending asylum case with a court date scheduled for early next year, Ndoye said.

Dozens of people turned out at the Detroit Public Schools Community District meeting on Tuesday to call for district officials to do more to support students with immigration concerns.

On Sunday, Santiago Jesus Zamora Perez, a 17-year-old in 11th grade from Venezuela, was taken into ICE custody, according to Kristen Schoettle, one of his Western International teachers.

The teen and his mother were reportedly pulled over by police in Fraser for driving under the speed limit, Sauvé said.

Zamora Perez is a star baseball player with good grades and aspirations of playing in college, according to his teachers.

Kerly Mariangel Sosa Rivero and Antony Janier Peña Sosa, 16-year-old cousins who came to the U.S. in 2023 from Venezuela were taken into immigration custody on Nov. 20. with two of their parents. Federal agents raided their home on the eastside of Detroit while the family slept, attorney George Washington said at a recent protest outside of Western International. The agents were searching for another person.

Sosa Rivero, an 11th grader, plays volleyball, shared alternative indie rock music with her teacher, and looked forward to attending college.

Peña Sosa, in 10th grade, plays the violin, excelled in Advanced Placement art class, and was quickly learning English, according to his teachers.

The three students under 18 were sent to facilities in Texas, Sauvé said.

Maykol Bogoya-Duarte, an 18-year-old who attended Western International, was detained by ICE in May. He was deported to Colombia, where he was born, in June.

Boyoga-Duarte, who arrived in the U.S. at 16, was only 3.5 credits away from graduating. He was working to get the travel documents he needed to return to Colombia before his arrest.

Teachers want more resources, training

Educators and advocates have been vocal in recent months demanding the district offer know-your-rights training, more counseling, and safer transportation options for students with immigration concerns.

Last month, dozens of people asked the board to update its 2019 “Sanctuary District” policy and train all of its staff in protocols around interacting with ICE. The board did not take any action.

Alexander Cintron, director of the newcomer program at Western International, told Chalkbeat that attendance is being impacted by fears of ICE. “It’s also affecting students’ grades and mental health,” he said.

There is “an undercurrent of despair and anxiety” in students who are immigrants, a teacher of one of the detained students said. The teacher asked for anonymity out of concern about retribution from the district.

“How do you teach someone who had family members yanked from them?” the educator said. “How can I address their constant worries about being stopped at a park by immigration while trying to meet their educational needs?”

Schoettle said she lost around 20 students this year due to immigration issues.

“I had about eight more tell me they wanted to leave today,” she said during Tuesday’s meeting.

Sauvé said schools can play a pivotal role in sharing information. The nonprofit released best practices for schools in February.

“We get so many calls from teachers who say they’re not hearing information from their leadership,” she said.

Seydi Sarr, founder of ABISA, asked district officials to meet with parents of English learners and use their resources to help them advocate to state lawmakers.

“We want you to wield the power that you have to make sure we have a real impact,” she said.

Other speakers asked for the board to meet with English language teachers, a legal support hotline, make it clear educators can give out “Know Your Rights” cards to students, more public condemnation of immigration enforcement from board members, and for the district to support students’ right to protest.

Board members did not address the speakers when public comment ended.

Once the meeting adjourned, some attendees yelled at the board for not responding to their concerns.

“What if it was your kids?” one said.

Corletta Vaughn, chair of the board, said after the meeting that the letter in support of the students would be posted publicly by the end of the week.

There were more than 7,400 English learners in the Detroit district last school year, making up more than 15% of all students.

Around 1,200 students were newcomers in DPSCD last year, meaning they have been in the U.S. for less than three years and are not fluent English speakers.

Western International serves more than half of the district’s high school newcomers.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Detroit district says these investments are helping growing population of English learners

2025-12-08T20:05:53+00:00

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Last year, the Detroit school district hired dozens of multilingual academic interventionists to work with a growing population of students who aren’t fluent in English.

Detroit Public Schools Community District Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said the $2.5 million effort, coupled with curriculum changes and virtual tutoring, has shown results.

More English learners in the district met growth targets on a national exam that tests how well they are picking up the language, according to recent state data.

More than 65% of English learners met or exceeded average growth in language acquisition on the ACCESS test – 8 percentage points higher compared to 2018-19, the year before the pandemic.

Statewide, that percentage remained nearly the same in that time period, at 70.9%.

“We understand that as more students with varying levels of English proficiency join our district, that proficiency performance on state assessments may not immediately reflect consistent growth,” Vitti told Chalkbeat in an email. “However, we anticipate increased academic outcomes each year in response to our strategic focus on targeted instruction and intervention for Multilingual learners.”

Though the exam results suggest a positive trend, some educators say there are still not enough certified teachers to educate the district’s growing population of English learners.

The district enrolled more than 7,400 English learners last school year, an increase of nearly 660 compared to the previous year. English learners now make up more than 15% of all students. That growth has come at a time when the district is looking to boost its enrollment after two decades of declines.

Teachers and community members have also urged the district in recent months to better support newcomers. As Detroit students and their family members have been detained and deported by federal immigration officials, community members asked the district to provide additional counseling services, know-your-rights training, and more transportation options for students.

The ACCESS test, created by the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s language development resource group WIDA, measures English proficiency in reading, listening, speaking, and writing. The tests, given to K-12 students who are identified as potential English learners, do not measure performance in core academic subject areas.

In Michigan, the tests are administered annually to monitor students’ progress learning English. Results only include students who have taken two or more consecutive assessments.

Average growth on the tests is based on the percentiles students fall into compared to their peers on previous tests.

The results also indicate how much English students know when they first enroll in a school district in the U.S.

Many newcomer students are enrolling in schools across the country with greater language needs than before the pandemic, test results show. That’s true in DPSCD, too.

In 2018-19, more than 11% of DPSCD English learners were proficient. Last year, less than 5% were.

There are many factors potentially influencing the trend, said Julie Sugarman, associate director for K-12 education research at the Migration Policy Institute.

“Anecdotally, we’ve heard that over the last 10 years or so more newcomers are coming to the U.S. with less formal education and more interrupted education in their home countries,” she said.

Research also indicates the pandemic disproportionately affected English learners.

Literacy lawsuit funds used to support newcomer programs

Parents, students, and advocates have long called on the Detroit district to provide better instruction for English learners.

Advocates have also pushed for the state to increase funding for educating English learners for years. Michigan historically ranks among the worst in the nation compared to the percentage of funding other states allocate to such initiatives.

The 2016 federal “right to read” civil rights lawsuit against Michigan alleged many English learners were left behind in the Detroit schools due to funding inequity.

Among the allegations, the complaint said there were no certified English as a second language teachers at Medicine and Community Health Academy at Cody, even though there were multiple students who did not speak or write English fluently.

Teachers at the school relied on other students who spoke Arabic to assist the English learners in their classrooms, according to court documents.

The lawsuit was settled for $94.4 million in 2020. Three years later, the money was allocated to DPSCD in the state education budget.

The district began using the funds to improve reading instruction and add support for struggling students last school year.

More than $1 million was used to hire additional staff for an existing newcomer program at Western International High School and to establish one at Harms Elementary School last year, according to the district.

The programs are meant to streamline services and provide more English language development coursework for students who have been in the U.S. less than three years and are not fluent in the language.

Last year, the district adopted a new English language development curriculum, which is designed to “promote growth in listening, reading, speaking, and writing while also preparing students to demonstrate their English skills on the WIDA assessment,” Vitti said.

“Simultaneously, the curriculum introduces students to school culture in the United States by frontloading needed vocabulary to engage in daily activities,” Vitti added.

Multilingual students were also offered high-impact virtual English as a second language tutoring last year, said Vitti.

More than 1,243 students in the district qualified for the newcomer program in 2024-25, according to officials. Of those students, 216 attended Harms or Western International.

Around $2.5 million paid to staff 58 multilingual academic interventionists at 15 schools. The interventionists supported classroom teachers by adapting lessons for English learners and gave targeted instruction to small groups of students with language barriers.

Last year, the district employed about one interventionist for every 110 English learners, according to DPCSD. The goal is to have one interventionist for every 42 English learners.

The interventionists are required to have a bachelor’s degree, a minimum of three years of experience working with students, and evidence of coursework in math, English language arts, science or bilingual education.

The qualifications are different from those of certified teachers endorsed to teach English learners.

Kristen Schoettle, a teacher at Western International, said the interventionists’ work may be beneficial, but their time with students is not a substitute for the minutes they should have with an educator certified to teach English.

“They might be in a classroom helping translate something, but their focus isn’t on students learning English,” she said.

Michigan’s new requirements for teaching English learners

This year, Michigan schools will have to follow specific requirements for teaching English learners in order to receive certain state funding.

The law includes a framework for how many minutes of language acquisition instruction students must get from teachers endorsed in English as a second language or bilingual education based on their proficiency.

Many districts, including DPSCD, will likely have to hire or train more staff to meet the mandated minimums. School systems without enough endorsed teachers to meet the requirements must have a plan to acquire the staff in four years or less, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

DPSCD used some of its settlement money to offer tuition assistance for teachers to get English as a second language endorsements.

“ESL certified District staff has significantly increased due to our established partnerships, who provide alternative pathways for ESL/Bilingual endorsements,” said Vitti.

In the spring, the district spent $50,000 for certification courses for 10 teachers. Four of the teachers are now certified. A total of 48 teachers are working on the endorsement this school year, according to DPSCD.

The district also offered a $5,000 retention bonus to keep endorsed staff at schools whose student bodies are made up of 50% or more English learners. For new teachers with endorsements, a recruitment bonus of $2,500 was offered.

“These incentives and initiatives continue to bolster staffing ratios towards the new MDE guidelines,” said Vitti.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Few students ride yellow buses in pilot at 2 Detroit high schools

2025-11-21T22:53:30+00:00

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The Detroit school district began offering yellow bus service to students at two high schools this year in an effort to improve attendance. But three months into the school year, few students are hopping on the buses.

At the start of the year, about five high schoolers were riding each of the eight buses in the pilot program, despite efforts by the Detroit Public Schools Community District to notify students and families of the new option, officials said during a community meeting this month. On average, 15 students now ride on each bus every day.

The district is investigating ways to increase ridership, Machion Jackson, a deputy superintendent overseeing transportation, said during the meeting. Colder weather in the coming months and potential adjustments to bus stops draw more students, she said.

“We have significantly increased ridership, and we’re hoping to (continue) to do so,” she said.

DPSCD officials did not respond to requests about the cost of bus pilot or answer questions related to the program.

The pilot program began as an experiment to improve attendance at two schools with high rates of chronic absenteeism. Officials chose Henry Ford High School and East English Village Preparatory Academy at Finney, which had absence rates of 82% and 77% respectively in the 2024-25 school year.

The district’s overall rate was 60.9%.

Students are considered to be chronically absent if they miss 10% or more of days in a school year.

Currently, the district does not provide yellow bus service to most high school students. Exceptions are made in some cases, including for students with disabilities and those experiencing homelessness. Around 1,400 high schoolers rode yellow buses so far this school year, according to numbers presented at the community meeting.

City buses are the main mode of transportation for most Detroit high schoolers. So far this school year, more than 3,780 high schoolers got free city bus passes from DPSCD.

Small vehicle transportation, passenger van rides, and gas card reimbursements from the district also help get kids to school.

Why aren’t more students riding yellow buses?

Both Henry Ford and East English enrolled more than 600 students in 2024-25, meaning an average of around 10% of students at each school are riding the pilot buses each day.

Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said at a board meeting last month the pilot is “not having a scaled impact” on chronic absenteeism at either school. There may be a positive effect on attendance for individual students, he added.

The district has offered student incentives to boost ridership on the pilot buses.

The pilot is plugged during daily announcements in the schools, through lunchtime engagement sessions, and robocalls to parents.

The four pilot buses make between 35 and 42 stops on their routes, Jackson said.

“We chose the stops based on kind of like a heat map,” she said. “We looked at the density of where the majority of the students who attend those schools live in a neighborhood feeder pattern where they lived, and we strategically placed stops so that those students would not have to walk far.”

Anthony Peete, a student representative on the board who attends Henry Ford, said last month that his classmates don’t find the yellow buses convenient.

Some students said they had to walk farther to the yellow bus stop than for the city bus. Others didn’t know how to check where the bus route went, he said.

Vitti said the district should look at ridership numbers again in January and consider whether the pilot should continue.

The district could expand transportation services with additional state funding that was not anticipated in the district’s adopted budget, Vitti said, adding that he would recommend paying for ride shares for small groups of students rather than adding more yellow buses.

The district allocated more than $57.2 million for transportation in its budget for 2025-26 – an increase of nearly $5 million compared to the year before.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Detroit school district agrees to controversial waiver to get state mental health and safety funding

2025-11-14T23:12:03+00:00

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The Detroit school district’s board voted this week to share privileged information with the state if a mass casualty event occurs in order to receive $7.2 million in state funding – a move many other Michigan school leaders are objecting to.

This year’s state education budget added a condition to dollars local districts can use to pay for mental health support, intervention for at-risk students, and school safety measures. In order to get the money, districts must agree to disclose information that would otherwise be legally protected in deadly emergencies, such as school shootings. Districts must also agree to comprehensive state investigations.

Districts have until Nov. 30 to approve the waiver and apply for the per-pupil funds.

The waiver comes after parents of Oxford High School students killed in 2021 pushed for a state investigation of the district’s alleged failure to prevent the shootings. Though an independent investigation found multiple failures by school officials, many employees did not participate in the review.

Michigan’s government immunity laws shield educational institutions from liability in lawsuits, unless a high threshold of gross negligence can be proven. The laws can also protect institutions’ employees. Without immunity, school employees could be held legally and financially liable for failing to prevent deaths.

There has been a movement in Michigan to lower the threshold for negligence and take away immunity from schools that do not properly follow emergency operations plans.

In addition to the Detroit Public Schools Community District, the Lansing School District also approved the waiver.

DPSCD Superintendent Nikolai Vitti told Chalkbeat in an email that the district had concerns about the conditions, but it “could not afford to walk away from $7.2M dollars that assist in funding our contracted nurses and mental health for students, and full time security employees at schools.”

He added that “losing that funding would have had a direct negative impact on our students.”

Twenty-two districts and 11 regional educational service agencies sued the state this week, challenging the constitutionality of the waiver attached to the funding.

The complaints, filed in federal and state courts, request emergency relief by the end of the month. The plaintiffs argue the law could force schools to give up funding for counselors, social workers, and security infrastructure.

“The provision imposes an unconstitutional condition by leveraging essential public funds in exchange for the waiver of fundamental individual rights,” the complaint reads.

Seven education organizations, including the Michigan Association of Superintendents and Administrators, asked the legislature in a letter last month to change the language of the bill to require districts to cooperate with investigations but allow them to preserve legal privileges.

The groups argued the waiver could prevent districts from discussing crisis responses in closed sessions and protecting records from being released to the public.

Leaders in other districts, such as Southfield Public Schools and Hazel Park Schools, opted to take more time to consult with attorneys at recent board meetings.

The state’s historic mental health and safety grants, created in 2022-23, were praised as a step to address school security issues in the aftermath of the Oxford shootings.

In DPSCD, the grants are used to continue nursing services that had been funded by now-expired federal COVID relief dollars. The dollars are also used to pay for contracted mental health support at all of its schools and to partially fund security guards and officers.

According to a fiscal analysis, the district would lose $5.5 million in grants this school year and an additional $2 million carrying over into 2026-27.

The Detroit school board voted unanimously at Tuesday night’s meeting to comply with the waiver and share all information with a governor-appointed investigator if there is a mass casualty event.

The board did not publicly discuss the waiver before the vote at the meeting.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

How to choose the best Detroit district exam or application school for your child

2025-11-13T20:53:15+00:00

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The first round of deadlines to apply for the Detroit district’s examination and application schools is fast approaching, and here’s what parents and students need to know about which schools could be the best fit and how to apply.

The Detroit Public Schools Community District’s competitive examination schools offer rigorous courses, specialized learning programs, and college dual enrollment. The district’s application schools, which focus more on career pathways and hands-on learning, have their own admissions requirements.

While some families automatically think of Cass Technical, Renaissance, or Martin Luther King Jr. Senior high schools as their top choices, parent and DPSCD board member Monique Bryant said they should consider all of the district’s schools based on their child’s interests.

Bryant, an alumni of Cass Tech, has a daughter who is a senior at the school as well as a son who attended Frederick Douglass Academy for Young Men and later Communication and Media Arts High School, both application schools.

Other Detroit application high schools are Davis Aerospace Technical High School, Academy of the Americas, Crockett Midtown High School of Science & Medicine, Detroit International Academy for Young Women, and Detroit School of Arts.

Cass, Renaissance, King, Southeastern High School, and The School at Marygrove are DPSCD’s exam schools.

The exam school testing window for this round of application closes Nov. 14. Applications are due Nov. 16. There will be another chance to apply for the next school year. The second application window begins Feb. 24 and ends May 1.

There will not be a third application window this year, according to the district.

What should I consider when choosing a school?

The most important consideration parents should make in selecting the best fit for their kids is transportation, Bryant said.

The district does not provide yellow bus service for most high school students. Some students have to travel hours on city buses to get to school.

“If you live 15 miles from the school your child wants to go to, what does that look like if you don’t have a car?” said Bryant.

The district has specific attendance requirements for students who want to attend schools outside of their neighborhood. Students must sign an acknowledgement that if they miss too many days, they will be required to attend their neighborhood school instead.

Students are considered chronically absent if they miss 10% or more of the days in a school year.

Parents and students should also consider post-graduation goals.

“Are they going to go to a four-year or two-year college, or are they going to learn a trade?” Bryant said. “If the experience doesn’t match what you have planned for post-secondary, you’re under a lot of pressure at an exam school when you could have gotten the same thing at a CTE program, a neighborhood school, or an application school and been way more career-ready.”

Bryant said parents should contact the district’s Family and Community Engagement department to learn more about the schools they are interested in and visit them.

Talking with parent engagement groups, attending open houses, going to an athletic game, or watching a choir performance are good ways to experience the school’s community and culture, she said.

How can my child apply to an exam school?

Five DPSCD high schools require students to take an admissions examination. The schools focus on college and career preparation.

Here are the district’s exam school options:

Cass Technical High School has 15 curricular pathways, five college dual enrollment partnerships, and more than 15 advanced placement courses.
Renaissance High School offers more than 20 AP courses and dual enrollment classes on college campuses.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Senior High School has specialized career pathway programs in math, science, and technology, computer information systems and commerce, sports marketing, management, medicine, and college preparatory liberal arts.
Southeastern High School has career pathways in business, information technology, advanced manufacturing and welding, and capstone projects for all grade levels.
The School at Marygrove is centered around social justice and offers service learning, a focus on engineering, and cooperative learning.

Eighth graders who want to enroll for ninth grade and current high schoolers in grades nine through 11 who want to transfer can apply.

Students’ applications are scored on a number of factors, including exam results, grade point average, and a writing sample. Acceptance also depends on available seats in each grade level.

Students’ performance on the High School Placement Test holds the most weight in scoring. The exam, which takes about two and a half hours, covers English language arts, reading comprehension, math, and science. Students can only take the test once per school year.

Grade point average is worth up to 35% of applicants’ total scores.

For current high schoolers who want to transfer to an exam school, students must be on track to graduate on time. Cass applicants must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5. For other exam schools, the cumulative GPA generally should be at least 2.8.

Students are required to write an essay about their goals, their strengths, and why they should be accepted.

Three references are also required. They may be teachers, coaches, principals, or other mentors.

Bonus points are given on the application score for current DPSCD students. Those applying for the School at Marygrove get extra points if they live within a certain distance from the school.

Students and parents can make appointments for one-on-one help with district staff to assist with applications. There are also webinars that help explain the process.

How can my child get into an application school?

Several of DPSCD’s specialty schools have separate application processes and admission requirements. The application high schools do not require students to take an entrance exam, and most do not have GPA requirements.

Most of the application high schools require two years of transcripts or report cards, recent standardized test scores, and references. Some require a recommendation letter and student interviews. Parents can learn more by visiting the district’s website.

The application deadline for the 2026-27 school year is Dec. 19.

Academy of the Americas is a dual language immersion school with a bilingual program in Spanish and English.
Crockett Midtown High School of Science & Medicine offers work-based learning and externship opportunities in science and medicine.
Communication and Media Arts High School has dual enrollment classes, AP courses, and lets students explore media opportunities such as podcasting.
Davis Aerospace Technical High School prepares students to test for their remote pilot’s license, has a competitive robotics team, and will soon start aviation classes at the Detroit City Airport.
Detroit International Academy for Young Women is the only all-girls public school in Michigan. It has career pathways in biomedical science and veterinary medicine with a focus on multicultural experiences.
Frederick Douglass Academy for Young Men is DPSCD’s only all-boy school. It focuses on teaching leadership and offers AP and honors courses.
Detroit School of Arts offers classes in dance, instrumental music, literary arts, multimedia production, visual arts, and vocal music.

The Detroit School of Arts requires in-person auditions as well as portfolios of prior work for some areas of study. The school requires a 2.5 GPA for students entering ninth grade, and a 3.0 is preferred for transfer students.

Academy of the Americas and Frederick Douglass only accept on-paper applications, which can be downloaded from the district’s website.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Teachers, community members ask Detroit district to update immigration sanctuary policy

2025-11-12T02:16:00+00:00

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Dozens of community members asked the Detroit school district on Tuesday night to update its sanctuary policy and train all staff on how to interact with immigration enforcement.

Speakers at the board meeting also asked the Detroit Public Schools Community District to protect students outside of school buildings and provide more transportation options for families with immigration concerns. Community members asked for in-school counseling for students at risk for immigration enforcement, referrals to legal services, and more resources for language acquisition classrooms.

Kristen Schoettle, an English language teacher at Western International High School, told the board DPSCD’s 2019 “Sanctuary District” policy needs to be updated.

“As we all know, a lot has changed since 2019,” she said. “We have to do more than simply say ICE isn’t allowed in school buildings.”

The concerns were raised as federal immigration agencies have ramped up enforcement, including arrests of parents and teens outside school buildings. Last week, a child care worker was dragged by federal agents from the Chicago center where she worked.

Though dozens showed up to address the districts’ policies around immigration concerns, the board asked for three representatives from the group to each speak for up to six minutes.

Some speakers ignored the board’s request and made additional comments in support of protecting immigrant students and families. The board did not stop them from speaking.

Chair Corletta Vaughn offered pamphlets on immigration resources to those at the meeting.

“You are not alone and we are 100% in support of all of our students and families,” said Vaughn.

The district’s sanctuary policy requires the superintendent’s office and general counsel to sign off before staff allow immigration agents with warrants to enter school property or access student data.

In January, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said the district would begin training principals, assistant principals, guidance counselors, attendance agents, and security guards on the protocols. Community members want all staff to be included.

“We want to know who has been officially trained,” said Heidi West, a teacher at Academy of the Americas. “Do our secretaries and security guards know what to do if ICE is right outside or trying to get in?”

West said she and many other staff members feel unprepared and want training.

“This is the very least we should be doing to be proactive and make sure everyone is protected,” she said.

Schoettle said other public school districts, including in Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles, have mandatory training for all staff, regular “Know Your Rights” presentations and in-school counseling.

Schoettle told Chalkbeat that better communication with bilingual families is needed in the district. A robo call sent out by the district last month intended to quell rumors about immigration actions in the community caused “chaos,” she said.

Schoettle said the call only went out in English and it was misinterpreted by families, creating confusion and fear. The next day, about 15% of her class was absent, she said.

Frank Espinosa, another teacher at Western International, asked the board to provide better transportation for undocumented students and families with mixed immigration status.

As the district explores ways to use additional state funding to get kids to school, Schoettle said DPSCD should invest in more ride shares for families with immigration fears.

“There are undocumented parents who risk their safety every day to take their kids to school,” she said.

Vitti responded to the speakers’ concerns Tuesday night, saying any changes to the sanctuary policy would have to be made by the board, adding he would assist them administratively.

No members of the board responded to the speakers’ concerns after the public comment.

The school system has enrolled more newcomers and English learners in recent years. Last school year, there were more than 7,400 English learners, which represented 15% of the district’s students.

Earlier this year, the Trump administration ended a policy that deemed schools and day cares “sensitive locations” protected from immigration enforcement.

The administration’s immigration enforcement policies and increased arrests have impacted Detroit families, prompting fear in neighborhoods and schools for months.

In June, hundreds gathered at a board meeting to ask school leaders to decry the immigration arrest of DPSCD student Maykol Bogoya-Duarte, an undocumented teen from Colombia. After hours of public comment, the board reversed course and made a statement asking for Maykol’s release.

Days later, he was deported.

At October’s DPSCD board meeting, Vitti responded to several people who asked the district to provide “Know Your Rights” immigration enforcement training for students.

“I’ve certainly heard today the need for training and information sessions for our families that are fearful of ICE,” he said during the meeting. “I’ll work with the team and legal counsel to determine what exactly we can and can’t do, but obviously, as a district, we want to do everything we can in support of our students and our families.”

Vitti added that the district has never been contacted by ICE or given information to the agency.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

BridgeDetroit reporter Micah Walker contributed to this story.

‘Detroit Horse Power has given me a family’: Students learn empathy, confidence through horsemanship

2025-10-31T19:27:13+00:00

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A muggy day in August marked a rite of passage for Sonia Singh: her first time taking the lead teaching a riding class.

“Stand up in your saddle for me and lean forward,” the recent Cass Technical High School graduate told a group of beginners. “You can brace your hands in the mane.”

It was day three of one of the nonprofit Detroit Horse Power’s summer camp sessions at Willowbrooke Farm in Plymouth, about a 45-minute van ride from Detroit for the students.

Singh, now 18, began participating in programs run by Detroit Horse Power as a high school freshman living in Southwest Detroit because it was the only opportunity she had to ride.

Sonia Singh adjusts the browband of a bridle on the horse 16-year-old student Joseph Board rode during a summer camp lesson.

Like Singh, many middle and high school students of color say Detroit Horse Power has given them opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have – gaining access to an equestrian world often dominated by white and wealthy riders – while learning social and emotional skills, such as empathy, confidence, and resilience.

That’s by design. The nonprofit, which runs free after-school programs and summer camps for disadvantaged youth in Detroit, created a curriculum for "equine-assisted learning," an experiential approach that uses interactions with horses to develop skills like communication, problem-solving, and self-awareness.

The practice is based on the principles of social and emotional learning, an educational method developed decades ago that teaches students life skills. In recent years, conservatives have portrayed social and emotional learning as a vehicle for introducing students to progressive concepts. Research suggests that students receive a wide range of benefits from it, including improvement in academic performance.

“Detroit Horse Power is somewhat unique in our approach to horses and youth development,” said David Silver, founder and executive director of the nonprofit.

Its curriculum is based on Silver’s experiences as a former classroom teacher in Detroit and a blend of research from various fields, he said.

The program currently runs out of partner barns in southeast Michigan, which are generally at least 45 minutes away from the city. During the school year, students, who are in middle and high school, spend most of their time in classrooms at the Marygrove Conservancy doing project-based social and emotional learning.

Left, Kaira Clanton, 19, leads school horse Shadow out of an indoor arena after a summer camp lesson. Right, Le’Airra Jones pets horse Benny as he sticks his head out of his stall.

They only get one day a month to ride and be around horses, in part due to the distance they must travel to the barns. At most, they get around 40 minutes of riding time a month.

During the school year, there are spots for up to 40 students. In the summer, around 100 students participate in camp sessions. There is a growing waitlist, Silver said.

More than 500 students have participated in Detroit Horse Power since it began a decade ago. Now, the nonprofit is poised to build the largest urban equestrian center in the U.S. around November 2026.

Other urban equestrian centers in Connecticut, New York, and Virginia offer horsemanship and riding opportunities to at-risk youth. Many offer therapeutic riding or programs for children with disabilities. Others focus on youth development, though their programming differs from Detroit Horse Power’s.

Construction recently began on Detroit Horse Power’s $14 million project on a 14-acre site on the corner of Fenkell Avenue and Linwood Street, which the nonprofit purchased from the Detroit school district. There are plans for stables for up to 17 horses, indoor and outdoor riding arenas, a bridle path, and 10,000 square feet for classrooms, offices, and community gathering space.

Philanthropic grants, donations, as well as funding from the state and Wayne County will allow the nonprofit to accept many more students, offer much more time in the saddle and around horses, and develop new learning opportunities, Silver said.

Summer campers listen as staff gives them instructions on their next barn chore for the day.

From the classroom to the barn

Silver, 35, began his teaching career in 2012 in front of a class of 52 fifth graders at Burns Elementary-Middle School on the northwest side of Detroit.

He quickly learned about the challenges in his students’ lives: exposure to gun violence, socioeconomic barriers in getting to school, and unstable housing. More than a decade later, Detroit students face the same systemic issues.

David Silver, 35, poses for a photograph at Willowbrooke Farm.

“A lot of that weighed on students’ academic performance and ability to meet grade-level standards,” Silver said.

Social and emotional learning became an important part of Silver’s classroom culture as he studied it while completing a master’s degree at Oakland University.

The concept, first introduced in the 1960s, has been widely adopted by schools in the U.S.

In a classroom, social and emotional learning practices can range from a teacher coaching a student through a calming exercise to students writing out their goals for the school year to a teacher using a discussion of reading material to encourage children to share their emotions about similar experiences.

High-quality lessons improve academic outcomes for students, according to a recent analysis from researchers at Yale University who reviewed 40 studies of such programs. Students who live in impoverished communities, in particular, may benefit from learning how to manage stress and become resilient, research shows.

Students who have strong social and emotional skills also are less likely to be chronically absent, typically defined as missing 10% or more of the school year.

Mario DeBoes, 15, touches the muzzle of a horse at Willowbrooke Farm.

In the Detroit Public Schools Community District, more than 95% of students are from low-income families, and more than 60% of students were chronically absent last school year.

As a teacher, when Silver reflected on how he had developed skills like perseverance and empathy most of the examples he came up with involved his adolescent years riding horses in Putnam County, New York.

Realizing that most of the kids in his class did not have the opportunity to learn from horses, he set out to create Detroit Horse Power in 2014.

Learning personal growth from horses

Lessons at Detroit Horse Power center around teaching students “PERCS traits,” or perseverance, empathy, responsible risk-taking, confidence, and self-control — all of which align with social and emotional learning.

Xynese Fraizer takes the two-point position in a canter during a May lesson.

In May, during a visit to Bloomfield Open Hunt country club, about a dozen young people gathered in a circle with Silver and several other adults to share their goals for the day.

One student said she wanted to use self-control to perfect her posting trot that day. Another said she wanted to build the confidence to canter for the first time.

Mya Harding, left, embraces horse Ducky after a May lesson. Madison Wells, right, listens to an instructor during her lesson.

A few months later at summer camp, the students used a “feelings wheel,” a visual tool that can help people identify and communicate a range of emotions. Later that day, the campers set a goal for the week.

“It doesn’t have to be camp related,” said E’lese Copeland, a counselor and senior at Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy, an online charter school. “It could be something like a personal goal, like better sleep or getting up early because school is going to be starting back for some people.”

Campers learn how to clean saddles during barn chores.

Completing barn chores, like mucking out dirty horse stalls, teaches kids about the hard work required to care for horses. Grooming horses and getting them ready to ride allows students to more deeply connect with the animals.

When students meet in groups in a classroom, they connect the PERCS traits and their barn experiences with a project-based learning assignment.

For example, the students talk about how confident they feel in the saddle. Then the students give a presentation on how they channel that confidence from being around horses into other aspects of their lives.

There is some evidence the curriculum is effective. A 2019 report commissioned by Detroit Horse Power and completed by the University of Michigan’s Center for Education Design, Evaluation, & Research, found the 19 kids included in the analysis reported gains in all of the PERCS traits.

Another assessment commissioned by Detroit Horse Power and completed by the Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality found students who were considered to have low social-emotional skills based on a survey showed improvement over time.

Summer camper Isa Allen, 13, makes a tie dye T-shirt using sharpies.

Silver said there are plans to track other metrics in the future, including students’ academic performance, attendance, and behavior in school.

Le’Airra Jones, a 19-year-old who has participated in the program for nine years, said that in addition to developing social and emotional skills, she found a sense of belonging and a community she can trust.

In her family, Jones said she feels like the “odd one out.”

“But I think that Detroit Horse Power has given me a family – or people that I want to be close to, and people I can rely on, and just always want to be around,” she said.

Finding purpose – and a future career – in the program

Many kids in Detroit may not ever consider riding an option, said Singh, the recent Cass Tech graduate. In addition to financial and geographical barriers, racism and exclusionary practices have pushed many people of color out of the equestrian world.

“Just being in these spaces in a now primarily white-dominated sport is very important to show the generations coming up that it’s okay to be in this space, even if you may feel a bit uncomfortable,” said Sophia Graddick, a recent graduate of The School at Marygrove.

Sonia Singh, left, stands with her favorite horse at Willowbrooke Farm, Shadow. Right, Le’Airra Jones holds onto her reins after dismounting from a lesson horse.

Students like Graddick, Singh, and Jones say Detroit Horse Power made careers as veterinarians seem more accessible to them as women of color. In the U.S., nearly 90% of veterinarians are white.

“Hopefully it inspires other Black girls like me to know that it’s OK to step into those fields where a lot of people don’t look like them,” Jones said.

Jones is currently attending Oakland Community College and taking prerequisites for vet school. She is the first in her family to attend college.

Singh, who graduated high school and was one of Detroit Horse Power’s advanced riding students, said her time in the program made her realize her calling to become a large animal veterinarian.

“When I started high school, I knew that I wanted to do something in the medical field, but I didn’t know where I wanted that focus to be,” she said. “Being in Detroit Horse Power, I eventually learned I want to be a large animal vet, that I want to be around horses consistently every day, and do that for a living.”

Sonia Singh trots during a May riding lesson.

Without the program, Singh said she probably would not have considered that career path.

The Sunday after teaching the riding class at Willowbrooke, Singh moved into Michigan State University. In the fall, she began studying animal science with an equine concentration.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Could holding parents accountable improve chronic absenteeism in the Detroit school district?

2025-10-15T21:01:04+00:00

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Two members of the Detroit school district’s board want to explore what can be done to hold parents accountable for their children missing too many days of school.

Based on trends in the attendance rate so far this school year, Detroit Public Schools Community District Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said at Tuesday night’s board meeting that about 45% of students are projected to be chronically absent by the end of the school year. Students are considered chronically absent when they miss 10% or more days of a school year.

Chronic absenteeism, which negatively impacts students’ ability to learn and progress academically, has long been a problem for DPSCD. High rates of poverty, a lack of transportation, health concerns, and unsafe routes to school are among the leading causes of kids missing too many days of class.

The district has made big strides in reducing absenteeism in recent years. Still, more than 60% of students in the district were chronically absent last school year.

When students are at risk of being chronically absent, the district’s intervention process includes engaging with parents and visiting the kids’ homes. Students are also required to sign an acknowledgement that they know they will be required to attend their neighborhood schools instead of opting to attend district schools outside of their feeder pattern if they miss too many days.

In an effort to solve transportation issues, DPSCD gives students free city bus passes, as the school system does not offer yellow bus service to most high schoolers. Some principals problem-solve for individual students with ride shares or carpools, one school gave its students bikes, and two high schools are piloting yellow buses this year.

In addition to solving transportation barriers and providing wraparound services, board member Monique Bryant asked Vitti what the district can do to address parents who are “not sending their kids to school.”

“I hear we’re working with students, we’re providing transportation, but I just don’t understand how we are not more firm with our parents and their responsibility to get their children to school,” Bryant said to some applause from the crowd at the meeting.

“I think there’s some work for the board to do, and I think now we need to step up more than ever, because we need to be the first people saying parents should be accountable,” said Latrice McClendon, another board member. “We need to be non-negotiable about some of the things that are happening in our district, and we are now outraged and upset about what we’re seeing … It starts with the parents.”

Vitti said during the meeting he believes “it is time to enhance the accountability and engagement” with parents. There are policy or administrative actions the superintendent said he would recommend that would put parents at the center of discussions around attendance, like mandatory in-person or virtual meetings.

“The more extreme cases of absenteeism, we are reporting those to the Wayne County prosecutor’s office, but they are way understaffed, and they are not prosecuting the vast majority of cases that we send them,” said Vitti. “They take the most egregious examples and move forward on those cases, especially for the youngest of children that are extremely absent.”

Bryant said she was not aware that there are cases referred by the district that do not get prosecuted, adding “they should be.”

McClendon said, “We need to personally contact our prosecutor to say, ‘Hey, we need to step up, and we need to do that.’”

Michigan parents can face a misdemeanor charge if they fail to ensure their child attends school. The penalty can range from 90 days in jail and fines between $5 and $50. Parents who get public financial assistance for their children also risk the aid being withheld by the state.

Some research suggests punitive measures do not reduce absenteeism. Officials with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services told Chalkbeat in 2023 they could not provide evidence its penalties for parents of truant kids improved attendance.

During public comment at Tuesday’s meeting, one parent told the board they should focus more on filling in gaps for families without transportation instead of prosecuting them.

McClendon clarified to the speaker that she agreed.

“The goal is never to criminalize parents,” said McClendon. “Accountability is not punishment, it’s partnership.”

The board member added she understands addressing absenteeism requires “empathy and understanding” because of the “complex realities families face.”

“I think the balance is delicate, but it’s necessary,” she said. “I do want to set high standards.”

Vitti said he will provide more information and recommendations on potential policy changes at a future board committee meeting.

Could yellow bus service improve high school attendance?

This school year, DPSCD began piloting yellow bus service for students within the boundaries of Henry Ford High School and East English Village Preparatory Academy at Finney.

During Tuesday’s meeting, Vitti said despite efforts to raise awareness and interest among students, the pilot is “not having a scaled impact” on chronic absenteeism data at either school so far this year. He didn’t say how many students are participating in the yellow bus pilot. The superintendent said there may be a positive impact for individual students and the district will look at whether attendance for kids taking the bus has improved compared to the prior year.

There may also be more use of the buses once the weather becomes colder, Vitti added.

He suggested the board decide early next year whether the pilot should continue based on participation and attendance data.

The schools have sent robo calls and texts about the service, made announcements during school, and offered incentives for ridership.

Anthony Peete, a student representative on the board who attends Henry Ford, said at the meeting that he had surveyed his classmates about why they do or do not use the service.

“A lot of what students replied was that it just wasn’t convenient for them in a lot of different ways,” said Peete.

Some said in the survey they felt the city bus was more convenient, and many said they didn’t know how to check if the yellow bus went to their neighborhood, Peete said.

Because the district received more state funding than was anticipated in its adopted budget for this school year, Vitti said there is some opportunity to expand transportation options.

Vitti said he would not recommend using the funds to add more yellow bus services, saying ride shares for targeted students or small groups of classmates who are missing too many days of school may be more effective and cost efficient.

The “big picture” solution to the problem is for the city to expand its transportation offerings. That has been successful for other large urban districts in the U.S. in improving attendance, Vitti said.

The district’s long-term goal is to “have more children attend their neighborhood school,” Vitti said, which would result in students traveling shorter distances.

About 50% of DPSCD students currently attend schools in their neighborhood, said Vitti.

“That will happen if we continue to improve neighborhood schools, which we are, and the data suggests that,” said Vitti.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Correction: Oct. 17, 2025: A previous version of this story said the student representative’s name was Anthony Peele. It is Anthony Peete.

Former principal, special education teacher appointed to the Detroit school district’s board

2025-10-14T23:40:18+00:00

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Bessie Harris, a retired special education teacher and principal, is the newest member of the Detroit school district’s board.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the Detroit Public School Community District’s board formally announced Harris to loud applause from the audience. The board voted to appoint Harris to fill a seat left vacant by Sherry Gay-Dagnogo earlier this month. Harris, a grandmother of a student at Cass Technical High School, spent decades as an educator in the district and said she’ll use that experience to serve students, families, and staff in her role on the seven-member board.

Harris was the runner-up in a selection process to fill another vacancy this summer.

During a monthlong search to fill Angelique Peterson-Mayberry’s open seat, the board interviewed 14 candidates. They were scored on their resumes, letters of intent, answers to survey questions on key issues in the district, and public interviews. The scores were tallied live during a public meeting by a third-party law firm.

Steven Bland Jr. was appointed to fill the seat.

Instead of going through the “time-consuming” process of interviewing candidates again a couple of months later, the board voted Oct. 1 to offer the new position to Harris, who had the highest score after Bland.

Iris Taylor, a board member, said on Tuesday she did not support suspending the district’s policy for appointing new members, saying the move lacked “transparency” and “integrity.”

But the board, including Taylor, voted unanimously to appoint Harris. Bland was not at Tuesday’s meeting.

Harris unsuccessfully ran to be on the board in 2020 and 2022. She was principal of Palmer Park Preparatory Academy until she retired in 2016.

Before that, Harris was an assistant principal at Marion Law Academy, Sampson-Webber Leadership Academy, and Emerson Elementary-Middle School and principal of Chrysler Elementary School, according to the resume she submitted to the board.

She was a special education teacher for 10 years at the former Guyton Elementary School, where she was promoted to be in the first group of special education resource teachers in the district.

During her July interview with the board, Harris said truancy, school closures, and a lack of parent participation are the biggest issues the district faces. In answers to a candidate survey submitted to the board, she added that ensuring there are equitable resources across district schools, retaining staff, and fixing aging infrastructure are also big challenges for DPSCD.

“Students need strong, effective, transparent leadership,” Harris said during her interview.

Harris said at the time that she wouldn’t shape or revise any district policies if she were a board member.

“I can’t think of any that’s not being carried out that I would say, ‘Oh no, that’s not’ – I would just like to chime in and enhance what you’re doing,” she said in the interview.

Harris said targeted training for administrators and staff would help improve literacy in the district.

She suggested that instead of gathering hundreds of teachers for a large early literacy education training, it might be more successful to train teachers within their schools based on the needs of the students they serve.

“Why not take the training to the building, where it’s more personable, more centered around that school,” she said. “Sit me down in my building with my principal and the staff, and let’s dig into it and see where we go from there.”

Harris said she is still actively involved in the district by participating in her granddaughter’s education and mentoring youth at her church.

Harris will serve through the end of 2026. She told the board she would campaign to keep her seat in the next school board election.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Extra security will be stationed at Gompers after student stabbing in classroom, officials say

2025-10-10T00:32:36+00:00

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Security at Gompers Elementary-Middle School will be ramped up for the remainder of the school year after an eighth grader stabbed another girl in front of a classroom full of students, officials said.

The Detroit Public Schools Community District will increase the number of security guards from two to three and add a police officer at the school, as well as monitor the effective use of metal detectors at all of its schools moving forward, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said during a virtual meeting with parents and community members Thursday evening.

Parents expressed concerns about security and the school’s handling of reported tension between the two students leading up to the stabbing. Some asked why the district did not immediately notify parents of what happened or close the school for the remainder of the day. One parent said they found out about the incident from their child, who was “traumatized,” when they picked him up from school.

Vitti said he is committed to investigating the incident further and preventing future violence in schools.

“I want to make this very clear – this is not normal and it’s not acceptable,” he said. “And I say that purposely, because I think we all know the level of violence unfortunately that many of our students experience, sometimes in their home, in their personal life, in the community at large. We have not had an incident like this in a school building in DPSCD over the nine years that I’ve been superintendent.”

The stabbing happened after the mother of one of the students brought a knife to her daughter inside the school, according to the district. The mother set off a metal detector, but was allowed to enter the school without being searched by the security guard on duty, officials said.

The mother and the student were arrested Wednesday, according to the district. The student who was stabbed was released from a hospital, said Vitti.

The district’s protocol is to “check all bags and persons if the metal detector sounds,” Vitti told Chalkbeat. The security guard who let the mother through at Gompers has been put on leave pending an investigation, officials said.

Vitti added the school system will make any necessary changes to its security protocols and will increase its monitoring of how schools implement them.

“Most importantly, the victim of the attack will physically recover but the school and the entire district must use this incident as a dire example of why implementation of safety and security protocols must always be implemented,” said Vitti.

A fight reportedly occurred between the two students outside the school earlier this week, Vitti said during Thursday’s meeting. The school’s administration was aware of the fight, he said, and both parents were contacted and asked to come to the school to talk about the “tension” between the students.

On Wednesday, after going through the metal detector, the mother who allegedly brought the knife to school went to the main office and asked to talk with an assistant principal about the fight, Vitti said.

“From our preliminary review of the circumstances, the [assistant principal] did not engage the parent,” said Vitti.

The daughter left class to come to the office after her mother asked to see her, the superintendent said.

“What appears on video, allegedly, the mother gives the daughter a knife,” said Vitti.

The daughter then went into a classroom and “slashed” the other student with the knife, Vitti said. Adults, including the principal, intervened in the attack; the principal was injured, he added.

The mother of the victim told WXYZ her daughter was stabbed four times in her head, arm, back, and wrist areas. She said her daughter called her screaming 45 minutes after being dropped off at school.

The district sent a robocall out to inform parents of the incident in the afternoon, according to the superintendent.

“The District’s protocol is for schools to inform parents of a significant incident that occurs at the school no later than that evening or early the next morning,” Vitti told Chalkbeat.

Counselors spoke with the students who were in the classroom, said Vitti, and the district will provide additional support to others in the school who request it.

Gompers will reopen on Monday, the district said.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Detroit student stabbed by classmate whose mother snuck a knife into school, officials say

2025-10-09T00:58:40+00:00

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A student was stabbed by a classmate during school Wednesday at Gompers Elementary-Middle School, according to officials.

The stabbing occurred after the child’s mother reportedly gave her child a “small knife,” said a statement from the Detroit Public Schools Community District.

The mother entered the school through a metal detector that went off, the district said. The school’s security guard did not search the mother, according to DPSCD.

“The security guard has been removed from the school pending an investigation that could lead to termination,” the district’s statement said.

Both of the students were in eighth grade, WXYZ reported. The student who suffered the stabbing is in “stable condition,” according to DPSCD, and the mother and the student accused of the stabbing were arrested.

Class is canceled on Thursday at the school “to ensure safety protocols are in place,” the district said.

“A Gompers family meeting will be held tomorrow to address this matter,” the school system’s statement reads. “At this time, we are unaware of any additional threats targeting students.”

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Students at this Detroit school got free bikes. Here’s how they say it helped attendance.

2025-10-07T21:16:36+00:00

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Some days, it takes Elyazar Holiday two hours and four buses to travel the 20 miles from his home on the far west side of Detroit to his school on the edge of the east side of the city.

The Detroit school district has limited yellow bus service, and none for most high school students. Like many students in the city, the 17-year-old’s family doesn’t have access to a working car. Riding city buses to Davis Aerospace Technical High School is Holiday’s only option, but – with delays and missed buses – it often proves unreliable.

Last year, Holiday received a gift from his school that made the trek easier: a bicycle.

Principal Michelle Davis gave every student at the school a bike as part of a holistic approach to reducing chronic absenteeism. The bikes were funded through community donations.

Many of the nearly 100 students at Davis Aerospace last year said the bicycles helped them safely get to school by reducing the amount of time they had to walk to school or wait for buses. Others said the bikes gave them a new sense of independence, allowing them to travel around the city with their friends, get to after-school activities or jobs, and get exercise.

While Davis believes the bicycles improved attendance during good weather in the fall and spring, she said it’s only one measure the school is taking to get kids to class.

“Giving the students bikes is just one problem that we’ve solved for,” Davis told Chalkbeat. “What we do intentionally is solve for all of the problems that the kids have, because that has to be our major responsibility.”

Principal Michelle Davis poses in front of her "Big Ideas" board.

The principal wanted her students to feel the same sense of independence she did as a teen when her mother bought her a pink Huffy.

So, Davis wrote “bikes” at the top of a white board next to her desk that lists her “big ideas.” And soon the vision came to fruition.

Other high schools in the district may also soon give bikes to their students. Last school year, the district surveyed high school students who were chronically absent about why they missed too much school. Some of the students said having a bike would help improve their attendance.

After the district’s school board heard the feedback at a July meeting, some members said they wanted the superintendent to follow up on whether a stock of “dozens” of bicycles in a storage warehouse could be used for that purpose.

Can bikes reduce chronic absenteeism in Detroit?

Chronic absenteeism, defined for Michigan students as missing 10% of the school year, has long been a problem in DPSCD. Issues such as high rates of poverty, health concerns, parents’ work schedules, and unsafe routes to school keep many children from missing crucial instructional time.

Students at Davis Aerospace say the bikes have helped address some of those barriers.

A poster tracking attendance for each grade is one of the first things students see as they enter their school building.

Holiday, for example, said his bike allows him to get to bus stops more quickly.

The first bus Holiday usually rides is regularly late by 20 minutes to an hour, he said.

If that bus doesn’t come in time, the teen has to decide whether he’ll go to another stop to try and catch a bus on a different route.

“I might miss those if I walk too slow, or I might be tired from trying to run to make it there,” he said.

Now, if the bus that runs on Plymouth Road doesn’t arrive, the teen can ride his bike to another stop. Or if Holiday isn’t able to catch a transfer due to delays, he can ride his bike the rest of the way to school.

“With the bike, I can still make up the distance or go to a different street to get on a different bus and still make it there on time,” he said.

His bike also makes him feel safer.

While violent crime rates have declined in Detroit in recent years, many young people fear being attacked on their way to school. Their sense of safety is shaped by many factors, including news reports of peers killed in gun violence.

“A bike in itself is protection,” said Holiday. “You can use that to get away from the situation. You can use that as a barrier between you and something coming at you in the heat of the moment. You can even throw it.”

The bikes also help students left without a ride because their parents have to get younger kids to school earlier in the morning.

Myron Dean, a senior at Davis Aerospace, said while his parents take his five younger siblings to their schools, he has to get to school on his own.

With a bike, Dean can get to school in about seven minutes.

Dean is also using the bike to get to driver’s education classes so he can eventually drive himself and his siblings anywhere they need to go.

Junior Tryve Roberts said when no one in his family was able to give him a ride, he used to have to walk to school. It took about an hour, which would make him tardy.

Now, since he can get to school on the bike in about 16 minutes, he’s showing up on time more often.

Some research and anecdotal evidence in other parts of the country suggest bicycles alone may reduce chronic absenteeism. Those who support the idea say using bikes to get to school gives more students access to transportation they otherwise wouldn’t have, can improve their health and well-being, and adds motivation for kids to improve attendance.

However, the successful examples proponents cite are in parts of the country with warmer climates, such as Florida, Tennessee, and Arizona.

At Davis Aerospace, the students are taught bike safety and instructed to not ride to school in poor weather conditions or during the winter.

There are nearly 165 miles of bike lanes in the city, according to advocacy groups, but not every neighborhood in the city has access to continuous dedicated bike paths.

Creating a culture of good attendance

DPSCD has made strides in reducing chronic absenteeism in recent years. Several schools in the district have outpaced all others in the state in reducing absenteeism.

At Davis Aerospace, the chronic absenteeism rate dropped by more than 14 percentage points last school year compared to 2023-24. Since 2018-19, the chronic absenteeism rate at the school fell by nearly 23 percentage points.

Even with that progress, more than 42% of Davis Aerospace students missed too many days of school last year. And the problem is more persistent in the district’s neighborhood schools.

For example, Denby High School, which is also on the east side of the city, had a chronic absenteeism rate of nearly 80% last year.

Some of Davis Aerospace’s progress may be due in part to the bikes, but the school had already been making steady progress in reducing absenteeism before that program.

“What we know is that there’s not just one thing that’s going to decrease absenteeism,” said Davis. “Every kid that has a barrier for attendance, we talk to those students. We see what the barriers are, and we solve for the student and their challenge to getting to school.”

Students can pick out any items they want from the school's free boutique.

At the school, which requires an application for students to attend, reducing absenteeism is ingrained in the culture.

A poster hanging on a brick wall by the school entrance tracks the daily attendance rate of each grade. Students who miss two days or fewer in the class with the highest attendance each month get rewards like cookies, nachos, or a movie day.

A room on the first floor of the school looks like a clothing boutique, except the clothes “for sale” are all marked “100% free.” Kids can grab the things they need to show up to school, like winter coats, gloves, and new shoes.

In another space, kids can get the hygiene products they need to show up ready to learn. There’s also a washer and dryer in the school where students can clean their clothes.

Davis said there are discussions around creating a parent carpool for kids who live near each other.

‘A form of freedom’

The gift of the bikes was not simply a pragmatic attempt to reduce absenteeism, said Davis. It was an act of love.

“When you’re a teenager, bikes are your first form of transportation, right?” Davis said. “It gives you a form of freedom. You explore the world with your bike.”

Students Elyazar Holiday, Savannah Robinson, Ciana Carter, and Myron Dean pose with bikes in front of Davis Aerospace.

Junior Roderic Pippen said his bike helped him find a new hobby.

“I like to adventure on the bike – find new places to be at,” he said. “My bike trips are more fun than just sitting in the car, scrolling on the internet.”

Holiday will use his bike this year to attend biweekly events by the Midnight Golf Program, a mentorship and college readiness nonprofit.

Before they got bikes, seniors Savannah Robinson and Ciana Carter felt stuck at home during summer breaks because their parents were busy with work.

Last summer, the girls had the freedom to ride to meet up and go to places like the beauty supply store and restaurants.

“Anytime she had a bad day over summer, I’d be like, come on, girl, let’s go ride our bikes and get fresh air,” said Robinson. “So it’s really helpful for both of us.”

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Count Day: Detroit school district sees modest bump in enrollment, officials say

2025-10-03T20:11:13+00:00

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Nearly 500 more students were in attendance on Count Day in the Detroit school district this year compared to last, according to early data.

The numbers are crucial for determining how much state funding the Detroit Public Schools Community District will receive. The early data suggest that the district’s efforts to ramp up enrollment and reduce chronic absenteeism have paid off with incremental gains.

On Wednesday, 45,388 students attended school in the district compared to 44,893 last school year, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti told Chalkbeat.

The numbers are preliminary, as districts are able to add some students who attend school within a certain period after Count Day.

Monique Bryant, a school board member, told Chalkbeat the increase in Count Day attendance this year is a move in the “right direction.”

Bryant said she and Vice Chair LaTrice McClendon made an effort this year to ensure parents’ questions about the enrollment process were answered and that logistical issues were resolved promptly by staff members. The two board members answered calls and emails themselves and worked with Vitti and administrative staff to make sure each concern was addressed.

“This is a direct reflection of the work we have done,” Bryant said of the numbers.

Michigan public school districts tally the number of students in attendance on two days each year. The count helps the state determine the amount of per-pupil funding districts will receive the following fiscal year. Count Days are held on the first Wednesday of October and the first Wednesday of February.

The foundation allowance of per-pupil funding will be $10,050 per student this school year, according to a state budget approved Friday morning that still awaits Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s signature.

Michigan districts that serve higher rates of students from low-income families, such as the Detroit district, have received more weighted funding from the state to support children with higher needs since 2023. This school year, the Michigan legislature approved a 25% increase in at-risk funding compared to the last.

In the last 20 years, DPSCD has lost more than 92,000 students. Many factors played a role in the drop, such as population declines in the city, lower birth rates, the state’s emergency management of the district, and the pandemic.

Enrollment declines over the years have led to underutilization of many school buildings. A recent district report found the high per-pupil cost for operating19 small schools is creating funding challenges.

In June, the district outlined potential solutions that included merging schools and phasing out the use of some buildings.

Increasing enrollment has been a top priority of the district for years. This summer, it spent more dollars to market to prospective families, send people to canvas communities, and nearly doubled the number of community events hosted at neighborhood schools.

Bryant and McClendon pushed the district to improve its marketing and have asked Vitti for reports to determine what’s working.

In recent years, DPSCD has focused on retaining students. Vitti said at a board meeting in August the school system has “done a fairly good job” in attracting new students, adding that the main challenge is keeping them.

Bryant said she and other members of the board will continue to regularly assess enrollment and attendance data to refine the methods the district is using to attract and keep students.

“One of the things I think has been a detriment to the district is that we have not told our story,” said Bryant. “We have far more academic programs, resources, and wraparound services compared to our competitors. Too much of that is not being shared broadly enough for parents.”

The board member said moving forward, she will push for changes that will better serve the district’s population of students who have to move to new neighborhoods frequently due to economic and housing constraints.

“We have to make sure students know all the resources they have in one school will follow them to the next,” she said.

The full impact of the district’s recruitment and retention efforts won’t be known until the end of the school year, officials say.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Detroit school board is set to offer Sherry Gay-Dagnogo’s vacant seat to a previous candidate

2025-10-01T23:46:36+00:00

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After a heated discussion Wednesday, the Detroit school district’s board voted to bypass a lengthy selection process for a vacant seat and instead offer the job to the runner-up from a prior vacancy.

The seat on the seven-member Detroit Public Schools Community District board is likely to open next week. Board member Sherry Gay-Dagnogo, who participated in Wednesday’s meeting, plans to resign to start a job with the city of Detroit.

The name of the runner-up was not released publicly during the previous selection process. But during Wednesday’s meeting, Chair Corletta J. Vaughn identified the candidate as Bessie Harris, a retired special education teacher and principal at Palmer Park Preparatory Academy. Harris unsuccessfully ran for the board in 2022 and in 2020.

Vaughn was admonished by members of the board for naming the candidate. Vice Chair Latrice McClendon asked if it was confirmed that Harris was the runner-up, and others on the board said the candidate should not yet be named. The board voted to strike the mention of Harris’ name from the record of the meeting.

Harris could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Board members went through a monthlong search for a new board member in July after Angelique Peterson-Mayberry stepped down from the school board. She was appointed to the Wayne County Commission.

Steven Bland Jr. was appointed to fill the seat after a process that included submitting resumes, letters of intent, answering survey questions on key issues for the district, and public interviews. Fourteen candidates were ultimately interviewed for the position.

Board members scored the candidates on their application materials and interviews. The scores were then tallied live during a public meeting by a third-party law firm.

Instead of going through the “time-consuming” process again, board member Monique Bryant suggested Wednesday that the second-highest scoring candidate from the last round of applications be selected.

“In light of the fact that we just went through this less than 90 days ago, we had more than enough candidates that we have already vetted,” Bryant said.

Other board members agreed, arguing that repeating the entire process would be a burden to the administrative staff who would be saddled with facilitating the additional special board meetings.

Gay-Dagnogo said streamlining the selection would allow the board to address urgent work. Holding more public interviews and meetings would push back usual board business, she added.

Board member Iris Taylor objected, saying deviating from the process they used for the last appointment might be interpreted by the public as a decision lacking in “consistency” and “integrity.”

Bland, the newest board member, said he did not support the move because he did not participate in the last round of screening candidates. To allow Bland to participate in the selection, Vaughn suggested truncated options, such as interviewing the top three candidates from the last round.

The district’s policy on filling vacancies requires the board to “seek qualified and interested candidates from the community.” Candidates must submit a notice of their interest, be interviewed by the board, and receive a majority vote from the board to be appointed, according to the policy.

The board must make an appointment within 30 days of the vacancy being announced.

After an hour of discussion Wednesday, four board members – Bryant, Gay-Dagnogo, McClendon, and Ida Short – voted to suspend the policy for the purpose of filling the new vacancy. Taylor, Vaughn, and Bland voted against it.

Once the policy was suspended, the board voted on the new process that would be used for the appointment. Members voted to offer the seat to the runner-up candidate from July, with Taylor abstaining.

The board will notify the candidate within 24 hours of Wednesday’s special meeting and will allow another day for the candidate to accept the position in writing. If the candidate does not accept the appointment, the board will decide on another selection process.

Once a candidate accepts, the board will hold another special meeting to vote on their appointment. They still must get a majority vote from the board to officially take the seat.

The new board member appointed to fill Gay-Dagnogo’s seat will serve through the end of 2026 instead of completing her entire term. A Michigan Association of School Boards policy requires appointed board members to run if there is already a set board election the following November.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Detroit school board considers new 8-member council to get input on academics, innovation

2025-09-30T19:05:46+00:00

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The Detroit school district’s board is considering creating a new community advisory council to give input on how the school system can improve.

The Detroit Public Schools Community District board’s policy committee last month heard a proposal to establish an eight-member Strategic Advisory Council to share ideas to help boost the school system’s “academic achievement, equity, and innovation.” If the policy is approved by the full board, the appointed council will be made up of parents, educators, community leaders, business or nonprofit representatives, and students when deemed appropriate.

LaTrice McClendon, vice chair of the board, said the idea arose from interviews with 14 candidates who applied to fill a vacant board seat in July.

“We realized that there were some excellent candidates who could really help to advise us on the strategic plan and maybe just some things that are happening with the district,” said McClendon during the policy committee meeting on Sept. 16.

McClendon did not identify any previous applicants for the board seat who may now be considered for the council.

The board will soon have another vacancy, as member Sherry Gay-Dagnogo is set to resign after being selected to be the city of Detroit’s next ombudsperson. The City Council selected Gay-Dagnogo during a session on Tuesday, BridgeDetroit reported.

The initial appointments to the advisory council would be made in January 2026, according to the proposal. Four of the appointees would have one-year terms and the other four would have two-year terms. All of the appointees made after the first year would have two-year terms.

Community members may be appointed for two consecutive terms.

The council would meet four times a year. Their responsibilities would include reviewing the district’s goals for its 2027 strategic plan and sharing their input. The council would also collaborate with districts to identify challenges and emerging needs, share community input, and submit quarterly reports to the board.

The district would provide the council with data, relevant materials, and support.

The board’s policy committee voted in favor of moving the proposal to the full board for review.

The proposal may only become official policy once the full board votes on it.

The board’s next meeting will be Oct. 14.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Several Detroit schools outpace all others in state in reducing chronic absenteeism.

2025-09-20T00:37:37+00:00

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When Tyra Smith-Bell took the helm of Pulaski Elementary-Middle School, more than three-quarters of the students were chronically absent.

So Smith-Bell set out to transform the school culture and get teachers, parents, and students invested in attendance: She created a spreadsheet for teachers to log absences and late arrivals, required them to call parents the same day a child missed school, and began checking attendance data every day.

She also looked for ways to address barriers keeping kids from coming to school — offering rideshares to those without transportation, stocking clean uniforms, and creating “Panther Bucks” incentives to get students motivated.

The efforts seem to have paid off.

Over the last six years, Pulaski’s chronic absenteeism rate has dropped by 47.5 percentage points — making it the school with the biggest decrease in chronic absenteeism from 2018-19 to last year in the state, according to a Chalkbeat analysis of data released Wednesday by the state Center for Educational Performance and Information. The analysis looked at traditional public schools.

Other Detroit schools have also made major strides in combatting chronic absenteeism, the Chalkbeat analysis found. Among all of Michigan’s traditional public schools, 14 of the top 15 with the biggest drops over that time period were in the Detroit Public Schools Community District.

The findings of Chalkbeat’s analysis suggest that even compared to other districts serving communities facing systemic barriers that contribute to kids missing too much school, the Detroit district’s efforts are proving to be more effective.

In Michigan, students are considered to be chronically absent if they miss 10% or more of the school year, or about 18 days of instruction in a typical 180-day school year.

Missing too many days of school hinders students’ ability to learn. In Detroit, where chronic absenteeism has long been a problem due to high poverty rates and other systemic inequities, the district has focused on the issue for years in order to improve academic achievement.

Among the schools that reduced absenteeism the most in the state last year compared to pre-pandemic years, nearly all showed improvement in average proficiency on state standardized test results in English and math in the same time period.

As a whole, the Chalkbeat analysis showed, students in the Detroit district were chronically absent at a lower rate than before the pandemic for the first time last year. The district also decreased the rate by nearly 16 percentage points compared to the 2021-22 school year, when quarantine restrictions caused many to miss school.

Superintendent Nikolai Vitti, told Chalkbeat this week the district’s improvement over the years can be attributed to concentrating attendance agents in neighborhood schools with the most absenteeism, changing the mindset of school leaders, hiring more academic interventionists, and adding physical and mental health support for students and families, among other measures.

“Our improvement is rooted in our intentional efforts to expand services to students and families, changing staff mindsets about owning the student attendance improvement process, and increasing family accountability regarding their children’s attendance,” said Vitti.

Creating a culture of prioritizing attendance at Pulaski

At Pulaski Elementary-Middle School, on the east side of Detroit, Smith-Bell says she wanted everyone to have a stake in bringing attendance rates up.

“I asked what can we do to make attendance important to every stakeholder,” she said. “Attendance is not only on the shoulders of our attendance agent – it’s everyone’s business.”

Under her leadership, the 296-student school created a multi-level system to track absences. It includes a schoolwide spreadsheet where absences and late arrivals are recorded and asking teachers to log their calls to parents. Those call logs are then reviewed by the principal.

By 10 a.m. every day, Smith-Bell checks the attendance data. She sees which students are out and asks them where they were once they return to school.

The teachers’ calls to parents also help build a rapport with families and are an avenue to address any needs at home, such as transportation, Smith-Bell said. More than 95% of the students are from low-income homes.

“I have picked up scholars and taken them home to support families myself,” said Smith-Bell. The school also gives bus tickets and rideshares to students in some cases.

After teachers heard from many families struggling to provide clean uniforms for their children, the school began keeping uniforms in the principal’s office. The school also added another washer and dryer to clean uniforms for kids as needed.

A school-based health hub, one of 12 the district started launching in 2023, helps address health barriers for students, said Smith-Bell, as have immunization clinics on campus. Families also have access to food, toiletries, clothing, and other resources at the hubs.

A school-based representative from the Department of Health and Human Services helps make accessing benefits, such as the state’s nutrition program, easier for parents.

The principal said she also makes sure students, staff, and parents know how close they are to reaching the daily goal of 90% attendance.

In the morning announcements, Smith-Bell includes a Powerpoint showing daily attendance data. She also gives weekly attendance updates in the communication sent home to families.

Efforts to improve school climate and culture, electives, and student incentives have also paid off, the principal said.

Every month, the Pulaski’s classrooms compete to get the best attendance and are rewarded with pizza, popcorn, or other celebrations. Kids also work to earn “Panther Bucks” by exhibiting good attendance and behavior to get entry to the “Pulaski Panther Country Club,” where they can play video games and air hockey.

COVID stifled some of the progress the school started to make as in-person instruction was upended. When students came back for in-person instruction in 2021-22, more than 80% of students at the school were chronically absent primarily due to quarantine rules.

But various factors helped the school drop the chronic absenteeism rate down to 45% in 2022-23.

The school had moved to a new building during COVID closures, and Smith-Bell said the upgrade helped make the environment more accessible and comfortable.

“For example, this campus is air conditioned,” said Smith-Bell. “We don’t have to open windows and fight bees.”

Last year, the school’s rate of chronic absenteeism last year was 29.2% — only a couple of percentage points higher than the state average.

Detroit’s districtwide efforts to get kids to school

The Detroit district as a whole has also used a long-term, holistic approach to tackle chronic absenteeism.

That helps it stand out among other high-absenteeism districts, said Jeremy Singer, assistant professor of educational leadership and policy at the University of Michigan-Flint.

Involvement of school leaders and home visits by attendance agents also make DPSCD stand out from other districts, Singer said preliminary research by Wayne State University’s Detroit Partnership for Education Equity and Research, or Detroit PEER, suggests.

The district, where nearly 85% of students are from economically disadvantaged families, has worked for many years to bring the absenteeism rate down.

For example, the district hired more counselors and social workers in recent years to address student’s mental health needs. Schools conduct student surveys to determine the kinds of challenges students are facing and what would make them feel more supported.

“Although we recognize that the concentration of poverty in the city directly contributes to higher rates of absenteeism, we still believe that we can problem solve through operating systems, own the improvement of climate and culture and the student experience, while also thinking more innovatively,” said Vitti.

Offering more electives, fully staffing schools with certified teachers, and hiring more academic interventionists, have given students more reason to go to school, he added.

Last school year, the district began giving high school students financial incentives for perfect attendance.

School leaders have become more invested as the district now evaluates their performance in part on attendance and chronic absenteeism rates, said Vitti.

The district’s chronic absenteeism rate was 60.9% last school year — compared to 62% before the pandemic

Despite the progress, Detroit’s chronic absenteeism rate remains substantially higher than the statewide average of 28% – much of that due to the major social and economic barriers for children in the city and others like it, said Singer.

“We know schools can make progress,” said Singer, “but they alone cannot solve the issue.”

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Michigan’s chronic absenteeism rate drops but is still above pre-pandemic levels

2025-09-17T20:58:24+00:00

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Nearly 28% of Michigan students were chronically absent during the 2024-25 school year, the third consecutive year the rate has dropped.

But the rate is still significantly higher than it was before the pandemic began, when 19.7% of students were chronically absent during the 2018-19 school year, according to data released Wednesday by the state Center for Educational Performance and Information.

Chronic absence, which impedes students’ ability to learn and creates instability in the classroom, is a concern in a state where academic performance has been lackluster.

“It’s important for communities to continue to collaborate to emphasize the importance of good attendance and assist children most in need of attendance support,” State Superintendent Michael Rice said in a statement Wednesday.

Students are considered chronically absent in Michigan if they miss 10% of the school year, or roughly 18 or more days in a typical 180-day year.

Michigan had one of the highest rates of chronic absenteeism in the nation at the height of the pandemic, when the rate was 38.5% during the 2021-22 school year. The rate dropped to 30.8% in 2022-23 and 29.5% in 2023-24.

The state’s progress last year was similar to the previous two years, said Jeremy Singer, assistant professor of educational leadership and policy at the University of Michigan-Flint.

Singer, who has conducted extensive research on attendance via Wayne State University’s Detroit Partnership for Education Equity and Research, or Detroit PEER, said that progress still is slower than “we want to see on average.”

“But obviously it’s a good thing to see things moving in the right direction.”

A Chalkbeat analysis of the data found:

263 district and charter schools had chronic absenteeism rates above 36%, which Singer considers “very high.” The average rate among those districts and charters was 51%.
The highest rate of chronic absenteeism, nearly 93%, belongs to Blended Learning Academies Credit Recovery High School, a charter school, which appears to have campuses in Lansing and Livonia..
Nearly half of Black students statewide were chronically absent during the 2024-25 school year, compared to 34% of Hispanic students, 34% of Native American students, 20% of Asian American students, and 21% of white students. The rate for Black students is above the pre-pandemic level of 39% in 2018-19.

Despite the problem, more than half of the school leaders who responded to a statewide survey by researchers at Detroit PEER said they haven’t received any guidance from their districts on how to improve students’ attendance.

Even among those who did receive guidance, just 13% said the guidance was very helpful, Singer said.

“That might be because the guidance is unclear, or maybe it’s because they feel like what is being recommended isn’t working as well as they were hoping.”

Still, simply providing stronger guidance won’t solve the problem, because schools alone can’t solve chronic absenteeism, something Singer and research partner Sarah Winchell Lenhoff, the Detroit PEER director, made clear in a book they released earlier this year.

“I do think clear guidance can help, especially if it helps schools be thoughtful about what strategies they prioritize and how they allocate their resources,” he said..

Detroit PEER sent surveys to around 2,700 school leaders across Michigan. About 41%, or 1,143, replied, giving the researchers a broad look at how schools in the state are addressing chronic absenteeism. The research is ongoing, but initial findings were recently released.

Districts serving impoverished communities have more to overcome

A lack of accessible transportation, parents’ inflexible work schedules, health concerns, and unsafe routes to school have long contributed to high levels of chronic absenteeism in impoverished communities.

The negative effects of the pandemic, which disproportionately hit low-income households, exacerbated existing systemic inequities.

Michigan’s recently released data, however, shows many of the districts with the most to overcome outpaced the rest of the state in improving attendance – like the Detroit school district.

Before the pandemic, the Detroit Public Schools Community District, where 84% of students come from low-income homes, made progress reducing absenteeism with wraparound services for families, hiring attendance agents, and community partnerships.

That momentum was lost in the 2021-22 school year, when the rate of chronic absenteeism shot up to 76.7% in the school system largely due to quarantine rules at the time.

Last year, for the first time, students in the district were chronically absent at a lower rate than in the years preceding the pandemic, the state’s new data shows.

In 2024-25, 60.9% of students in the district missed 10% or more of days in the school year. The rate was 1.2 percentage points lower compared to the 2018-19 school year – the last year before COVID upended in-person instruction.

The school system has used a multilayered approach to improve attendance in the years since then , including connecting directly with families to help meet their needs, fostering more partnerships, financial incentives for students, and installing laundry machines at schools, among others.

In the Lansing Public School District, where more than 87% of students are from low-income homes, the absenteeism rate is also now lower than it was before the pandemic. The percentage of kids missing too much school has dramatically decreased from high rates in the early days of COVID.

In the 2021-22 school year, more than 90% of students in the district were chronically absent. Last year, the rate decreased by nearly 38 percentage points.

The district uses a tiered system of support for kids who are at risk of missing too much school with classroom, school, and district-level strategies. The system ranges from informing families on how they can ask for help managing barriers to creating attendance success plans.

Classroom teachers reward students who improve their attendance. At the school level, families of students who are missing three to four days of school a month may get wake-up robo calls as a “friendly nudge.” At the district level, administrators follow-up on referrals to the Office of School Culture’s Attendance Team to set up parent and student meetings.

“We are so proud of our students, families, and educators, who have focused deeply on making every day count and having as many of our students show up to learn,” Benjamin Shuldiner, superintendent of the district, told Chalkbeat in an email.

Some districts improve attendance with mental health supports, accountability

James E. Anderson, superintendent of Wyandotte Public Schools, told Chalkbeat mental health concerns have been the cause of many instances of chronic absenteeism since the pandemic.

“More and more students are having anxiety about something at school,” he said. “It may be peer-to-peer interaction or not wanting to get back into the habit of going to school everyday.”

That aligns with what researchers have learned from the Detroit PEER survey. Researchers provided a list of 33 potential barriers and asked the school leaders to select the top five most common. The survey responses found 43% of school leaders selected mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression, as a top barrier.

Chronic absenteeism in the suburban school district jumped to 45.7% in the 2021-22 school year – more than 20 percentage points higher compared to the years before COVID. Last school year, the rate stabilized at 27.8%.

Anderson said the district addresses absenteeism with a simple system.

When students are absent five times, they receive a letter breaking down how many days of school they will miss by the end of the year if they continue missing days at their current rate.

By 10 absences, administrators ask for a meeting with the students’ family to determine what challenges they are facing. The district connects the students with resources based on their needs, such as school or community-based mental health services or arranging transportation, like carpools with neighbors.

At 15 absences, a ticket is issued via a local ordinance. Families must then appear in court to explain why students aren’t getting to school. In some cases, fees are issued.

Statewide survey show schools taking similar approaches

Initial findings from the Detroit PEER research indicate that there is little differentiation between schools in how they’re addressing chronic absenteeism.

“Schools are looking at and are approaching the issue relatively similarly,” Singer said.

Singer said he isn’t sure yet whether that’s a good or a bad thing.

“It worries me a little bit because I think what it communicates is that schools are still trying to figure out how to solve it and so they’re doing a lot of everything.”

The report noted that “the most common practices centered on communication, social-emotional learning, and mental health support” but that “resource-intensive practices like home visits or arranging transportation were less common.”

The least common practices, Singer said, are strategies related to improving conditions within schools so that students have a more positive experience.

“That’s something that’s within the school’s control,” Singer said.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Sept. 18, 2025: This story was updated with a comment from Superintendent Nikolai Vitti.

Detroit school district leaders ask Education Secretary Linda McMahon to preserve Title I funding

2025-09-09T19:36:31+00:00

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Detroit school district leaders expressed the need to protect federal assistance for schools serving students from low-income homes during a private meeting with Education Secretary Linda McMahon at Renaissance High School on Monday, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti told Chalkbeat.

The brief sit-down with McMahon, which included Vitti and two Detroit Public Schools Community District board members, was part of the education secretary’s nationwide “Returning Education to the States Tour,” which is focused on defending her plans to dismantle the Department of Education. Critics say the stop is the most recent example of the education secretary publicly touting the services the federal government provides to vulnerable students while at the same time working to cut the programs that offer support.

McMahon also visited Pembroke Academy, Washington Parks Academy, and Hillsdale Academy charter schools, and gave a speech at Hillsdale College, where she criticized university diversity efforts. Only the Pembroke Academy visit was open to members of the media, the Detroit News reported.

State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, a Democrat from Royal Oak, told Chalkbeat McMahon’s stops at Michigan schools should have been open to the public so community members could ask questions about federal education policy.

“You don’t have to hold a secret meeting if you’re doing something good,” she said of McMahon’s sit-down with leaders from DPSCD.

McMorrow added that the education secretary chose a school in a district that serves a predominantly Black student body and stands to lose crucial federal assistance for a photo opportunity.

“They are using kids as pawns for a photo opportunity and then turning around and slashing funding,” said McMorrow.

Since McMahon was confirmed as education secretary in March, the department has slashed staff that enforced student civil rights, rescinded guidance on English learners’ rights, proposed cuts to competitive grants aimed at improving literacy, and wiped out dollars for education research.

Detroit Federation of Teachers President Lakia Wilson-Lumpkins said in a prepared statement that she was “deeply disappointed” by McMahon’s visit given her support of the Trump administration’s proposals to cut billions from the federal K-12 education budget.

“These visits are nothing more than staged photo opportunities designed to sell policies that will hurt our students and our schools ... at a time when Detroit children need smaller class sizes, better resources, and stronger supports,” she said.

Jennifer Mrozowski, senior director of strategic communications and external relations for the research and advocacy group Education Trust-Midwest, said in a prepared statement the Education Department’s focus on “returning education to the states” raises “serious concerns.”

“Shifting core responsibilities—such as civil rights enforcement, Title I funding, and student loan protections—entirely to the states risks widening opportunity gaps and undermining consistent standards, particularly for students from low-income backgrounds, students of color, English learners, and students with disabilities,” she said in the statement.

At Renaissance High School, McMahon’s stop included “a walkthrough of classrooms and then a conversation in a separate room where Secretary McMahon asked ways that the federal government can better assist schools and districts,” Vitti said in an email.

The superintendent and the board members also discussed the need for more flexibility of funding to allow the district to increase teacher salaries and make improvements to school buildings, Vitti said.

State Rep. Matt Hall, the Republican speaker of the House, was also in attendance for McMahon’s visit to Renaissance.

Photos of the visit released by the Education Department show DPSCD board members Ida Carol Simmons-Short and Steve Bland Jr. there as well.

Bland told Chalkbeat in an email the work McMahon and Hall saw students doing in Renaissance classrooms highlighted the opportunities state and federal funding can provide children.

The board member said he used the visit to tell the education secretary and Hall that both the federal government and the state have a responsibility to ensure equity for Black students.

Simmons-Short did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the visit.

The Department of Education released this image of a private meeting between DPSCD Superintendent Nikolai Vitti, two board members, Education Secretary Linda McMahon, and State Rep. Matt Hall on Monday.

Board member Sherry Gay-Dagnogo told Chalkbeat that though she supports the idea of communicating and compromising across the aisle, she chose to skip the visit to Renaissance.

“Due to the lack of a concrete agenda to include concerns from our district, I felt it best to respect our Detroit Caucus Members, many of which were protesting the fact that they have struggled to lock in a budget that doesn’t adversely impact our students,” Gay-Dagnogo said in a text message.

The board member said representatives had contacted her to express the challenges they’ve had with Hall in negotiating a state education budget.

The Michigan legislature missed the July 1 deadline to adopt a state budget, leaving local districts to adopt their own budgets without knowing if they will have to make later cuts. Republicans and Democrats each blame each other for the delay, saying negotiations have stalled.

In May, the Democratic-controlled Senate approved a proposed education budget that would increase per-pupil, as well as at-risk funding, and would continue programs like free school meals.

The Republican-controlled House proposed a plan that would give one lump sum to districts to use as they see fit instead of allocating dollars to specific programs. Democrats argue the House proposal would risk programs that benefit the state’s most vulnerable children.

According to Vitti, during McMahon’s visit, Hall told a board member the state budget would be completed “in time to ensure school districts had their funding.”

Hall did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the status of budget negotiations.

Typically, state education funds are distributed starting in October each year. State lawmakers must adopt a budget by Oct. 1 to prevent a government shutdown.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Detroit school district approves proposed charter school for struggling youth

2025-09-08T19:41:41+00:00

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The Detroit school district has approved a new charter school to serve students experiencing homelessness, chronic absenteeism, and interactions with the juvenile justice system.

Purpose Charter Academy, which is expected to open for prekindergarten through eighth grade students in the 2026-27 school year, will aim to “reengage disconnected youth,” according to the Detroit Public Schools Community District, or DPSCD. Projected enrollment for the charter the year it opens is 225 students. By 2029-30, it’s expected to be 400.

Since Superintendent Nikolai Vitti took the helm of the school system in 2017, DPSCD has authorized fewer charter schools. At the time, he said he wanted the district to use its resources to improve its traditional public schools.

Entities, such as school districts and community colleges, can authorize charters, meaning they approve charter applications and monitor the schools’ contract compliance.

More than half of school-age children in the city attend charter schools, with 62 charters in Detroit, according to state data compiled in May.

As the number of charters in the city and its suburbs increased over the last 30 years, enrollment in the Detroit district declined. But, rather than competing for students, Vitti said Purpose Charter Academy’s model could address student needs that are not otherwise met in the school system.

According to the charter’s development team, the most vulnerable student populations in Detroit often face significant and overlapping barriers in traditional public schools. The charter aims to combine targeted interventions, wraparound support, and culturally responsive programming that will allow the flexibility necessary to meet the students’ needs.

The new charter will be comparable to an alternative education program run by educators with trauma-informed training.

The Detroit district currently has one alternative education campus for kids in grades 6-12, which can enroll up to 500 students each year. There is no such program for children in the lower grades in the school system.

“A single school where the Board of Directors, budget and staff are all focused on serving the most at risk students allows a unique level of focus and program design around supporting deep-rooted trauma and instability that is not always easily achievable in a larger district with multiple other priorities,” he said in an email.

Detroit’s poverty rate is nearly three times higher than the national average. Nearly 85% of students in the Detroit district are identified as being from low-income households.

About 455 children experienced homelessness in Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park last year, according to a January point-in-time count by the city. The count is an estimate and provides a snapshot of how many people experience homelessness on one night.

In the 2024-25 school year, more than 60% of DPSCD students were chronically absent, Vitti said at a recent board meeting.

Staffing requirements at the charter will focus on specialized expertise, such as staff with knowledge of the juvenile justice system and trauma-informed care, according to the district. The charter will be better positioned to coordinate services through other agencies such as shelters, courts, and mental health providers, according to plans for the school.

The main reason the district can’t implement the same model is cost, Vitti said.

“The District is not in a position to expand alternative education options for K-8 when the cost of those programs is typically much higher than traditional school settings,” said Vitti.

The charter plans to work with the district to enroll students in the school system when they are ready to return to a traditional school setting.

The nine-member development team behind Purpose Charter Academy includes Michigan Third Circuit Court Judge Cylenthia LaToye Miller, attorney Lamar Moreland, as well as educators, mental health practitioners, and civic leaders, said Board member Sherry Gay-Dagnogo.

The development team has not yet determined if the charter will be self-managed or if a management company will be chosen to operate the school, according to the district.

Charters, also known as public school academies, are public schools and must follow state and federal education law. In Michigan, anyone can operate a charter. The operator handles key functions, such as hiring teachers and managing payroll. Many charter schools in the state hire for-profit companies to fill the role.

The Detroit district’s board voted in July to approve a three-year contract with Purpose Charter Academy. The charter must meet all of the state’s requirements before the contract is signed.

The board also voted last month to approve a lease agreement for the charter to use its vacant school building formerly occupied by the Detroit Lions Academy on East Canfield Street.

The charter will pay 9% of the per-pupil state funding it receives by 2028-29 for the lease. There will be an option for the charter to buy the property through August 2028.

The district will get a 3% fee for authorizing the charter, which would amount to around $81,000 in 2026-27, according to a financial analysis.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Michigan introduces new requirements for teaching English learners as federal support is rolled back

2025-09-04T22:03:40+00:00

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As the Trump administration pulls back support for English language learners, Michigan is rolling out new requirements for schools to educate such students.

Starting this school year, Michigan districts will be required to meet minimums of specialized instructional time for English learners. Districts will risk losing state funding allocated for those students if they do not comply.

State Superintendent Michael Rice also reminded local school leaders in a recent memo that the Trump administration’s revocation last month of guidance that spelled out the rights of more than 5 million English learners in the U.S. does not “alter the rights of students under Michigan law.”

Even without the guidance, federal legal protections for English learners remain.

In Michigan, there are more than 104,000 English learners, which make up about 7.3% of the total student population.

“Although federal protections may seem fragile, Michigan’s commitment to fairness and access in education remains steadfast,” he said in the memo to school leaders. “The legal protections afforded by our state have not changed, and Michigan continues to uphold the principles of inclusion and non-discrimination for all students.”

Still, some advocates fear the rescission of the guidance will cause confusion for local schools and weaken federal oversight of students’ rights. Educators say the guidance was a key part of determining what schools are required to do for students – without it, they fear English learners across the state will see a reduction in services or go without.

Jennifer Mrozowski, senior director of strategic communications and external relations at the research and advocacy group Education Trust-Midwest, said the rollback of the guidance “is a step backwards.”

“It builds upon the Trump administration’s ongoing and immoral attacks on not only public education but on our most vulnerable students,” she said.

An Education Department spokesperson told Chalkbeat it rescinded the 2015 Dear Colleague letter “because it is not aligned with Administration priorities.”

The rollback of the guidance comes as the Education Department considers winding down an online toolkit for helping English learners and the Trump administration proposed phasing out Title III funding for English language education, among other measures.

Earlier this year, the federal government ended the decades-old practice of treating schools and child care centers as “protected” locations where immigration arrests would not occur. The policy change left many families in Michigan in fear of dropping off and picking up their kids from school.

Immigration crackdowns have affected Michigan students in recent months, including the deportation of a Western International High School student in Detroit.

Samantha Magdaleno, executive director of youth-led immigrant rights organization One Michigan, said President Donald Trump’s actions send the message that immigrant students are not welcome in schools.

“We should be focused on helping children and giving them an education,” she said. “This is a basic human right.”

Michigan schools have four years to meet staffing needs for educating English learners

In addition to Michigan’s existing laws protecting language access for students, this year will be the first that local districts will have to follow specific requirements for educating English learners.

Last year, the Democrat-controlled Michigan legislature amended the state school aide act to require schools to provide English learners with a mandatory number of minutes in language instruction.

Federal law and precedent do not require schools to provide any particular kind or amount of service, nor did the rescinded guidance.

The Michigan Department of Education, or MDE, and Michigan’s English Learner Advisory Committee created the framework for the new requirements. Their recommendations were based on a review of settlements and agreements from 24 federal civil rights complaints over the last 20 years in multiple states. One of the cases was a 2014 complaint against the Crestwood School District in Dearborn Heights.

Settlements made between all of the school districts and the federal Education Department included plans to implement appropriate hours of language instruction from teachers with additional training in multilingual education.

Michigan’s new requirements for students with lower proficiency in English include at least 150 minutes of language acquisition instruction, provided separately from other classes with a teacher with multilingual or bilingual education credentials. Another 150 minutes can be integrated into general education classrooms, and it may include working with a second teacher endorsed in English as a second language education.

Students with higher proficiency levels are only required to receive 150 minutes a week in either type of classroom setting.

Those who are phased out of English language programs after reaching proficiency must be monitored for four years after fully integrating into general education classrooms.

Students’ English language proficiency is based on results from annual assessments given to newcomers to the U.S., students who change districts, and those who are identified by educators as potential English learners.

The new required minimums likely mean some districts will have to hire or train more multilingual teachers. School systems without enough teachers to meet the requirements must have a plan to hire more staff in four years or less, according to the MDE.

Districts will be required to submit reports on how they use state funding for English learners to the MDE each year. If districts do not comply, the MDE may withhold the state funding.

Marcie Lipsitt, a Michigan education advocate who helps families with civil rights complaints, said she is skeptical that the state will be able to enforce the new requirements.

English learners have long been underserved in the state, said Lipsitt. Language barriers and immigration fears often prevent families from filing formal civil rights complaints when students don’t receive the education to which they are entitled, she added.

“As an advocate, you can’t file a complaint on behalf of someone else in Michigan like you can at the federal level,” said Lipsitt. “That’s a huge roadblock because I can’t even help protect a family by filing for them.”

Magdaleno said some of the youth she works with struggle to learn English in Michigan schools, despite existing protections.

English learners can still file federal or state complaints

English learners’ rights are not found in any one law. Instead, they come from a culmination of federal laws and court cases.

The 40-page Obama-era Dear Colleague letter listed those protections in one document.

It provided educators with examples of how schools should serve students in order to comply with the legal precedent, case law, and federal requirements it cited.

Among the framework the document laid out were common areas of noncompliance in schools, such as failing to identify and assess potential English learners, inadequate staffing, and unnecessary segregation of students. The letter also provided fixes to ensure programs’ effectiveness.

For example, the document offered a solution that many school districts found to streamline evaluating potential English learners. The guidance suggested asking parents to complete a home language survey to help assess students’ needs before school starts and testing those identified as possibly needing services within the first week of class to minimize disruptions.

English learners may still file complaints about their education because the legal protections cited in the letter remain in place.

The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights handles such cases, but many parents and advocates report their complaints have been stagnant since the Trump administration laid off the staff of seven of its 12 civil rights enforcement offices in March. One of those closed was the Cleveland office, which handled cases for Michigan and Ohio.

Also in March, the Trump administration laid off nearly every staff member tasked with ensuring states and schools properly spent hundreds of millions of federal dollars earmarked to help educate the more than 5 million English learners in the U.S.

English learners may also file complaints of discrimination based on race or country of origin with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, which enforces the state’s civil rights laws.

Michigan’s 1977 Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on race and national origin in educational institutions. Michigan’s 2023 Meaningful Language Access to State Services Act also requires state agencies make services accessible to non-English speakers.

“Ensuring meaningful access is not only a legal issue,” Rice said in his memo to school district leaders. “It is a reflection of our shared values and our collective responsibility to the students, parents, and communities that we serve.”

Bob Wheaton, the Michigan Department of Education’s director of public and governmental affairs, told Chalkbeat the agency will review the need for any additional guidance in light of the federal changes and will “continue to provide guidance, monitoring, and technical assistance to districts to ensure clarity around compliance.”

Lipsitt said parents and community members should also take complaints to local school leaders.

“Go to your elected school boards,” she said. “Hold them accountable.”

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Detroit school district reaches 11-year high in third grade reading proficiency on state assessments

2025-08-27T23:59:33+00:00

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The percentage of third graders who met or exceeded proficiency in reading in the Detroit school district last spring reached an 11-year high, newly released state standardized test results show.

The results of the 2024-25 Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress, or M-STEP, provide a glimpse of how the Detroit Public Schools Community District’s efforts to improve literacy, including its plan to invest millions in “right to read” lawsuit settlement money, is making an impact. Much of the investment included hiring hundreds of academic interventionists to work one-on-one or in small groups with students in the early grades.

In addition to improving reading proficiency in early grades, nearly every grade in DPSCD had higher proficiency rates in math and English language arts, or ELA, on the M-STEP since the exam was first administered in 2014-15. The only exception was in third grade math, which was nearly the same proficiency rate it was in 2018-19.

“The results for Detroit are pretty encouraging and stand out quite a bit from statewide trends,” said Tara Kilbride, assistant director for research at the Education Policy Innovation Collaborative.

Just half of the school-age children who live in Detroit attend district schools. Most of the rest attend charter schools in the city, suburban charters and district schools, or private schools.

A Chalkbeat analysis of M-STEP results for Detroit students found similar rates of overall proficiency in DPSCD, city charters, as well as suburban charter schools located in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb County where Detroit students make up more than half of the enrollment.

In math, 12.3% of DPSCD students and 12.7% of students in city charters were proficient or advanced last school year.. For students in suburban charter schools that were part of the analysis, 9.1% were at or above proficient.

In Detroit charter schools, overall reading proficiency was 5 percentage points higher than in DPSCD. For suburban charter school students, 16.2% were proficient or advanced.

The year-over-year changes in growth in both math and reading were about the same in city charters and in DPSCD. Suburban charter schools also saw growth in proficiency compared to the previous year, though the percentage point increases were slightly smaller than for schools in the city.

Kilbride said the similarities in the year-over-year growth could indicate “whatever is working in Detroit might be working in the city in general.”

Statewide, proficiency rates on the M-STEP are still lower compared to the years before COVID in all subject areas and grades except eighth grade English language arts.

“Last year we once again showed more improvement than the state average and we only represent 3.5% of that statewide average which means that we are doing something differently and better to raise student achievement than most school districts in Michigan,” Superintendent Nikolai Vitti told Chalkbeat in an email Wednesday.

LaTrice McClendon, a DPSCD board member, said the district will continue to build on its literacy plan this school year, but did not give any details on what that will look like.

“The school board has set ambitious student achievement goals through our updated 2027 strategic plan, and we look forward to continuing the process of problem solving with the superintendent on how to reach those goals while holding him accountable to their obtainment as well,” she said.

Though there has been steady incremental improvement across all grade levels in most subject areas in the Detroit school district, it still falls far behind statewide averages. For example, an average of nearly 39% of all Michigan third graders were proficient or above in reading, while the rate was just under 13% in DPSCD.

Jeremy Singer, assistant professor of educational leadership and policy at the University of Michigan-Flint and research affiliate at Wayne State University’s Detroit Partnership for Education Equity & Research, said the DPSCD “deserves a lot of credit for investing thoughtfully,” because research shows there is a direct link between poverty and proficiency rates.

Students in Detroit face more systemic challenges than others in the state, such as poverty, high rates of chronic absenteeism, more frequently moving to new schools, and historically inequitable funding.

Michigan public school students in grades 3 through 7 take the M-STEP in English language arts and math each spring. In fifth grade, students also take the M-STEP in science and social studies. The PSAT is given to eighth graders in English language arts and math, and the SAT is given to 11th graders in the same subjects.

In the 2019-20 school year, the exams were not given to students due to disruptions from school closures during the pandemic. The tests were optional in the 2020-21 school year.

Students considered ‘at-risk’ continue to struggle to catch up

Though on average, the Detroit district has improved proficiency rates, Kilbride said there is more variation in the levels of student achievement since the pandemic, meaning there are bigger gaps between the highest and lowest performing students. The same is true across the state.

Peri Stone-Palmquist, co-executive director of the Student Advocacy Center of Michigan, said more families are experiencing homelessness and financial distress than before the pandemic.

“It’s great that these scores are a slight increase, but I think we got work to do,” she said.

A lower percentage of English learners were at or above proficiency in English language arts in DPSCD compared to the previous year, a decrease of 2 percentage points.

There were, however, big increases in proficiency rates for English learners in math, science, and social studies compared to the 2023-24 school year.

The same was true for students with disabilities, with a small decline in English language arts proficiency and increases in the other subject areas.

Some key takeaways from the data

Overall, 15.4% of district students in grades 3-8 were proficient or above in English language arts in 2024-25, an increase of 1.53 percentage points compared to the previous year.

In math, 12.3% of all district students in grades 3-8 were proficient or above, which represents an increase of 1.3 percentage points from 2023-24.

Vitti said on Wednesday the district must “stay focused and disciplined” to accelerate academic improvements.

“One of the best ways to accomplish that goal is to improve student attendance,” he said.

In the 2024-25 school year, more than 60% of DPSCD students were chronically absent, Vitti said at a recent board meeting.

“The DPSCD blueprint for student achievement improvement is verified; we just need to continue refining it while ensuring more students attend school consistently, this will lead to greater acceleration of the progress we are seeing,” said Vitti.

The district’s progress is an example of a targeted investment working to improve literacy and chronic absenteeism rates, said Imani Foster, of 482 Forward, a local nonprofit focused on educational equity. She added that the district still has a “long way to go.”

“We’re not funding our schools enough,” she said. “We need to be able to pay teachers adequately, we need to be able to train them adequately, we need to be able to update all our technology.”

The district’s efforts to improve literacy continue

Last school year, the district began a three-year plan for investing $94.4 million in “right to read” lawsuit settlement money to boost early literacy.

The plan included hiring more than 200 academic interventionists to work with K-4 students one-on-one and in small groups last year.

At the district’s July board meeting, Vitti said the investment in intervention is working. The district’s diagnostic test results showed 34% of kindergarteners were at or above grade level, nearly four percentage points higher compared to the previous year, the superintendent said.

The plan for the settlement money also included reducing K-3 class size, hiring one multilingual academic interventionist for every 42 English learners, and offering more reading materials for kids to take home, among other measures.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Micah Walker is a reporter covering arts and culture and education for BridgeDetroit. You can reach her at mwalker@bridgedetroit.com.

Correction: Aug. 28, 2025: A previous version of this story said Jeremy Singer’s title was assistant professor of educational leadership and policy studies at Wayne State University. The story has been updated to reflect he is now an assistant professor of educational leadership and policy at the University of Michigan-Flint and a research affiliate at Wayne State University’s Detroit Partnership for Education Equity & Research.

First day excitement as metro Detroit students return to school

2025-08-25T14:44:29+00:00

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It was a nippy August morning outside Richards Middle School in Fraser, but the arrival of the fall-like chill didn’t stop the back-to-school fashion show on the first day.

Girls wore their jean shorts, tinsel glittering in their hair, and boys donned their basketball shorts, artfully paired with socks and sandals. Several clutched Alani Nu energy drinks as they hurried to the school gymnasium for a quick introductory assembly.

For half of the students sitting in the gym, the eighth graders, middle school is the last stop on the way to high school. And for the seventh graders, it’s the next stop after elementary school.

For the 30 minutes before the assembly started, the gym was a cacophony of student voices. In the tweenager stage of their lives, the middle-schoolers lived up to some of the stereotypes of their age: Boys and girls mostly sat in separate groups. Moms kissed stoic kids outside of school. Braces abounded. Someone shouted, “I have a boyfriend!” to teachers.

Shatara Johnson kisses her daughter, Katelyn Roney, on Monday at Richards Middle School. It was Katelyn's first day of seventh grade.

But eighth-grader Elijah, 12, excited for his first algebra class, said middle school is not all awkward or challenging.

“It’s not as hard as some people say,” he said.

These scenes of excitement and jitters played out across metro Detroit as students returned for the first day of school. But the first day also was clouded with concern as an ongoing impasse among lawmakers over the state budget has meant school district leaders are still uncertain about how their schools will be funded.

Michigan lawmakers have been unable to agree to a budget, with the House and Senate both far apart in their proposals for funding schools. As a result, some school district leaders have made staffing cuts, according to a recent survey of school officials.

The impasse is happening during a school year for which there is a growing chorus of people calling for change. High rates of chronic absenteeism and lackluster student performance on state and national exams, have led to renewed criticism of the state’s school system. Even Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, during an address earlier this year, said low literacy rates are “not acceptable.”

Richards Middle School seventh grader Nikola Bilbilovski, center, sits with classmates on the bleachers as their first day of school began.

Federal policies impact southwest Detroit schools

Meanwhile, fears about how Trump administration actions, from promised cuts to federal education funding to increased immigration enforcement, have further fueled uncertainty.

The crackdown was on the minds of some students filing into Western International High School in southwest Detroit Monday. In May, a junior at the school, Maykol Bogoya-Duarte, was detained by immigration officials. In June, he was deported to his native Colombia.

Students file into Western International High School before the first bell.

Natalia Quinomez, a junior, stood in front of the school about thirty minutes before the first bell rang as she looked for a friend. Her mind was also on Maykol.

“He was about to graduate, which makes it really sad,” said Natalia. “Like, he was so close, but he was detained.”

Natalia said people in her community don’t feel safe as federal immigration crackdowns continue in the city. The school, the student said, also could have done more to make her and others feel supported after Maykol’s arrest.

As cars lined up for blocks on Scotten Street on Monday, Maria Ruvalcaba walked her daughter Camila Gallardo to her first day of her freshman year.

Ruvalcaba said (her daughter translated) that she thought the school “more or less” did well in handling Maykol’s arrest. More security at the school would make the family feel more safe, she added.

For many, worrying about immigration enforcement is nothing new, said John Henriques, a senior at Western.

“I don’t really worry that much,” he said. “It’s just normal life.”

At the Southwest Detroit school Monday morning, students were greeted by a staff member on a bullhorn as they filed into the building.

“Good morning, good morning, good morning,” he said. “It’s going to be a great year.”

Detroit International Academy for Young Women seniors Assia Kaddoumi and Aysha Uddin hug.

Aiming for continued improvement in reading and writing

The pink-and-gray lined hallways at the Detroit International Academy for Young Women were full of excitement Monday morning as clusters of girls spilled out of their classrooms to head to their next class.

“Good morning! Have a good first day!” a male and female teacher called out to the students. One girl gave the female teacher a hug before heading down the hall.

Lakesha Spears, a fifth grade social studies and English teacher at Detroit International Academy of Young Women, in her classroom on the first day of school on Aug. 25, 2025 in Detroit.

Lakesha Spears, a fifth grade social studies and English teacher at the school in the Detroit Public Schools Community District, was going around to different classrooms to check on the new teachers at DIA. Spears is in her 25th year teaching and her second year at DIA.

She said her goals for the year are to continue improving reading and writing scores for her students. Some of the strategies she uses include having students read 20 minutes a day.

“They did wonderful last year. They continued to grow in both reading and writing,” Spears said. “Fifth grade in particular did wonderful on M-STEP and i-Ready. We’re looking forward to continuing showing them some positive strategies to continue with reading growth.”

Students sit in class on the first day of school at the International Academy for Young Women.

Spears said she is enjoying her time at DIA. As a mother of two sons, teaching boys was more familiar for her, but said teaching at an all-girls school has been rewarding.

“I’ve been teaching a long time, and I’ve been waiting a long time to find a place like this where you’re happy and willing to serve. The girls are really eager to learn here. I feel like I’m a better teacher now.”

Vitti begins his ninth year as superintendent with school visits

DIA was DPSCD Superintendent Nikolai Vitti’s first stop.

As he visited classrooms and walked the halls, Vitti said he is looking forward to starting his ninth school year leading the district. He decided to visit DIA on the first day because of the school’s improvement in English, math, and social studies. Vitti recalled that when he first became superintendent in 2017, the building where DIA is housed was closed. It got rebranded as the academy.

“I think DIA is a good example of what we’re doing differently in the district,” he said. “You have your neighborhood schools, you have exam schools, but also single gender opportunities for boys and girls, and it’s just a menu of options for parents in the city.” Frederick Douglass Academy for Young Men is the district’s all-boys school.

One of Vitti’s goals for the school year is continuing to improve student attendance and achievement.

“By improving attendance, we’re going to accelerate student achievement,” he said. “We’re narrowing the gap between the district and the state, but we want to accelerate it.”

Nikolai Vitti, superintendent of Detroit Public Schools Community District, greets students in the cafeteria of Bates Academy on Monday.

As school districts wait for the state budget to be passed, Vitti said the holdup will not directly impact the district, specifically when it comes to free lunches, as those are funded through the federal government.

“I would say we’re not going to have any kind of impact unless the budget is not approved by the beginning of October,” he said. If the impasse continues beyond that, Vitti said, “we’ll have to start dipping into our reserves to fill the gap, to keep everyone employed, and to keep student programming.”

Meanwhile, when it comes to the search for Michigan’s next state superintendent, Vitti believes the three finalists–former Virginia state superintendent Lisa Coons, Dearborn Public Schools Superintendent Glenn Maleyko, or Harrison Community Schools Superintendent Judy Walton– will continue the work of current superintendent Michael Rice, who is retiring Oct. 3.

“I’m hopeful that the state superintendent, whoever he or she is, is going to advocate for equitable funding and improve statewide accountability structures throughout the state so the state can start improving academic performance,” Vitti said.

Practice makes perfect, unless you’re dealing with those tricky locks

In Fraser, nerves were on display in the seventh grade hallway as students traveled from the gym to Richards’ main seventh grade artery, a hallway flanked by narrow beige lockers. The new students were particularly bedeviled by the combination locks. One student told another that he’d practiced at home, but the twists and turns required by the elusive lock still tripped him up.

Students rose early to prepare for the 8:05 start at Richards.

Catalina Norberto, 11, woke up — though “woke up” is a stretch, as Norberto said she could barely sleep because she was “overthinking everything” — at 5 a.m. to prepare and call her friend Marley Franchi, 12. The pair said they are particularly nervous about learning how to switch classes.

“I have a class upstairs. I’m scared,” Marley said.

Fraser is a suburban school district of about 4,400 students down from nearly 5,300 in 2015, according to state data. Fewer students means less per-pupil funding, though overall funding levels have risen with recent state budgets. But a school bond approved by Fraser voters in 2023 means that Richards has a new HVAC system, roof, and cafeteria this year. The school bond money makes them fortunate, said Principal Huston Julian. (Not all districts can successfully persuade voters to approve bond money).

“Our community has always supported our schools,” he said.

But the unknowns around the state budget still concern the district, said Kristin Sommer, a district spokeswoman. The district is particularly interested in whether lawmakers will approve universal school meals again, as the proportion of Fraser students eating free breakfast and lunch has risen with the Michigan School Meals program.

Richards Middle School seventh grader Kayla Pittman, center, looks over a friend's class schedule during at Richards Middle School.

In Richards’ seventh grade hallways, students found their first period class, consulting adults eager to help them crack the school’s layout. About 30 students sat in Andy Brodi’s first hour science class as it began. When Brodi first began teaching in 1998, he said even 25 students in a class seemed like a lot. In 2025, around 30 is the norm, and “it’s not a big deal,” he said.

On Monday, Brodi acknowledged to his students that he probably felt the same way as many of them did: With 180 faces, of course he had some first day jitters.

“It’s such an overwhelming thing,” Brodi later said. “They’re seeing seven teachers for the first time, they’re seeing 300 different kids. … It’s more just a comfort level the first day, just to know that we want them here and we can’t wait to teach them.”

Lily Altavena is a reporter for the Detroit Free Press. You can reach her at laltavena@freepress.com.

Hannah Dellinger is a reporter for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org

Micah Walker is a reporter for BridgeDetroit. You can reach her at mwalker@bridgedetroit.com.

The Detroit school district is ramping up enrollment and student retention efforts. Will it pay off?

2025-08-19T22:49:50+00:00

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Despite the summer heat, Toyia Diab came out to the Summer on the Block at Pulaski Elementary-Middle School to learn what it had to offer the four grandchildren she had in tow.

The family made their way to about a dozen tables snaking around the lawn on the side of the school. Diab listened to staff from the Detroit school district detail all of its resources over the pulsing base of loud music.

Diab’s family was one of many the Detroit Public Schools Community District courted this summer as part of its efforts to retain families and boost enrollment. With the loss of more than 92,000 students in the last 20 years, district officials devote some of the summer break each year to getting word out about what the city’s schools have to offer.

A group of people contracted to canvass for the Detroit Public Schools Community District meet at the Detroit School of Art to get their assignments for the day.

This year, the district ramped up efforts. It sent 40 people to canvas communities and held 19 events to create excitement about the start of school — nearly double that of previous years. It also started new initiatives, such as putting up billboards around the city. In all, the school system budgeted around $3.5 million for marketing this year. School starts Aug. 25.

Though the district has “done a fairly good job” of recruiting new students in previous years, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti told school board members at a meeting earlier this month that the main challenge is keeping them.

As a result, this year the school system also has focused on reenrollment rates. Those numbers have become a metric the district uses to “hold schools accountable,” Vitti said, though he didn’t share how many students the district typically loses during the school year.

“We have emphasized … the need to improve customer service and parent engagement, so that parents feel more welcome,” he said. “And we fight harder to keep students at the schools that they’re at, rather than having more of an attitude of, ‘Well, if you don’t like it here, then you can find another school.’”

Sharlonda Buckman, assistant superintendent of family and community engagement, told Chalkbeat the district has seen a lot of “good signs” for this school year because of the number of people her office reached in the summer.

“It’s noticeable for me, and I’ve been at this for a long time,” she said. “We’ll see what that boils down to, in terms of enrollment.”

This year, Buckman said nearly 5,000 people went to the Summer on the Block events, parties held at schools that both serve as a vehicle to sell families on sending their kids to the district and connect them with free resources.

“As a parent, you have to bring your kids to school every day in order to get the education that they need,” Diab said at the Pulaski back-to-school event. “But then you’ll find some schools, they just don’t have enough resources to keep them interested to come to school, to stay in school.”

All of the district’s summer efforts produced 532 leads on parents interested in enrolling their kids by mid-August. Around 80 of those students completed enrollment, according to the district.

Though initial enrollment numbers are up, officials say, the full impact of the district’s efforts won’t be known until the end of the 2025-26 school year.

Myriad factors have affected enrollment in DPSCD

Boosting student numbers has been among the district’s top priorities for years.

The numbers of students attending schools are crucial for districts in Michigan, where school funding is tied to enrollment.

Now that COVID relief dollars are gone and the federal government has signaled it will not renew various other funding sources, districts are bracing to rely more on local money.

A number of factors affected the district’s enrollment over the years, including population declines in the city, lower birthrates, the state’s emergency management of the district, and the pandemic. The district also faces competition from Detroit charter schools, where around half of kids in the city go to school.

High student mobility rates, or the rate at which kids move to different homes, contribute to the district’s difficulty in keeping children enrolled. Chronic absenteeism rates also have a direct impact on enrollment.

Enrollment in the district was more than 156,000 in the 2002-03 school year. Last year, it was 49,000.

When DPSCD was created and the school system began being phased out of emergency management in the 2017-18 school year, enrollment shot up to more than 50,800 from 45,700 during the 2016-17 school year.

Tanya Shelton, a canvasser for the district, and Kenneth Chapman Sr., the assistant director of enrollment, family, and community engagement, visit homes in northwest Detroit.

The district has struggled to move the needle much since, especially after drops during pandemic-era school closures and the years that followed.

At the beginning of this month, there were 50,890 students enrolled in the district, Vitti said at the board meeting.

“We have about 1,400 more students than we did at the end of the year enrolled in DPSCD as of today, and about 500 more as compared to the first day of school,” he said, adding that “ “enrollment is trending in a positive direction.”

Early enrollment numbers for the district are usually higher than official headcounts made in October. The number of students recorded on “Count Day” is used by the state to calculate funding for districts.

Making the case for DPSCD face-to-face

Three days before the Summer on the Block at Pulaski, more than 20 people squeezed into a sun-filled classroom at the Detroit School of Arts.

The group was contracted by the district to canvas homes in areas where attendance is low compared to the number of school-aged children living there.

This summer, the district sent canvassers to more than 78,000 homes to inform families about its schools and programs.

The group at the School of Arts was gathered to get their assignments for the day. They waited to pick up hand-out materials, including fliers listing Summer on the Block dates and pamphlets highlighting programs at application schools.

Tanya Shelton and her son, David, pick up the materials they will hand out while canvassing.

To get the energy up in the classroom before they headed out, the canvassers stood up to form a circle. Buckman, the assistant superintendent, asked them to share what they heard door-knocking.

“We’re getting a good response in terms of some of those students coming back to the district,” said one woman.

Others expressed residents’ hesitations to open their doors or to give their contact information for the district to follow up with them.

Laura Gomez, who has been canvassing for three years, said through a translator that this summer has been different in southwest Detroit, which is home to many immigrant and newcomer families.

People in the neighborhood say they have seen more community members detained and deported in recent months, including a student at Western International High School.

“There are some people that are really happy we’re going out to the houses because that way they don’t have to leave their home because they don’t feel safe,” she said.

After the canvassers broke out into teams, they drove to the areas they were assigned to for the day.

Tanya Shelton and her son, David, arrived in the Crary St. Mary’s neighborhood in the northwest corner of the city.

“We’ll ask them what school district are they in, and if they are interested in DPSCD, we give some information on it,” she said as she made her way down a long block adjacent to the Southfield Freeway.

In her conversations with families, Shelton said the district’s free school lunches piqued their interest. Other canvassers said parents were interested in learning more about the academic interventionists available to students.

Most of the doors Shelton knocked on that day, though, went unanswered. She left the district’s literature at dozens of houses.

Families weigh programming, academics, and transportation in selecting schools

At Pulaski’s Summer on the Block Alexa Franco-Garcia saw more students signing up to attend the school than she has in past years.

“Right now, I have three enrollment packets in my hand, so that means they’ve completed enrollment,” she said during a break from talking with families.

Another three parents left their contact information and said they would return the paperwork the next day.

Considering it was about 30 minutes into the event, that was a strong number, said Franco-Garcia, who works in the Office of Family and Community Engagement.

In her time working in the district, Franco-Garcia has learned what kinds of questions families ask: They want to know about the curriculum, extracurricular activities, and class sizes. They wonder whether their children will be supported in special education and if they will get a bus ride to school.

Patrice McCall and seventh grader Brendon, right, learn about DPSCD's heath hubs at Pulaski Elementary-Middle School's Summer on the Block event.

Most of the sign-ups at the Pulaski event were for kindergartners who were new to the district, Franco-Garcia said.

Enrolling early learners is one of the districts’ top growth strategies.

There were 457 students enrolled in prekindergarten by the beginning of August, according to the district, up about 10 compared to the same time last year.

Diab, the grandmother, brought four kids ages 5 to 12 out to learn more about the school. They heard about the district’s community health hubs, parent academy, and mental health resources.

Teachers from the school gathered around a welcome table ready to answer questions as Principal Tyra R. Smith-Bell floated around talking with parents.

The fresh produce boxes, ice cream truck, free books, and kids’ activities also enticed more than 350 people to come – many more than in previous years, Buckman said.

Linn Flake was the first second-grader of the day to enroll at Pulaski, said Franco-Garcia. It would be his first experience at a neighborhood school, she added.

His mom, Roxanne Flake, chose DPSCD over the charter school Linn went to last year.

“I just wanted a different start,” she said.

The charter school didn’t provide transportation, said Flake, which was an inconvenience because she doesn’t currently have a car. But the Detroit school district offered bus service for Linn to Pulaski, the mother said.

Diab said she had more research to do before her family committed to Pulaski.

“We’re gonna come here and we’re gonna figure everything out – ask questions, all of that stuff, and then if it’s the right fit for them, then we’re gonna put them in,” she said.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Detroit school district changes volunteer policy to make exceptions for some with felony convictions

2025-08-08T23:11:34+00:00

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As community leaders worked with the City of Detroit to prevent violence in their neighborhoods last year, they came upon one big roadblock in their efforts to reach youth.

Staff and advocates of the grassroots organizations who had previous felony convictions were automatically denied volunteer opportunities in the Detroit school district, making it difficult for people who had turned their lives around to help youth avoid gangs, drugs, and violence.

Though some Detroit Public Schools Community District principals supported the organizations’ programs, the school system’s policy stopped some volunteers with prior criminal records from engaging with students.

“Some of my people, who I consider experts in their own right, I can’t really get them inside of the school,” said Ciera Reneé, programs and advocacy director for the nonprofit FORCE Detroit. “Or there’s hoops that you gotta jump through, like they can come in, but they have to be escorted.”

Ciera Reneé, programs and advocacy director for FORCE Detroit, poses for a photograph.

Now, that will no longer be the case. The district’s school board voted to change its volunteer policy last week. The district will allow those with certain felonies on their records to volunteer if they receive approval from Superintendent Nikolai Vitti or a designee.

Board Member Sherry Gay-Dagnogo said during a recent committee meeting that many community advocates “completely change their lives around” and are “making an impact with our schools.”

The district will continue to perform background checks required for all volunteers. People with felonies will be considered if they meet criteria set in the district’s administrative guidelines, which the policy says will be developed by the superintendent.

The policy change comes during a summer marked by several incidents of gun violence involving youth in the city. The shooting deaths of a 4-year-old and an 18-year-old at Skinner Park, the killing of a 16-year-old on the east side, and the shootings of three teens at an alleged illegal street gathering, led the city to enforce a new curfew and a “crackdown” on drag racing.

“That’s not something that we should have to tolerate or accept,” said Michael Peterson, program administrator of the city’s Community Violence Intervention, or CVI, program. “I think having these groups in the schools is speaking exactly to that — what could be done to prevent those instances.”

For two years, the city’s CVI program has worked with community groups in seven neighborhoods that experience higher rates of violence.

According to city officials, there has been a decrease in violence in those neighborhoods since the program began.

The community groups – which include FORCE Detroit, Detroit People’s Community, Detroit 300, New Era Community Connection, Detroit Friends & Family, and Camp Restore Detroit, among others – began specific initiatives to prevent violence by engaging youth during the last school year.

Michael Peterson, program administrator of the City of Detroit's Community Violence Intervention program poses for a photograph in his office.

Reneé said when the group held events in their west side neighborhood, community leaders noticed many of the participants were youth.

“We wanted to start focusing more on prevention,” she told Chalkbeat. “So, we thought if we went inside of the schools, there’s the biggest opportunity to reach the most amount of children.”

The group started participating in assemblies last school year at Cody High School in the city’s west side.

“We talked to them about violence and whether or not they felt safe,” said Reneé.

The group learned through student surveys that students wanted to see FORCE Detroit’s presence at their school. That prompted a lunchtime program.

“We come into the school and we engage with them,” Reneé said. “We built these relationships, and we were able to find out what some of their core needs were.”

During lunchtimes, FORCE Detroit’s staff and advocates helped monitor the kids and eventually facilitated basketball and other yard games.

“They’re not trying to find some trouble, because they got something to do,” said Reneé.

The group found talking with students one-on-one and in small groups to be more effective than in large assembly settings. She said it was easier to teach deescalation and conflict resolution tactics, and it was easier to learn what support the kids needed at home to be able to attend school. They could also hear the specific safety needs of each student, such as more patrolling by the community group in Stein Park.

Peterson said advocates from the students’ communities are likely the best voices to reach struggling youth because they share similar backgrounds and experiences.

“The messenger can make all the difference,” he said. “You can say all the right things, but if it’s not shared by the right person, it may not be received the right way.”

Michael Peterson points to neighborhoods where the city has partnered with community groups to intervene and prevent violence.

The volunteers who were denied by the district go through a separate vetting by the city before they can work with the six community organizations, said Peterson.

Before they can get involved, they undergo a background check by the police department to ensure they don’t have pending charges or any convictions related to harming or endangering children.

“Safety of the kids is always going to be the priority, so no one’s trying to skip that at all,” Peterson said.

Many of the previous convictions of some of the volunteers included drug charges, Peterson said.

In one case, a volunteer had a 20-year-old manslaughter conviction.

“This particular individual has completely changed their life around and has been nothing but a pillar in the community since then,” said Peterson. “I mean, has really gone above and beyond to try and make sure that no one else has followed in their footsteps.”

Reneé said the district’s policy change sends a message to the advocates who were previously denied by the school system that they have valuable experience and skills to help support students in need.

FORCE Detroit, as well as the other neighborhood organizations, will be able to expand their school programming this coming school year, said Peterson.

In addition to having more lunchtime volunteers, the group plans on having advocates attend re-admittance meetings for students returning from suspensions at Cody High School.

The practice will allow the group to understand trends and offer additional support to individual students.

“If they got suspended, obviously, it was for a reason,” she said. “And if there’s something that we can figure out ways to support, then I think we should be there firsthand.”

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Meet the Rev. Steven Bland Jr., the Detroit school board’s newest member

2025-08-01T21:22:14+00:00

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The Rev. Steven Bland Jr. spent Wednesday morning at a hospital counseling a family whose mother had a stroke and heart attack.

“That’s the story of my life,” he said. “Giving hope, you know, in hopeless situations.”

In the afternoon, Bland arrived at the Fisher building ahead of an academics committee meeting for the Detroit school district’s board — his first time participating in a meeting as a sworn-in board member. As the senior pastor of Liberty Temple Baptist Church for the last 21 years, Bland said he hopes to carry his connections and advocacy in the community into public service.

“I’ve met a lot of people — there’s a whole lot more I haven’t — but I’ve been a community advocate for a lot of issues on a lot of fronts,” he told Chalkbeat. “I hope to turn that into partnerships and opportunities where people can be heard.”

The Detroit Public Schools Community District board voted to select Bland to fill a vacant seat on Monday night. The seat opened last month following Angelique Peterson-Mayberry’s resignation on July 2. Bland, 65, will finish out her term through the end of 2026.

Board members are scheduled for up to 60 meetings a year, earning up to $250 a meeting.

Although he serves a congregation of about 1,800, Bland said he wanted to become a board member because of his passion for helping uplift youth.

At his church, the pastor has helped develop new opportunities for kids in his community, including a technology center that serves as a Wi-Fi hub for students in the neighborhood to do homework.

He also leads the church’s ministry, Project R.I.S.E., which stands for Rigorous Instruction to Supplement Education. The tutoring program helps kids with the subjects they are struggling in.

During the application process for the board seat, Bland said the biggest challenges for the district will be to maintain state funding in the wake of federal cuts and to address its longstanding problem with chronic absenteeism.

Bland said he’s heard through church outreach about systemic barriers that can prevent Detroit kids from getting to school regularly. Some of his ministry has addressed those gaps, such as providing winter coats and new clothes to kids.

The new board member said he created other church-school partnerships as a leader at the Council of Baptist Pastors of Detroit.

Bland said he’s been inspired by the “strong women who believe in the educational excellence of children” around him.

His mother was a leader in parent-teacher associations and a school liaison. His sister is a retired school principal. His wife, also retired, taught at John R. King Academic and Performing Arts Academy. One of his daughters graduated from Renaissance High School and now works as a consultant to educational institutions.

Bland said he is also motivated to work in public education by his two granddaughters, ages 15 and 7, who live outside of the Detroit area.

The pastor said he will consider running for reelection in 2026, with input from the other board members.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

The Rev. Steven Bland Jr. is the Detroit school district’s new board member

2025-07-29T00:27:42+00:00

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The Rev. Steven Bland Jr., the senior pastor of Liberty Temple Baptist Church and a community activist, will join the Detroit school district’s board as its new member.

Bland’s appointment was approved by the Detroit Public Schools Community District board in a vote during a special meeting Monday night at Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School.

“I’m humbled to have the privilege to serve, and I’m excited about this season for Detroit Public Schools Community District,” Bland told Chalkbeat after the meeting.

Bland was selected out of 14 candidates who applied for the position, which opened this month following Angelique Peterson-Mayberry’s resignation on July 2. He will finish out her term through the end of 2026.

Bland leads several community-based ministries and youth outreaches, including Project R.I.S.E., which stands for Rigorous Instruction to Supplement Education.

During his interview with the board, the pastor said he’s worked to improve chronic absenteeism through church outreach. He said he will continue to focus on the issue in his new position.

“If we want to educate our students, they need to be present,” he said. “And they need to be not only there physically, but help to make sure that they have proper nutrition, make sure that they have emotional stability, make sure that they have support.”

The candidates included district parents, educators, an administrator currently employed by the school system, a philanthropist, and an attorney.

They were scored on their interviews and application materials by each board member. Board Chair Bishop Corletta J. Vaughn said during the meeting the candidates’ scores were stored in sealed envelopes that were not opened until the Monday night meeting.

Scores for all of the candidates were tallied by independent third party legal counsel live on stage for more than an hour during the meeting.

Once the third party identified Bland as the candidate with the highest score, his name was announced and the board voted on his appointment.

The board voted unanimously in favor of Bland’s appointment. Board member Ida Carol Simmons-Short was not in attendance.

Bland was sworn into office after the vote

Candidate interviews took place in four public meetings last week.

Each candidate submitted a letter of intent, a resume, and responses to survey questions earlier this month. Only the survey responses have been made available to the public.

Chalkbeat asked the district for all of the materials and was told an open records request was necessary to review them. A request was filed last week, and the district responded that it needed an extension until Aug. 11 to provide the documents.

During the selection process, three candidates withdrew their applications before they were interviewed. One person dropped out as questions arose about the use of ChatGPT in application materials attributed to her.

Bland will take Peterson-Mayberry’s seat on the board’s Academic Committee. Board member Monique Bryant will take the position of chair of the committee.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Here’s what 14 candidates for the Detroit school board had to say in interviews this week

2025-07-25T21:15:36+00:00

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The 14 people vying to fill an open seat on the Detroit school district’s board said in interviews this week they want to help the district to address such issues as chronic absenteeism, improving early literacy instruction, and proposed federal funding cuts.

The candidates included district parents, religious leaders, educators, and an attorney, among others. Some were well-versed in the challenges the Detroit Public Schools Community District faces and the role of the school board in addressing them. Others stumbled on interview questions and didn’t seem as knowledgeable about the governing body’s authority.

Three candidates withdrew their applications before they were interviewed, including one who dropped out as questions arose about the use of ChatGPT in application materials attributed to her.

The board seat opened this month after Angelique Peterson-Mayberry resigned. The new member will finish out her term, which runs through the end of 2026.

Here are interview and survey responses from the 14 candidates:

Pageant Atterberry

Atterberry is the owner and executive director of New Beginnings Child Care & Academy in Detroit. She was previously on the board of the Urban League of Detroit & Southeastern Michigan.

Atterberry said one of her priorities is making the transition from day care to kindergarten in DPSCD more seamless.
Regarding creating a child-centred policy that focuses on the needs and interests of a child, Atterberry said she would start by creating a survey for students to find out what their social and emotional needs were.
Atterberry believes more professional development will help teachers better support struggling students.

Kenya Avant

Avant is senior director of performance management for DPSCD. She was previously a school council member in Massachusetts and a state-level policy analyst.

Board members asked Avant if she would resign from her position in the district if chosen for the seat, as is required by state law. Avant said she would because she wants the opportunity to shape policy.
Avant said the district should expand on existing classroom instruction models with a creative and innovative approach to reaching struggling students.
She said the district should provide access to student-level achievement data dashboards to administrative leaders, instead of only to principals and teachers, so they may better see trends and make policy changes as needed.

Sonja Beasley-Hall

Beasley-Hall is the deputy director for the faith-based youth development organization Wellspring Detroit and former professional development manager for the Michigan Afterschool Partnership.

Beasley-Hall said she wants DPSCD to implement a program similar to the Kumon curriculum used at Wellspring since it has been successful with children involved in the organization. The learning method allows each student to study at their pace, regardless of age or school grade.
She said federal funding should be used to provide additional before- and after-school tutoring programs.
One of her priorities is creating more out-of-school program opportunities for students.

The Rev. Steven Bland Jr.

Bland is the senior pastor of Liberty Temple Baptist Church in Detroit and a community activist. He leads several community-based ministries and outreach for youth.

Bland stressed the importance of working with lawmakers to maintain state funding in the wake of federal funding cuts.

He wants community input and lessons learned in other districts to help inform policies that will make the district more competitive in retaining teaching staff.
Bland said he’s worked to improve chronic absenteeism through church outreach. His church surveys families and analyzes their responses to determine which efforts are successful in getting kids more engaged in school.

Whitney Clarke

Clarke runs a child care center and is a minister. He previously served as a child advocate for the nonprofit Children’s Defense Fund and is also running as a write-in City Council candidate for Detroit’s District 5.

Clarke was asked several times about his view on the Trump administration’s intention to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, but could not say whether he supported such a move.
Clarke said staffing, budget cuts, and culture are some of the district’s challenges, but he did not elaborate on how he would fix those issues.
Clarke said he would look at factors that cause neighborhood schools to close and determine what the district can do to prevent further closings.

Jonathan Demers

Demers works as legal counsel for Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network and has two children enrolled in DPSCD. He previously was a social studies teacher in the district.

Demers said he wants to take a unified approach to being on the board, with members handling issues as a team. He added that if there are unique relationships at the state or federal level, then he wants the board to do that together.
Demers suggested a “hyper-focused, high-dosage tutoring approach” to improve early literacy.
He said DPSCD needs to better inform the public about positive stories in the district.

Debra Duren

Duren is a real estate agent and former owner of catering and cleaning businesses.

She said students need to be prepared for the future, such as learning how to use artificial intelligence, or AI.
She wants to see more mental health support for students and staff. She mentioned that schools should have quiet areas where people can take a break and decompress.
Duren wants to connect with community partners and provide a mentoring program for students. She also wants to build new partnerships with nonprofits and large corporations.

Bonzetta “Bonnie” D. Ferrell

Ferrell is assistant operations manager for Huntington Place and former administrative specialist for the Detroit Health Department.

Ferrell told the board one of the biggest challenges in the district is addressing the trauma many students survive, citing the recent shooting deaths of Detroit children.
The candidate said another challenge is family literacy engagement.
When asked how she would work with the board if she disagreed with the majority opinion, Ferrell said she would “go with the team” to get items passed. She added, “Then we might have some conversation about how we do amendments next time or something like that.”

Bessie Harris

Harris is a retired special education teacher and principal at Palmer Park Preparatory Academy. She unsuccessfully ran for the board in 2022 and in 2020.

One of the district issues Harris noted is lack of participation from parents. She wants to see more activities for parents.
Harris said additional training for teachers is key to help raise literary rates in the district.
Harris said she would take a “proactive, transparent, and community-centered approach” to help pass millage renewals in the future. She wishes to engage stakeholders, as well as parents and the community.

Shinese Johnson

Johnson is director of school-based and community programs for the Black Caucus Foundation of Michigan and founded the education consulting organization Making Education Count Group. She is currently the board president of a charter school in Livonia, but would have to resign if selected to be on the DPSCD board.

When asked what her stance on the relationship between traditional public schools and charter schools is, Johnson said, “I don’t think there’s one better than the other.”
Johnson said she would “take it to the city council” or the Michigan Department of Education when asked what board policies she would support that would help the district better compete with charter schools for enrollment.
In her survey response, Johnson said the district still faces challenges in funding, academic performance, infrastructure, and public trust.

Aliya Moore

Moore is an education advocate and district parent who addresses board members frequently with critiques and suggestions. She unsuccessfully ran for the board in 2022 and 2024.

She wants to survey parents twice a year for their critiques on the school board and central office. She also mentioned having monthly forums virtually and in person.
Moore hopes her presence on the board would help the district be more transparent with the community and rebuild trust.
She’s not satisfied with the district’s facility master plan, saying she doesn’t like that some schools are getting renovated and others are not getting the repairs needed.

Ashley Pearson

Pearson is a social services coordinator for Optalis Health and Rehabilitation Center.

She wants to expand the high school health hubs and emotional support for students.
She wants to expand the district’s efforts on chronic absenteeism, but didn’t provide specific details.
She would like to implement a mental health assessment. Pearson did not go into details on how that would be done.

Jeremiah Steen

Steen is a philanthropist and youth advocate. He created a foundation that helps teens develop career pathways. He unsuccessfully ran for the board in 2024.

Steen said his focus as a board member would be addressing the district’s enrollment crisis. He added as a Gen-Z leader he would increase youth engagement to find solutions.
Steen said one of the district’s main challenges is proposed federal funding cuts.
School closures can “devastate communities,” he said, but it is critical to talk about the future of under-enrolled schools. Steen said he would help develop alternatives, such as transforming school buildings into community hubs.

The Rev. Curtis C. Williams

Williams is the CEO of Trinity Chapel Funeral Homes in Detroit and a retired pastor. His children graduated from the district, and he previously unsuccessfully ran to be on the board.

Williams believes the board should put new policies in place to improve “poor morale” in schools and the district’s administrative office.
The candidate said in his survey responses chronic absenteeism and “low test scores” are among the main challenges the district faces.
Williams wants to see more mentorship opportunities for students in the district from local business owners and professionals. When asked by the board for specific ideas to improve mentorship opportunities for students, Williams suggested allowing students to be “hands-on” in businesses.

Each candidate submitted a letter of intent to apply for the seat, a resume, and responses to survey questions earlier this month. Only the survey responses have been made available to the public.

Chalkbeat asked the district for all of the materials and was told an open records request was necessary to review them.

That request was filed on Monday. On Tuesday, the district responded that it needed an extension of 10 business days — the maximum permitted under state open records law — to provide the documents.

The board has scored the candidates on their interviews and application materials. They will be tallied by the board’s chair and vice chair, along with an independent third party, on Friday.

Board members will vote to fill the empty seat at a public meeting starting at 5:30 p.m. on July 28 at Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Micah Walker is a reporter with BridgeDetroit. You can reach her at mwalker@bridgedetroit.com.

Amid questions over ChatGPT use, Detroit school board candidate withdraws

2025-07-24T23:58:15+00:00

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A candidate for an open seat on the Detroit public school district’s board withdrew her name from consideration as questions arose about the use of ChatGPT in her application materials.

The Detroit Public Schools Community District confirmed that Traci Ricks withdrew her application on Wednesday. She had been scheduled to be interviewed for the position by the board Thursday evening.

Ricks has not said publicly why she dropped out. She alerted the school district on the same day Chalkbeat and BridgeDetroit asked about the survey responses.

Phone calls, as well as multiple messages sent via email and social media for accounts belonging to a Detroit resident with that name were not returned. The district did not immediately release contact information for the candidates.

One survey response attributed to Ricks on the district’s website included text that appeared to have been copied and pasted from a dialogue with ChatGPT, a chatbot that uses generative artificial intelligence.

Ricks identified herself as an educator and advocate in the 13-question survey, which is a mandatory step in the school board appointment’s application process. She was one of 15 people vying for the open seat left vacant by Angelique Peterson-Mayberry, who resigned this month. The new member will finish out her term through the end of 2026.

One of the questions that candidates were required to answer was, “From your perspective, what are the challenges facing our school district?”

This is the response attributed to Ricks: “ChatGPT You said: How should I respond to this question as it pertains to my interest in a vacant DPSCD school board seat: What approach would you take to help pass millage renewals, millage increases or Headlee override elections? ChatGPT said: Here’s a strong and strategic way to respond to that question, tailored to your candidacy for a vacant DPSCD school board seat.”

Some of the same or similar language was used in responses to other questions.

Board member Sherry Gay-Dagnogo said Wednesday she doesn’t think it’s necessarily a problem if an applicant uses AI to prepare application materials.

“As long as the thoughts were original and come from thinking — and that will become evident during the interview process — I don’t think that it is automatically something that is done negatively,” she said about Ricks’ application.

The board member said she supports the use of evolving technology, like ChatGPT, when it is used as a tool to refine perspectives.

Stephen J. Aguilar, associate professor at the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education and associate director of the university’s Center for Generative AI and Society, said there can be helpful and ethical ways to engage with generative AI as a tool to inform one’s understanding and views.

However, he said copying and pasting answers directly from ChatGPT is “cognitive laziness.”

As AI becomes increasingly common, Aguilar said more questions will come up about how it should be used.

“Folks really need to understand and interrogate what their role is in using AI,” he said.

In addition to the survey responses, the Detroit candidates were required to submit resumes and letters of intent in their applications. The district has not publicly released the candidates’ resumes or letters.

Chalkbeat asked the district for those materials and was told an open records request was necessary to review them.

Candidate interviews began on Monday. All of the candidates’ application materials and interviews will be scored by board members. On Friday, the board chair and vice chair, along with an independent third party, will tally the scores.

The board will vote to select its new member at a public meeting starting at 5 p.m. on July 28 at Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School.

This is the text that appears on the candidate survey responses posted on the district's website attributed to Traci Ricks.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Micah Walker is a reporter with BridgeDetroit. You can reach her at mwalker@bridgedetroit.com.

Here are the 14 candidates who will be interviewed to fill the open Detroit school board seat

2025-07-18T21:56:35+00:00

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The Detroit school district’s board is in the midst this week of interviewing 14 candidates for an open seat, including two who ran for at-large positions in the November election.

Ten of the 14 candidates have already been interviewed before the board in public meetings. The remaining five will be interviewed on Thursday. They are vying to fill the seat left vacant by Angelique Peterson-Mayberry, who resigned this month. The candidate selected by the board will finish out her term, which runs through the end of 2026.

Here are the candidates:

Pageant Atterberry is the owner and executive director of New Beginnings Child Care & Academy in Detroit. She’s led several early learning centers and was previously on the board of the Urban League of Detroit & Southeastern Michigan.
Kenya Avant was previously a teacher, school council member, and an administrator at Somerville Public Schools in Massachusetts. She was also a state-level policy analyst and has two children.
Sonja Beasley-Hall is the deputy director for the faith-based youth development organization Wellspring Detroit and former professional development manager for the Michigan Afterschool Partnership.
The Rev. Dr. Steven Bland Jr. is the senior pastor of Liberty Temple Baptist Church in Detroit and a community activist. He leads several community-based ministries and outreaches to youth, including Project R.I.S.E., which stands for Rigorous Instruction to Supplement Education.
Whitney Clarke runs a childcare center and is a minister. He is also a father and previously served as a child advocate for the nonprofit Children’s Defense Fund.
Jonathan Demers works as legal counsel for Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network and has two children enrolled in DPSCD. He previously was a teacher in the district.
Debra Duren is a real estate agent and former owner of catering and cleaning businesses.
Bonzetta “Bonnie” D. Ferrell is assistant operations manager for Huntington Place and former administrative specialist for the Detroit Health Department.
Bessie Harris is a retired special education teacher and principal who worked in the district. She unsuccessfully ran for the board in 2022 and in 2020.
Shinese Johnson is director of school-based and community programs for the Black Caucus Foundation of Michigan and founded the education consulting organization Making Education Count Group.
Aliya Moore is an education advocate and district parent who addresses board members frequently with critiques and suggestions. She unsuccessfully ran for the board in 2022 and 2024.
Ashley Pearson is a social services coordinator for Optalis Health and Rehabilitation center.
Jeremiah Steen is a philanthropist and youth advocate. He created a foundation that helps teens develop career pathways. He unsuccessfully ran for the board in 2024.
The Rev. Curtis Williams is the CEO of Trinity Chapel Funeral Homes in Detroit and a retired pastor. His children graduated from the district and he previously unsuccessfully ran to be on the board.

The remaining interviews will take place on the 12th floor of the Fisher building from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday.

Each candidate submitted a letter of intent to apply for the seat, a resume, and responses to survey questions earlier this month. Chalkbeat asked the district for all of the submitted materials, but officials said an open records request was necessary to review them.

That request was filed on Monday. On Tuesday, the district responded that it needed 10 business days — the maximum permitted under state open records law — to provide the documents.

The district on Tuesday night posted the candidates’ survey responses on its website, but not the letters of intent or resumes.

The board will score the candidates on their interviews and application materials. They will be tallied by the board’s chair and vice chair, along with an independent third party, on Friday.

Board members will vote to fill the empty seat at a public meeting starting at 5 p.m. on July 28 at Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Micah Walker is a reporter with BridgeDetroit. You can reach her at mwalker@bridgedetroit.com.

July 21, 2025: This story has been updated to reflect that Sherisse Butler is no longer an applicant for the open board seat.

Jul 23, 2025: This story has been updated to include biographical information for the candidates, as well as the district’s response to providing their application materials. It was also updated to reflect that Brandy Mitchell is no longer an applicant for the board seat.

July 24, 2025: This story has been updated to reflect that Traci Ricks is no longer a candidate for the board seat. It has also been updated to show the July 28 board meeting will be at Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School.

Here’s when the Detroit school board will interview candidates to fill its open seat

2025-07-16T16:58:55+00:00

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The Detroit school district’s board is scheduled to interview candidates for an open seat in four public meetings next week.

Angelique Peterson-Mayberry left the seat vacant. She resigned this month after being appointed to the Wayne County Commission.

The Detroit Public Schools Community District’s board members will vote to select a candidate to complete Peterson-Mayberry’s term through 2026.

The interviews will take place on the 12th floor of the Fisher building at these times:

12 p.m. to 2 p.m. on July 21
5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on July 22
12 p.m. to 2 p.m. on July 23
5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on July 24

The application window for candidates closed July 9.

After the interviews, the board will score the candidates’ applications. The scores will be tallied by the board chair and vice chair, along with an independent third party on July 25.

The board will vote to fill the open seat at a public meeting at 5 p.m. on July 28.

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

How will the Detroit district select a new school board member?

2025-07-08T15:21:17+00:00

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The Detroit district’s school board announced Monday the process it will use to select a new member to fill the seat left vacant by Angelique Peterson-Mayberry.

Peterson-Mayberry resigned from the seven-member board last week after she was appointed to the Wayne County Commission to complete the term of Irma Clark-Coleman, who died last month.

The Detroit Public Schools Community District board will vote this month to appoint a new member to finish Peterson-Mayberry’s term through the end of 2026.

Here’s how the application and selection process will work:

The board will continue to accept applications until 5 p.m. Wednesday.
Applicants must fill out the information at this link, and submit a resume, a letter explaining why they are interested in the position, as well as a copy of an identification card showing a Detroit address to Vania Moore at vania.moore@detroitk12.org.
All applicants who submit those materials will be emailed a link to survey questions by 5 p.m. Friday. Responses to the survey questions are due by 5 p.m. July 16. The entire survey must be completed.
Each applicant who provides the required information by the deadline will be interviewed by the board. The interviews will be held July 21-24. All of the interviews will be held in public meetings.
Board members will score each candidate’s application, survey responses, and interviews.
An independent third party, along with the board chair and vice chair, will tally the scores of each application on July 25.
The board will vote to fill the seat at a public meeting on July 28.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Will Michigan pass new restrictions on student cellphone use before the school year starts?

2025-06-26T22:51:04+00:00

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At the beginning of the year, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer asked Michigan lawmakers for a bill that will limit students’ cellphone use to improve learning outcomes after the state ranked 44th in the nation for fourth grade reading.

With two months to go before school starts for many districts in the state, there are two proposals.

One – sponsored by Democrats in the Senate – would essentially continue to allow school systems to decide their own policies. The other – sponsored by Republicans in the House – would have more specific requirements for districts to prohibit cellphone use during instructional time in all grades.

“The governor will work with anyone to ensure our students can focus on learning, and we will closely review legislation as it makes its way to our desk,” Stacey LaRouche, Whitmer’s press secretary, said this week.

Republican State Rep. Mark Tisdel, who introduced the more prescriptive bill, told Chalkbeat his goal is for new cellphone rules to be in place before the start of the 2025-26 school year.

Tisdel said both Republicans and Democrats, as well as the governor, have similar objectives and are working on the details of what will be enacted into law.

“We’re all working in the same direction,” he said.

Here’s what the two bills propose

Senate Bill 234, introduced by Democratic State Sen. Dayna Polehanki, would only require school boards to adopt policies that “seek to limit” student cellphone use on school grounds, but would leave the specific rules to the districts.

“I believe that each school district should be able to devise a policy that is right for the school community it serves, which is why my legislation provides flexibility for schools to create plans that best suit their needs,” Polehanki said at an April 22 committee meeting when the bill was introduced.

A staff member from Polehanki’s office told Chalkbeat they could not comment on whether that is still Polehanki’s position.

The bill passed May 6 in the Senate. It has not yet been taken up in the House.

House Bill 4141 would require every district in the state to ban students from using electronic communication devices during instructional time, with some exceptions.

Additionally, elementary and middle schoolers would not be allowed to use cellphones during recess, breaks, or lunch.

The bill unanimously passed on May 14 in the House Education and Workforce Committee, including support from the three Democrats on the committee. The full House has not yet voted on the bill.

Tisdel said less restrictive laws similar to Polehanki’s were passed in states like California and Ohio. California has since replaced its law with a ban. The Ohio legislature is currently considering a ban as well.

“Why don’t we skip that part and go the direction most states end up going anyway?” he said.

At least eight states have enacted bans or restrictions on student cellphone use during class. Many local Michigan districts also have put restrictions in place.

Though supporters of the restrictions cite anecdotal evidence that they have positive results, there is limited empirical evidence and new research on outcomes vary.

Tisdel said he’s been working on his bill for two years.

“I’d like to see it implemented as quickly as possible,” he said.

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Stay of deportation denied for Detroit student held by ICE, attorney says

2025-06-11T21:55:15+00:00

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Maykol Bogoya-Duarte, an undocumented immigrant, hoped to finish high school in Detroit before returning to Colombia. That dream is likely over, his attorney said Wednesday, after his request for a stay of deportation was denied.

The Western International High School junior is in an immigration processing center in Louisiana, and his deportation is imminent, according to his legal team at the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center. Once Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, “have enough individuals to fill a plane to Colombia,” Maykol will likely be sent out of the U.S., Christine Sauvé, the organization’s communications manager, told Chalkbeat.

Even as dozens of people supporting Maykol packed the Detroit school board meeting Tuesday night, Ruby Robinson, his attorney, got word that the student had been moved to the Pine Prairie ICE Processing Center in Louisiana. The news wasn’t a good sign – most charter ICE charter flights out of the country leave from Louisiana or Texas, the attorney said.

Officials from ICE did not immediately respond to confirm the status of Maykol’s case or his whereabouts.

The Detroit Public Schools Community District school board on Tuesday night made a public statement urging for the teen’s release so he can finish high school. Board members had been quiet about publicly advocating for Maykol’s release until hearing more than two hours of public comment from community members urging them to act.

Before the district made the statement, Robinson said support for the teen from his school would help his immigration case.

Superintendent Nikolai Vitti told Chalkbeat last week that the district has “done everything it can to protect students” while they are on school grounds. He added that Maykol was not “under the protection and responsibility of” the district when he was arrested during a traffic stop in May.

“Please help him,” one of Maykol’s friends pleaded with the board at the meeting through a translator.

Another speaker from Maykol’s neighborhood said the student’s detention is “heartbreaking” and “horrifying.”

Paula Duran, a parent of two students in the district, told the board ICE’s recent actions in the city, including detentions of students’ family members, are “destroying” the school community.

Paula Duran embraces Maykol's mother during the DPSCD board meeting on Tuesday night.

“All of us are impacted by this – the whole DPSCD community and the whole city of Detroit,” she said.

Multiple teachers told the board Maykol was a good student and a hard worker. He worked late night shifts as a doorman at a hotel, but always came to school eager to learn.

The teen was focused on earning his diploma and was only 3.5 credits away from his goal.

Maykol was arrested and detained by ICE after Rockwood police pulled him over for allegedly tailgating another car. He was driving a group of other newcomer boys as they attempted to join a field trip to Lake Erie Metropark, about 25 miles away from Detroit.

The boys had not turned in parental permission slips on time to join the trip on school buses with the other 70 to 80 other students who went, said Kristen Schoettle, one of his teachers.

“The kids wanted to be with the rest of their friends on the trip,” Schoettle told Chalkbeat.

As he was getting pulled over, Maykol called a friend in his class who was on the trip. The friend alerted Schoettle and other teachers. Schoettle said she asked an employee at the park to give her a ride to the scene of the traffic stop.

Once she arrived, the teacher said the Rockwood police did not speak Spanish and were having trouble communicating with Maykol. At that point, the police called Customs and Border Protection to translate for them, according to Robinson.

The teen wasn’t licensed to drive, according to Robinson, and only had a city identification card.

The teen already had been going through the legal process to return to Colombia. A judge issued a final order of deportation for the student in 2024, and Maykol was working with immigration officials and the Colombian Consulate to obtain a passport and the documentation he needed to board a plane with his mother.

Maykol planned on completing high school at Western International while those arrangements were made.

But those plans fell apart at the traffic stop.

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

After community outcry, Detroit district board calls for release of student detained by ICE

2025-06-11T03:31:10+00:00

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After more than two hours of heated criticism from the public, the Detroit school board reversed course and issued a statement condemning the detention of a district high school student by federal immigration officials.

In its statement, the board demanded that Maykol Bogoya-Duarte, an 18-year-old junior at Western International High School, be released and allowed to complete high school in Detroit.

Maykol Bogoya-Duarte, 18, worked night shifts at a hotel while he attended Western International High School.

Maykol was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, last month after a traffic stop and has not been released. On Tuesday night, the teen was in a Louisiana jail being prepared for “imminent removal,” according to his attorney.

Immigration advocates had been urging the Detroit Public Schools Community District board to issue a statement condemning the arrest, but at the beginning of the meeting, several members said the board has previously adopted a policy that identifies DPSCD as a sanctuary district that doesn’t welcome ICE on school grounds.

Sherry Gay Dagnogo, a board member, said that while the board stands with Western and the Southwest Detroit community, “We are cautious in not bringing unnecessary attention that will prevent us moving smoothly in having this issue addressed.”

That wasn’t enough for many of the people who spoke before the board during Tuesday’s meeting, with some suggesting the board is afraid that speaking out will affect the district’s federal funding. One urged a stronger public statement, saying, “It has never worked to cower in the face of fascism.”

Community members, teachers and students listen to public comment at the DPSCD meeting on Tuesday night.

“What we want to see is for this district, for the board, to stand up in the same ways that we’ve seen board members stand up in New York and Massachusetts, in places where we’ve seen other students detained,” said another commenter, Lindsey Matson, the deputy director of 482Forward, a Detroit-based nonprofit focused on education.

By 9:45 p.m., board members indicated they would issue a statement.

“We heard you. We agree with you. But we’ve got to get to work,” Board President Corletta Vaughn said before the board retreated into a closed session in part to write the statement.

They emerged with this:

“The Detroit Public Schools Community District Board of Education stands firmly with our community in demanding the immediate stay of deportation for our student, Maykol Bogoya-Duarte. Maykol is part of our DPSCD family, and we are heartbroken by the fear and disruption this situation has caused his loved ones, classmates, and school community. We call for the immediate release of Maykol and request a formal stay of his deportation. We want him to complete his coursework and graduate with his high school diploma—just as he has worked hard to do. We will also continue to keep in touch with the family and keep the school community updated.”

Those who remained in the auditorium cheered after Vaughn read the statement.

Earlier during the meeting, Maykol’s mother sat in the audience and wept as the latest update on his whereabouts came that evening. She didn’t speak, but she listened through an interpreter as dozens of people hammered school officials to make a statement.

DPSCD board members LaTrice McClendon and Corletta J. Vaughn read a statement asking ICE to release Maykol Bogoya-Duarte so he can complete high school.

Teachers, classmates, politicians show support

Multiple Western International teachers told the board the school community is rattled by his arrest.

Maykol’s teachers who spoke at the meeting said he was a good, hard-working student who wanted to earn his diploma. He made a mistake driving to the field trip, they said, but his punishment should not be imprisonment and deportation.

A student named Abby, who asked to use only her first name because of immigration concerns, told Chalkbeat, “we feel his loss in the school.”

On her first day at Western International, she didn’t know where her classes were, and Maykol led her to them.

He was respectful and gentlemanly, she said, and they soon became friends.

Before the board decided to issue a statement, the teen’s attorney said a show of support from his school would greatly help his immigration case.

Lindsey Matson, the deputy director of 482Forward, speaks about Maykol Bogoya-Duarte’s detention by ICE during the DPSCD meeting on Tuesday night in Detroit.

Maykol, who had been issued a final removal order by an immigration judge in 2024, was going through the legal process to obtain the documents to return to Colombia with his mother. He hoped to earn his high school diploma first and needed 3.5 credits, according to his lawyer, Ruby Robinson, senior managing attorney with the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center.

Immigration advocates urged district officials and Michigan lawmakers, including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, to condemn Maykol’s arrest and call for his release so he can finish high school. By late Tuesday, they had gathered more than 1,400 signatures on a petition.

U.S. House Rep. Shri Thanedar responded on social media Monday, saying “Maykol should be “released immediately and allowed to get his diploma.”

State Sens. Stephanie Chang, Mary Cavanagh, Sylvia Santana, and Rosemary Bayer released a joint statement on the teen’s arrest Tuesday evening. They called for a stay of deportation for Maykol.

“While awaiting his court hearings, Maykol should be able to live his 18-year-old life in the community,” the statement reads.

Maykol is a ‘very good student,’ his teacher says

On the day of his arrest, Maykol called Abby. Police officers pulled him over on May 20 for allegedly tailgating another car. He had driven with classmates who were also newcomers to try to join a school field trip at Lake Erie Metropark, about 25 miles from Detroit. District officials have said none of the students in the car had permission to attend the trip.

Abby, who was on the trip, told her teachers Maykol needed help.

One of his teachers who was on the field trip, Kristen Schoettle, said she got a ride from staff at the park to the scene of the traffic stop to try to intervene.

Maykol was not licensed to drive and had only a City of Detroit identification card, according to his attorney. The Rockwood police officers who pulled him over couldn’t speak Spanish and had trouble communicating with him, according to Robinson.

Because of the communication barrier, the officers called Customs and Border Protection, the attorney said.

Maykol was then detained and sent to Chippewa County Correctional Facility around 350 miles north of his home in Detroit, Robinson said, adding that the other students were not arrested.

On Monday, Maykol was moved to the Calhoun County Correctional Center in Battle Creek, Robinson said.

On Tuesday, Robinson said Maykol was sent to the Pine Prairie Correctional Facility in Louisiana and was being prepared to be sent out of the country.

Schoettle said she helped connect Maykol to an immigration attorney the day of his arrest.

Superintendent Nikolai Vitti told Chalkbeat that district police tried to advocate for Maykol but were limited in what they could do because he was off campus at the time of his arrest.

Schoettle told Chalkbeat it’s important to Maykol to earn his high school diploma. If he attends summer school, he might be able to graduate by the end of the calendar year, she said.

“He was a very good student,” said the teacher. “He asks a lot of questions and puts himself in situations that allow him to be a better learner.”

A lot of the teen’s friends graduated this year, said Schoettle. He was proud of them and wanted to achieve the same for himself.

Maykol’s detention prevented him from celebrating the end of his junior year and the obstacles he overcame. Even though he often worked late night shifts as a hotel doorman, Maykol came to school ready to learn, said Schoettle.

Abby said the arrest made her “really angry.”

“There’s a great sadness knowing he’s not here,” she said.

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Lori Higgins is the Detroit bureau chief. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Advocates call on Michigan lawmakers to condemn ICE detention of Detroit student

2025-06-09T22:32:33+00:00

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Maykol Bogoya-Duarte, an 18-year-old undocumented immigrant, had planned to return to Colombia with his mother after he graduated from Western International High School.

With roughly one semester left in school, Maykol began making arrangements to leave the U.S.

But his plans and his education were upended last month when he was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. Instead of finishing out his junior year this week, the teen is in custody of the federal government and faces an “imminent” risk of deportation, according to his attorney.

Immigration advocates are now calling on Michigan’s governor, several Democratic members of the state’s congressional delegation, and Detroit school district leaders to fight for Maykol’s release so he can complete his schooling in the U.S.

“At this time of the year, students should be focused on graduation and summer,” said Ruby Robinson, senior managing attorney with the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, who is representing Maykol. “And here we have a student on precious time who is being deported. He should be able to finish his studies.”

Maykol is only 3.5 credits away from graduating, Robinson said, and would likely be able to finish school around the end of the calendar year.

His attorney said he is asking to be released and granted a stay of deportation to see his studies through before returning to Colombia.

Maykol was arrested on May 20 after he attempted to join a school field trip to Lake Erie Metropark, about 25 miles from Detroit. While driving with three other students in the car, Maykol was pulled over for tailgating another vehicle, said Robinson.

The teen was asked to provide his driver’s license but only had a City of Detroit identification card. Michigan does not currently issue driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants.

The local police officers who pulled Maykol over could not speak Spanish and had trouble communicating with him, Robinson said, so they called Customs and Border Protection.

“An important aspect of this story is that local police, instead of relying on internal translation services, were relying on Border Patrol agents to interpret for them,” said Robinson.

The practice of calling on Border Protection for traffic stops with people who can’t speak English could be interpreted as racial profiling, the attorney said.

Randy Krause, chief of the Rockwood Police Department, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Maykol, who came to the U.S. at 16, received a final deportation order in 2024. After that, Maykol was working with ICE and the Colombian Consulate to obtain the travel documents he needed to depart the country, according to his attorney.

“We were in compliance with their order,” said Robinson, adding the documents are required in order to board an airplane out of the country. “It takes time for those documents to be generated.”

He was still in the process of arranging to return to Colombia with his mother when he was arrested. It’s unclear if he would have been able to graduate before leaving.

On Monday afternoon, Robinson and Maykol’s family didn’t know where he was. They believed he was being moved from the Chippewa County Correctional Facility to another location early Monday morning, the attorney said.

“We expect when he does reach where he will spend the night tonight, we will be able to find him, or he will be able to make a phone call to us or his mom,” said Robinson.

The attorney said because of the high number of people detained by ICE, the agency places them wherever bed space is available.

“We’re seeing people detained in far parts of Michigan,” he said. “We’re also seeing people being sent to Ohio and other places as well.”

Advocates want Michigan leaders to speak out

By Monday afternoon, nearly 900 people had signed a petition asking Michigan officials to condemn Maykol’s arrest, urge for him to be released to complete his high school education, and “to put preventative policies in place to better support immigrant students and families.”

Three advocacy groups — 482Forward, MI Students Dream, and the People’s Assembly — created the petition.

Lindsey Matson, the deputy director of 482Forward, said the advocacy effort is aimed at raising awareness of the issue and the petition, if it gains traction, will put pressure on those who have the power to intervene.

“Even a statement from the school board will be helpful,” Matson added.

The petition calls for action from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, U.S. Sens. Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin, U.S. House Reps. Shri Thanedar and Rashida Tlaib, and the Detroit Public Schools Community District.

Thanedar, in a Monday evening post on X, formerly Twitter, responded to the detention, saying: “ICE should not be detaining high schoolers! Maykol Bogoya-Duarte just needs 3 credits to graduate, but was put in detention by ICE. He should be released immediately and allowed to get his diploma.”

Nikolai Vitti, superintendent of the district, told Chalkbeat last week that the school system’s police department had advocated on the student’s behalf.

But the district did not notify students and families of the arrest because Maykol was not “under the protection and responsibility” of the school system when ICE detained him, said Vitti.

Robinson said notification about the incident or future instances like it would provide reassurances to families about how the district responds in these situations.

“I think people are looking for something like that from the school district,” said Robinson.

In addition to advocating for Maykol’s release to allow the teen to finish school, the attorney said the district should ensure its policies and practices support the needs of community members with immigration challenges.

That includes making sure students and staff understand their rights in interactions with law enforcement, he added.

In New York, the detention of a student has gained widespread attention and calls from advocates and political leaders for his release. (A second teen has since been detained.) Similarly, the detention of a teenager in Massachusetts prompted rallies.

Less attention has been paid to Maykol’s plight in comparison.

Matson said his case isn’t less important than what has happened in the other states.

“I feel like Democrats in Michigan have not really stood up for our immigrant population here,” she said.

The advocacy groups calling for Maykol’s release are asking community members to attend the Detroit Public Schools Community District board meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Martin Luther King Jr. High School to urge school leaders to make public statements.

Immigration advocates are also encouraging community members to call the offices of state and national lawmakers, as well as ICE.

Lori Higgins is the Detroit bureau chief. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

A Detroit student was arrested by ICE. Students at his school are scared and angry.

2025-06-06T22:29:37+00:00

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Students at Western International High School in Detroit say they are fearful and angry after immigration agents detained one of their classmates last month.

“I just didn’t think it was right,” said Yoselin Luna, a junior at the school. “It’s just sad he has to experience that. It makes me sad because of all the hate.”

Agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, detained the 18-year-old student, whose name has not been released, after he was pulled over on May 20 for a traffic stop by local police. He and three classmates were on their way to join a field trip at Lake Erie Metropark, about 25 miles from Detroit. The other students weren’t arrested.

Western International, the largest high school in Southwest Detroit, is home to a newcomer program that provides academic and social support to families who recently arrived in the U.S., and more than 60% of students at the school are English language learners. In the wake of the arrest, incorrect information around the circumstances circulated in the school. Some students said they wished district officials had informed them about what happened.

In some ways, the arrest shows the limits of what school districts can do to shield students from immigration enforcement. Superintendent Nikolai Vitti told Chalkbeat the Detroit Public Schools Community District did not notify students or families of the arrest because the student was not “under the protection and responsibility of” the district at the time.

Vitti said the 18-year-old skipped school that day and did not have permission to attend the field trip. Neither did the three classmates in his car, he said.

The school district has “done everything it can to protect students” while they are on school grounds, but it is limited in what it can do off campus, Vitti said.

Rockwood police stopped the car about a mile away from the park, the Detroit Free Press first reported.

The student did not have a driver’s license, only a City of Detroit identification card, a spokesperson from U.S. Customs and Border Patrol told Chalkbeat.

The student recently came to the U.S. from Colombia, the Free Press reported. He did not have legal immigration status and a judge had already issued a deportation order before he was arrested, federal officials said.

The local police contacted Border Patrol agents, according to federal officials, and he was put into ICE custody. The 18-year-old was held at the Chippewa County Correctional Facility in the Upper Peninsula, the Free Press reported. Federal officials didn’t confirm his current location.

District officials are concerned about the student, Vitti said, but couldn’t do much in those circumstances.

“After the student was apprehended, District police engaged the authorities that had the student in custody to ensure his safety and to advocate on his behalf,” said Vitti. “But, ultimately the authorities were following procedure and the law.”

Advocates say the student’s detention is a reminder of the reality educators and families have to contend with as the Trump administration has directed mass deportations.

Christine Sauvé, policy, engagement, and communications manager for the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, said families with precarious legal status must routinely make considerations about their safety when performing daily activities others might take for granted, like attending school trips.

“We’re trying to be very clear-eyed and upfront with families when they are trying to make decisions about which risks to take,” she said. “There’s an ever-present risk of local law enforcement agencies cooperating with ICE. It’s difficult news to process, but it’s something we want families to be aware of when making these calculations.”

Some students wish the district told them about the arrest

Several students from Western International who spoke to Chalkbeat said they didn’t hear about their peer’s detention from school administrators. Those who were aware of it heard from their classmates.

“I feel that it’s wrong that not a lot of us know that this happened,” said Jaylin Miller, a junior at Western International.

A senior, who asked not to be named due to fears of immigration enforcement, said he thought the school should have sent out a notification about the incident.

“I wish the principal would have stated it and let the whole school know about it and just keep everyone in touch,” he said.

Some of the students had heard rumors about the circumstances of the arrest, including that immigration agents stopped a school bus. Another thought that all of the students on the trip were asked to show their identification without cause. Both rumors were false.

Another senior, who has family members without legal status and spoke on the basis of anonymity, said the only information he’s received from the school addressing fears about recent changes to immigration enforcement policy was an email in January.

The email informed families about the district’s guidance following the Trump administration ending a decades-old practice of treating schools and child care centers as “sensitive” or “protected” locations where immigration arrests do not typically occur.

District policy requires a judicial warrant and an administrative review process for any entry into a school. But areas around schools, such as parking lots and streets, are public property.

“The District has had no challenges with ICE on our property this school year,” said Vitti, adding the school system’s jurisdiction beyond its property is “limited.”

Southwest Detroit youth are fearful and sad after the arrest

Yoselin, the Western International junior, first heard about her peer’s arrest during chemistry class from another student.

Yoselin said her father was deported from Detroit years ago. Lately, her Instagram feed is filled with videos of parents being separated from their children by immigration agents, she said.

“It’s scary,” said another student from the school who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of family immigration concerns. “For that to happen to one person, it keeps everyone alert, scared.”

The recent arrest of their classmate has made some Western International High School students fearful and angry.

Several youth brought the Western International student’s arrest to the attention of Samantha Magdaleno, executive director of One Michigan for Immigrant Rights.

“All of the students are afraid of what they’re seeing,” she said. “This administration is going after low-hanging fruit — they’re going after a student who was doing his best, going to school, and trying to contribute to society.”

Fear has permeated throughout Southwest Detroit’s large immigrant community since Trump was elected, said Magdaleno.

Across schools in the neighborhood, Vitti said there was a drop in attendance after Trump’s January directive to end the protected location policy for schools, though he did not say how much it declined.

After the district released its guidance, the superintendent said attendance and chronic absenteeism rates at those schools “have largely returned to levels comparable to last year.”

Vitti added it’s clear nonetheless that the president’s rhetoric and executive orders on immigration policy have “negatively impacted student attendance at schools with larger student immigrant populations.”

Reaction to the Western International student’s arrest has been muted in Detroit compared to that of two other recent immigration arrests of high school students in other parts of the country. Those instances garnered national attention, outrage, and protest.

Two weeks ago, a New York City public school student was detained after a routine immigration court date in Manhattan.

Officials from the school immediately got involved, seeking legal aid from various organizations. The principal told students the news and made space for them to share their emotions at school. New York Mayor Eric Adams, who initially distanced himself from the case, voiced his support for the student through a legal brief.

Last week in Massachusetts, ICE detained a high school student on his way to volleyball practice. The superintendent of the district released a public statement decrying the arrest. Many teachers joined protests and the state’s governor said she was “disturbed and outraged.”

The Massachusetts student has been released on bond, while the New York City student remains in detention.

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Michigan Senate Democrats won’t consider a trans athlete sports ban. Will Trump target the state?

2025-05-30T21:40:19+00:00

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The Republican-controlled House passed two bills last week that would bar transgender girls from competing on girls sports teams. But Democrats, who control the Senate, say they will not consider the legislation.

“Our legislative agenda is long and attacking kids is not on it,” Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, a Democrat from Grand Rapids, told Chalkbeat in a statement.

Failure to take up the Republican-sponsored bills could draw unwelcome political attention to Michigan at a time when the Trump administration has targeted for investigation states that don’t comply with its view on Title IX, the federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on sex.

Since taking office for the second time, Trump has issued several executive orders targeting the rights of transgender Americans. One in January said the U.S. government would only recognize two genders, male and female, while another issued that month attempted to ban gender-affirming health care for transgender youth. A February executive order called for schools to block trans girls from competing on girls sports teams.

Trump has threatened to withhold federal funding from schools that don’t comply with his executive orders.

Executive orders cannot override existing state and federal statutes, though, and there have been legal challenges to the constitutionality of Trump’s executive orders.

But the Trump administration’s threats to states that don’t comply with the order have stoked fears over how he intends to enforce it. Multiple federal agencies opened investigations into Maine this year after a heated exchange between Trump and the state’s Democratic governor, Janet Mills, in which she promised to follow the state’s law protecting transgender rights.

In one of those federal cases, a judge issued an injunction to stop the government from freezing federal funds to the state. But there are two other open cases that have been assigned to the Department of Justice to enforce.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has said other states are at risk of losing federal funding for Title IX violations, specifically singling out California and Minnesota. Officials in those states have said their civil rights laws preclude them from complying with Trump’s executive order. Bondi’s office announced Wednesday that it has opened an investigation into California.

Like some other states, Michigan recently expanded state protections from discrimination on the basis of sexuality and gender identity and expression. The expansion of those protections two years ago has long been a signature issue for Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

She signed the expansion of the state’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act in 2023, saying in a statement that “Michigan is a place that will fight for your freedom to be yourself.”

It is possible what has happened in Maine could happen in Michigan, said Nancy Chi Cantalupo, associate professor of law at Wayne State University.

“But what is happening in Maine is in no way a success for the current administration at this point,” she said, noting that the federal government has never withdrawn funds from a state under Title IX or any other civil rights statutes it enforces.

“It’s not like there’s a light switch the federal government can use to just turn off federal funds at its whim,” she said. “There are a lot of steps it has to go through.”

Brinks did not respond to a question about whether she or others in the Democratic Party have concerns Michigan may be targeted by the Trump administration.

Whitmer’s office did not respond to questions about the bills.

In Michigan, a prohibition against trans girls competing on girls sports teams would affect few athletes statewide. The Michigan High School Athletic Association, the private organization that runs the state’s high school sports competitions, said there were no trans girls competing on spring sports teams this year. None played on winter sports teams, while two played on fall teams.

About 25 states have already passed similar laws restricting trans girls from playing on sports teams aligned with their gender identity.

Advocates for transgender rights say sports bills aren’t really about limiting the teams trans girls and women can play on.

“If this bill were just about sports, it wouldn’t be proposed in coordination with all of these other anti-trans bills [nationwide,]” said Kye Campbell-Fox, a research assistant and laboratory manager at Michigan State University, who studies the impact of legislation targeting the rights of trans kids. “This is a coordinated campaign to push trans people out of public life.”

Advocates say trans youth don’t feel safe as their rights are attacked

Though the Michigan bills have effectively died, advocates say lawmakers’ focus on the issue — and the language they often use to talk about trans athletes — is still harmful to all trans children.

The Michigan bills, for example, referred to trans girls as “biological males,” ignoring their gender identities. And some lawmakers have said that the presence of trans girls in locker rooms could lead to sexual violence against other girls.

Rep. Mike Harris, a Republican from Waterford, said during a hearing for the bills that he was concerned about the potential for sexual assault if trans girls use girls locker rooms.

“I don’t think it’s appropriate to place biological boys and girls in the same room, to strip down naked next to each other,” he said.

There is no evidence to support the idea that trans girls will assault other girls, though there is evidence that trans populations face increased risks when they use bathrooms according to the sex they were assigned at birth.

Republican lawmakers’ rhetoric has emboldened some students and adults to feel freer to make hateful remarks, and LGBTQ+ youth are being affected by it.

“I’m hearing a lot of fear from youth,” said Jude Krajnyák, a regional coordinator for a research policy project at the Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health. “Things everyone else gets to take for granted — like playing soccer in middle school — are rights that are being taken away from us.”

Krajnyák said he heard from a trans girl in middle school who gave up on playing soccer because she said “it’s just not worth” the backlash.

Currently, the Michigan High School Athletic Association determines eligibility for trans girls to play on girls teams on a case-by-case basis. The executive director of the association, Mark Uyl, makes the determination based on a number of factors, including what gender is recorded on the students’ school documents and other paperwork. Students are also asked whether they’ve begun hormone therapy and gender-affirming surgeries.

“The MHSAA asks for documentation on therapy and surgery as our policy allows for a waiver to be both approved and denied — and part of that decision is based on where in the transitioning process a student is at the time,” Geoff Kimmerly, director of communications for the association, told Chalkbeat.

The policy went into effect in 2012, according to the association. It aligned with federal law during the Obama administration, as well as federal requirements from the Office for Civil Rights during Trump’s first term and Biden’s presidency.

“The MHSAA follows and will continue to follow all applicable state and federal laws,” said Kimmerly in a statement. “We are monitoring developments in this regard closely.”

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Federal library funding cuts could mean the end of services for Michigan K-12 students

2025-05-13T22:50:25+00:00

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Proposed cuts to federal funding for local libraries could end essential services for Michigan students, particularly in rural and impoverished communities, according to state officials.

The Trump administration’s proposed 2025-26 budget would eliminate the federal department that provides funds to state library agencies. The cuts would mean the loss of nearly $4.8 million for the Library of Michigan, as well as grants that support Native American libraries in the state. The funding provides services that support K-12 students, such as early literacy programs, as well as access to the internet, technology, testing materials, tutorials, and online databases.

While most of the state’s library dollars come from local sources, rural, small, and lower-income communities struggle to raise enough revenue to maintain basic services and must rely on federal funds, said Diane Golzynski, deputy superintendent of business, health, and library services for the Michigan Department of Education, during a State Board of Education meeting on Tuesday.

Potential cuts to statewide library services come as the number of school librarians in the state are dwindling and gaps in student literacy achievement are widening.

On March 14, President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling to eliminate funding for the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services – the largest source of funding for state library agencies– as well as several other agencies.

Since then, 21 states, including Michigan, sued the federal government arguing the cuts would effectively dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services and two other agencies. The complaint argues that the executive order violated federal law because the institutions were created and funded by Congress.

A federal judge earlier this month issued a preliminary injunction in the case, temporarily preventing the cuts.

The Library of Michigan recently was notified it will receive federal funding already granted in a contract through the end of September 2026, said State Librarian Randy Riley during the board meeting.

“But after that, everything’s up for grabs,” he said, adding that the cuts proposed in Trump’s budget “would be terrible for what we do.”

Riley said there’s a risk that the statewide public database services the Library of Michigan provides – including the Michigan eLibrary, which gives access to online books, and the Michigan eLibrary Catalog, which lets residents order physical copies of books from collections in other parts of the state to their local libraries – could end or be significantly altered.

Or, the state might need to increase funding for local libraries to replace potential federal funding shortfalls in the future, Riley said.

The role of Michigan’s 397 local libraries in K-12 literacy has become more important over the years, advocates say, as school libraries have become more rare.

The number of school libraries in the state is unclear. However, data on the number of full-time certified librarians employed by districts suggests funding for school libraries has declined significantly in recent years.

The state ranks 47th in the nation for school librarians per student, according to the most recently available data analysis. The number of school librarians in the state dropped 73% between 2000 and 2016 – one of the biggest declines in the country.

Decades of research show access to well-sourced libraries and certified librarians help improve student outcomes.

In a recent national assessment, Michigan ranked 44th in the nation for fourth-grade reading.

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Michigan advocates call for more state education funding as ‘devastating’ federal cuts are proposed

2025-05-08T04:01:00+00:00

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Advocates are calling on Michigan legislators to invest more state dollars into targeted funding for students living in poverty as the Trump administration’s efforts to slash federal education funding could have “devastating” impacts on the most vulnerable students.

An analysis released Thursday by the research and advocacy group Education Trust-Midwest found that Michigan still ranks among the lowest in the nation when it comes to equitably funding schools, despite new investments.

The need for more equitable school funding after years of underinvestment in the state is heightened now by threats to federal dollars and students continuing to fall further behind on academic assessments, according to advocates.

“I’ve never used the word catastrophic in my career, but this is the word that comes to mind right now in terms of the situation that I think high-poverty districts are facing,” said Amber Arellano, executive director of EdTrust-Midwest.

According to the group’s report, Michigan ranked 44th in the nation for fourth grade reading and 31st for eighth grade math on an assessment known as the “nation’s report card” in 2024.

Jen DeNeal, director of policy and research for EdTrust-Midwest, said Michigan did not have a solid foundation in teaching early literacy before COVID. After the pandemic, that foundation “crumbled,” she said.

The state’s average reading scores dropped nearly 10 points between 2003 and 2024, said DeNeal, and the bulk of the drop happened during pandemic years.

The Education Recovery Scorecard, which compares data on the national assessment to those administered in 2019 before the pandemic, placed Michigan in the bottom five of states for academic recovery.

The scorecard found Michigan third through eighth graders are on average about two-fifths of a grade level behind in math and three-quarters of a grade level behind in reading compared to student scores in the state before COVID.

The EdTrust-Midwest’s analysis found the trend held true in rural, suburban, and urban areas across the state.

“Some of the largest gaps are in suburbs and towns and rural areas where we see these big proficiency discrepancies pre-and post-pandemic,” said DeNeal.

Data from the state’s 2024 assessments, known as the M-STEP, show students from low-income families, Black and Latino students, multilingual learners, and students with disabilities fell at least 10 percentage points below state averages in third grade reading and seventh grade math.

Michigan leaders worry about the impact of federal cuts

The prospect of federal funding rollbacks could be “devastating” to Michigan students who are still struggling to catch up, said Arellano, noting that research shows more funding for programs that assist students with higher needs can lead to better academic outcomes.

Last week, President Donald Trump proposed cutting nearly $6 billion in federal K-12 spending and consolidating 18 grant programs into a one funding stream states could spend without restrictions.

“One very clear message that we are getting from this proposed Trump budget is that public education for all students is not a priority,” said Arellano.

The proposal for the 2025-26 school year would eliminate programs for English language learners and children of migrant farm workers.

Michigan has long lagged behind other states when it comes to funding education initiatives for English language learners, though it has made some increases in recent years.

Trump’s budget would also cut money for the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, which enforces anti-discrimination laws in schools, by more than a third.

Cuts that have already been made to the Office for Civil Rights have begun impacting Michigan students with disabilities, with many reporting their open cases have not moved since the Trump administration began its second term.

Title I funding, which is allocated to schools that serve students from low-income families, and dollars distributed under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act are not slated to be cut under Trump’s plan.

Arellano said other federal proposed cuts could have negative impacts on Michigan students, such as a congressional Republican plan that would make it more difficult for schools to provide universal free school meals. According to the Michigan Department of Education, that plan could mean thousands of students in the state could lose free school meals.

Advocates call for increased state funding

Just to stay stable with current funding levels for districts, the state will have to step in to cover shortfalls caused by potential federal cuts – particularly for students living in poverty, English language learners, and children with disabilities, Arellano said.

“The truth is that we’re already underfunding these groups of students,” she said.

Michigan first adopted a weighted funding system for students considered to be “at-risk” in 2023. The system, known as the “opportunity index,” assigns districts to one of six bands based on the percentage of students living in poverty. Each band determines how much additional funding a district will receive. Before that, Michigan allocated the same amount of per-pupil dollars to all students classified as at-risk.

For the 2024-25 school year, Michigan invested about $1 billion into the opportunity index.

The change came after years of advocates calling for a new system in response to the state being ranked among the worst states in the nation for its gaps in funding between districts in impoverished and wealthy communities.

The Michigan Department of Education determines whether students are at risk with a set of criteria that includes factors such as being from an economically disadvantaged family, learning English as a second language, being chronically absent from school, or experiencing homelessness.

EdTrust-Midwest’s new analysis found Michigan in the bottom 10 of states for weighted funding, despite historic investments in the opportunity index.

The group’s report calls for the state to invest an additional $2 billion in the opportunity index over the next five years to reverse the impact of years of underfunding.

The report also recommends more guardrails in place to ensure the weighted dollars are being spent on the students they are intended for.

Michigan is still early into its budget process for the next school year. In her February budget proposal, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer proposed increasing funding for at-risk students by more than 4%.

Last month, the Democratically-controlled state Senate approved a plan that would increase at-risk funds by 25%.

The Republican-controlled state House passed a bare-bones education budget proposal in March that only included dollars for special education, mental health, and school safety programs, an increase to the per-pupil foundation allowance, and allocations to the Michigan Public School Employee Retirement System.

Republicans said the proposal was passed to fund essential government functions in case negotiations with Democrats stall the process this summer.

“This is not the time for cutting funds for kids,” said Arellano. “Kids in our state are behind other states. This is the time when we need our leaders to lean in and support educators and students in our schools.”

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

These are the education reforms Michigan lawmakers want to make so far in 2025

2025-04-25T21:47:10+00:00

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More than three months into the 2025 legislative session, Michigan lawmakers have introduced new proposals that aim to make schools safer, allow home-schooling students to take more classes in public schools, and put more restrictions on closing school buildings.

Since taking control of the House, Republicans have introduced a flurry of proposed legislation they say will help improve student achievement, in addition to bipartisan school safety efforts that have potential to pass muster with the Democrat-controlled Senate and governor’s office.

Having accomplished most of their education policy priorities in the last legislative session and with less leverage this year, Democrats have introduced fewer bills so far this legislative session compared to last year.

This year, however, both parties introduced bills that aim to limit student cellphone use. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called for such reforms in her State of the State address earlier this year.

Here is a round up of some of the education bills currently moving through the legislature:

Senate Bill 76, introduced by Sen. Michael Webber, a Republican from Rochester Hills, would require public and private schools to install mobile panic alert systems. The systems would notify law enforcement, first responders, and school staff of school emergencies, such as active shooter situations. Another bill would allocate around $6.7 million in state funding to install the new systems by September 2027. The bills were referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

House Bill 4315, introduced by Rep. Mike Harris, a Republican from Waterford, would require the Office for School Safety, the Michigan State Police, the attorney general, and the Michigan Department of Education to develop school safety and security training materials and best practices. All public and private school staff in the state would participate in annual training developed by the agencies. The training would be tailored to staff member’s roles. Another bill would require schools to ensure their staff complete the training by the 2026-27 school year. The bills were referred to the House Education and Workforce Committee.

Senate Bill 204, introduced by Sen. Stephanie Chang, a Democrat from Detroit, would require local school districts and charter schools to create policies around closing school buildings. The procedures would include creating transition plans for student records to new schools, notifying families and employees of the school with at least one-month notice, and holding at least one public meeting before closing the building. The bill was referred to the Senate Education Committee.

House Bill 4330, introduced by Rep. Jennifer Wortz, a Republican from Quincy, would allow home-schooling or private school students to enroll in any class at their local public schools. Currently, the law only allows state funding to be used for home-schooling and private school students to attend elective courses and excludes them from taking core subjects (math, English, science, and social studies) at public schools. The bill was referred to the House Education and Workforce Committee.

House Bill 4345, introduced by Rep. Cameron Cavitt, a Republican from Cheboygan, would provide exceptions to minimum school hour and day requirements for schools in northern Michigan counties that were impacted by the March ice storm. Because the severe weather and its aftermath forced schools to close for many days, their school years would otherwise have to run much longer than usual. The bill was referred to the House Education Committee.

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Michigan lawmakers answer Gov. Whitmer’s call for legislation limiting student cellphone use

2025-04-22T20:53:33+00:00

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Democratic senators answered Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s call for legislation to limit student cellphone use and classroom distractions in response to Michigan’s lagging performance on recent state and national assessments.

A bill filed this week would require local school boards to develop policies around the use of wireless devices for all grade levels starting in the 2025-26 school year. The legislation allows flexibility for local districts to decide how the use of electronic devices will be limited for their students.

“I believe that each school district should be able to devise a policy that is right for the school community it serves, which is why my legislation provides flexibility for schools to create plans that best suit their needs,” Sen. Dayna Polehanki, a Democrat from Livonia who introduced the bill, said Tuesday during a Senate Education Committee hearing.

A Republican House proposal seeks to require more restrictive policies. That bill would entirely ban students in kindergarten through fifth grade from bringing phones to school. It would also disallow middle schoolers from using mobile devices at any point during the school day and prohibit use for high schoolers during class.

Whitmer, a Democrat, asked lawmakers for bipartisan legislation to combat the detrimental effect smartphones and social media may have on student mental health and educational outcomes during her State of the State address in February.

Her policy push came after a national assessment showed Michigan students are still struggling to get back to where they were before COVID-era school closures.

Many other states have passed similar legislation amid a national push to restrict cellphone use in schools.

Around 90% of educators surveyed in 2024 supported districts adopting policies limiting the use of phones during instructional time, according to a poll by the National Education Association, a teachers union.

In Michigan, some school districts have already implemented their own policies, such as requiring students to place their phones in magnetically sealed bags during the school day. Some principals and superintendents report anecdotal evidence of fewer suspensions, less bullying, and improved student achievement.

However, empirical evidence is limited, and new research suggests varied results.

Under the Michigan Senate proposal — which is also sponsored by Sen. Mallory McMorrow, a Democrat from Royal Oak, and Erika Geiss, a Democrat from Taylor — districts could limit or ban the use of mobile devices on school grounds during instructional time, lunch, breaks, and recess, as decided by local boards.

One of the main criticisms of school bans on mobile devices comes from students and parents who fear they would not be able to get in touch with each other during emergencies.

The Senate proposal would require school policies to make exemptions for emergencies.

Devices for medical needs, or those included in a student’s individualized education program would be allowed. The policies would also have to allow principals and chief administrators to make other exemptions at their discretion.

Districts would be required to post their cellphone policies on their websites.

Olivia Ponte, the legislative liaison for the Michigan Department of Education, said the agency supports the Senate bill because it addresses the need to put restrictions in place but allows for flexibility.

“A one size fits all approach would not work in Michigan,” she said. “What works in a large urban district may not work in a small rural one.”

Under this proposal, one district could altogether ban cellphone use while another may allow them only for educational purposes.

Venessa Keesler, president and CEO of Launch Michigan, a bipartisan nonprofit education advocacy group, said this bill could help students be better prepared for the workforce.

“When we’re in our cellphone, we’re only interacting with the people who are most directly related to us or who we want to interact with,” she said. “We aren’t in different groups of people. We aren’t working on that conflict resolution, that communication, that teamwork.”

Keesler added, “If we really want our students to be prepared for the future, they have to be able to do more than just interact on their wireless devices.”

Jennifer Smith, director of government relations for the Michigan Association of School Boards, said her organization supports the bill.

Smith said some school board members are concerned about the requirement to enact policies by the start of the next school year, asking for more time for local boards to have discussions and get public input.

Polehanki said she is willing to reconsider the timeline of the bill.

The senator also said she is drafting an additional provision to ensure districts enforce the policies they adopt.

There are still several more steps in the legislative process before the bill can become law. The Senate Education Committee will vote to move the bill forward to the full governing body. After passing a vote in the Senate, the bill would move to the House before being signed by the governor.

The House Education and Workforce Committee is scheduled to discuss the Republican proposal during a meeting on Wednesday.

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Michigan House Republicans want to shift who has the power to appoint the state superintendent

2025-04-18T20:44:42+00:00

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House Republicans want to change who has the power to appoint the state’s superintendent of public instruction — potentially stripping the State Board of Education of one of its key functions — because they say Michigan’s education system is failing.

A House joint resolution seeks to alter the state’s constitution to give the governor control over the appointment, with the advice and consent of the Senate. The proposal comes as the state’s current superintendent is set to retire in the fall and, if it passed, would go into effect after Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s term ends.

The State Board of Education currently has the sole hiring and firing power for the position. The elected body has held that authority since 1963.

The resolution is tied to a bill that would require state board seats to be elected from geographic districts. Board seats are currently at-large, meaning whichever candidate wins the most votes wins the election, no matter where they live.

Democrats have controlled the board for much of the last two decades.

The Republican members of the House education committee voted to move the proposals forward to a vote in the full legislative body.

In order to become law, the resolution would have to be approved by two-thirds of the Republican-controlled House and the Democratically controlled Senate. It would then go before voters in the November 2026 election. If passed into law by a majority of voters, the new regulations would go into effect after Jan. 1, 2027.

Under the proposal, the state superintendent would serve a term of up to four years, as determined by the governor.

The current law allows state superintendents to remain in their positions either until they resign or are removed by the state board.

Current State Superintendent Michael Rice has been criticized by Republicans and some Democrats — including Whitmer — for the lagging academic performance of schools in the state. He will leave his position Oct. 3, and the state board has already begun its search for his successor.

“Clearly, what we are doing is not working,” said state Rep. Bill Schuette, a Republican from Midland, citing the state’s results on recent state and national assessments during a recent House Education and Workforce Committee hearing.

“You look across the country, we are one of the only states that has a so-called independent head of its education department, and I believe that this, in practice, has removed an important element of accountability from our state’s public education system,” Schuette added.

Rep. Regina Weiss, a Democrat from Oak Park, said during the hearing there are concerns the position could become more partisan if the change is made because the State Board of Education’s staggered eight-year terms offer more consistency.

Schuette argued that because governors are elected every four years, there would be more accountability to constituents.

“If you have a governor who wants to implement reforms or changes, and that person has a mandate directly from the people and the governor, I think that it is a better way to execute that accountability,” he said.

Schuette said he is also in favor of eliminating the state board entirely, though there are no formal proposals to do so yet.

The state board’s power has been reduced significantly over the years, particularly under the initiatives of former Gov. John Engler, a Republican who transferred a number of the board’s responsibilities to the state superintendent.

Currently, the board’s role is to establish academic standards, as well as make policy recommendations to local districts and lawmakers. It does not have the power to pass laws or to control school funding.

This month, the state board unanimously passed a resolution to oppose the proposal to strip it of its power to appoint the state superintendent.

The members agreed the potential for state education policy to change frequently due to “short-term, flashy” initiatives of new governors would cause “confusion and frustration” among school leaders.

Tom McMillin, a Republican member of the state board, said during the meeting that he’s long opposed previous efforts to shift the power of appointing the state superintendent to the governor.

“The architects of Michigan’s 1963 constitution were wise to recognize that giving too much power to the governor would be harmful and that providing authority and oversight of education to a separately elected board would be beneficial to Michigan’s children,” McMillin said in a statement. “This separation of power should remain.”

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

April 22, 2025: A previous version of this story said Schuette is from Gladwin County. The story has been updated to reflect that he lives in Midland.

Republican school safety bills move forward in Michigan House

2025-04-16T23:17:43+00:00

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Amid a bipartisan push to improve school safety and students’ mental health, Republican lawmakers have put forward a package of bills that aims to create a comprehensive “school-community mental health system” and put additional crisis teams in schools.

The bill package cleared a legislative hurdle on Wednesday when the House Education and Workforce Committee voted to move it forward.

Last year, the legislature passed several bipartisan school safety bills that were introduced after a student shot and killed four students at Oxford High School in 2021. Those measures took lawmakers more than three years to approve, in part, because Democrats wanted to include gun reforms in proposed measures, and Republicans wanted to leave those measures out. A bipartisan House of Representatives school safety task force also researched the issues and interviewed school and public safety officials, community members, and survivors of school shootings, including Oxford, and their families.

Democrats eventually altered their proposals to gain support from Republicans.

Some of the newly introduced Republican bills touch on areas the original school safety task force agreed would be priorities: physical security, mental health, data processes, staff, and education. The bills do not address firearms and criminal justice, which were also among the original goals of the task force.

Rep. Kelly Breen, a Democrat from Novi, said in a March 26 hearing for the bills she was “alarmed” that the legwork the taskforce did and the input from school and public safety officials was not reflected in the new Republican bills. For example, Breen said the bills require hiring of hundreds of new mental health staff while schools already struggle to fill open positions.

One of the bills that moved forward this week would require every intermediate school district — or regional agencies that work with the Michigan Department of Education and local school districts to develop programs and meet goals — in Michigan to hire a mental health coordinator to develop and implement the comprehensive system. It would integrate community or faith-based mental health services in public and private schools. Few details about how this would play out in schools were available.

With state funds, the coordinator would also facilitate and deploy a behavioral health care technology platform for schools, as well as oversee and monitor Medicaid billing and the Caring 4 Students program, which partially reimburses school districts for mental health services for students who are eligible for Medicaid.

The bill would also require each ISD to have at least one emergency and safety manager to serve as a liaison between state and local school and law enforcement entities. The manager would perform risk assessments, facilitate response training with schools, and implement prevention programs.

It could cost an estimated $16.8 million in state funding for every ISD in the state to add the staff, according to a fiscal analysis of the bill. Schools would not have to meet the requirements if the state does not allocate the money to fund the positions, according to the bill.

The House Education and Workforce Committee voted to move the bill forward during a meeting Wednesday.

Republican state Reps. Nancy DeBoer, Rylee Linting, Joseph Fox, Tom Kunse, Joseph Pavlov, and Alicia St. Germain voted in favor of moving the bill to a vote in the full House. Democratic state Reps. Matt Koleszar and Regina Weiss voted against it.

Democratic state Reps. Jimmie Wilson Jr. and Erin Byrnes abstained, as did Republican state Rep. Brad Paquette.

Here’s what the other new Republican proposals would do

Require every public school to establish its own crisis team by July 1, 2026. The team would be responsible for initiating lockdowns, helping evacuate students and staff, as well as reuniting families after a safety crisis. The teams would include the school’s principal, vice principal, a school resource officer, and other school personnel. Private schools would have to establish an emergency operations plan.
Change the requirement for public schools to review their emergency preparedness plans with local law enforcement from every two years to every three years. Private schools, which currently are not required to share their plans, would also have to adhere to the requirement.
Local schools that don’t currently have temporary locking systems – or systems that immediately lock doors as a barrier in active shooter situations – would have to install them.
Increase the number of lockdown drills schools must complete each school year from three to four. At least one of the drills would have to take place during lunch, recess, or another time when students are gathered outside of classrooms. At least one would have to take place between class periods.
Require public and private school identification cards to include contact information for the OK2SAY program, which facilitates anonymous tips on potential threats to school and student safety. An existing provision that schools are not legally liable when suicide prevention numbers are not included on student IDs would be extended to situations in which schools don’t include OK2SAY information.
Require the Michigan Department of Heath and Human Services to make materials related to suicide, depression, and anxiety available to private schools that request it. Public schools can already receive such materials.
Require the Michigan State Police’s Office of School Safety to compile quarterly reports on the OK2SAY tips it receives for the School Safety and Mental Health Commission.

The bills will go forward for a full vote in the Republican-controlled House. In order to become law, they would also need to pass votes in the Democratically controlled Senate, and be signed by Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Earlier this year, Whitmer signed several other school safety bills into law. Among the measures, public schools now must have behavior threat assessment and management teams.

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Michigan parents of students with disabilities feel ‘hopeless’ as civil rights cases remain in limbo

2025-04-14T10:00:00+00:00

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There was a time George Finley Jr. was on the honor roll.

After the seventh grader started having epileptic seizures a couple of years ago, he experienced memory loss. Now, he’s far behind where he should be academically. The Detroit Public Schools Community District agreed in November to pay for outside tutoring to help him catch up, records show.

That still hasn’t happened, and the school year is near its end.

“My son is not progressing,” said his mother, Sheri King.

She was close to getting an answer from the district. But the Trump administration gutted the U.S. Department of Education’s workforce weeks later, and the civil rights attorney who was helping facilitate King’s communication with George’s school stopped responding to her emails. His position, along with hundreds of others, was eliminated. With new leadership, the department shuttered more than half of its regional civil rights enforcement offices, which had investigated and resolved complaints for decades. Now, remaining offices must take on the backlog of cases.

King is in the same position as many families in Michigan and across the country. Parents of students with disabilities and those who experience racial discrimination or sexual violence in schools are uncertain of the fate of their federal complaints. Many say they have not gotten updates on their cases since the regional offices closed. Some, like King, fear what the future will look like for their children.

Hundreds of federal civil rights cases were put on hold after President Donald Trump took office in January. On Feb. 20, Craig Trainor, now the deputy assistant secretary for policy in the Office for Civil Rights, ended the pause on cases that solely dealt with disability discrimination. Staff were still told not to pursue race- and sex-based discrimination cases. At the same time, under new guidance, targeted investigations of school programs that promote diversity and policies that support transgender students were initiated.

Sheri King and her son, George, pose for a portrait in Detroit.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon lifted the freeze on all cases on March 6. However, the department laid off the staff of seven of its 12 civil rights enforcement offices on March 12. The closures included the Cleveland office, which handled cases for Michigan and Ohio.

Advocates said the move effectively decimated the department’s workforce and sabotaged its ability to enforce civil rights protections for students.

Former attorneys at the Department of Education said the nearly 50% reduction in staff will undoubtedly add to an existing backlog of cases.

“The reality is, cases aren’t moving, period,” one former Cleveland office staff attorney told Chalkbeat on the condition of anonymity due to fears of retribution.

The gutting of the department added to an existing backlog of thousands of open complaints. In Michigan alone, there are currently 782 civil rights cases under investigation, according to the department’s list of records published online. Of those, 462 are disability discrimination cases. Those investigations were opened before the dramatic changes to the department.

Michigan special education advocates said many of the parents they work with have not heard updates on their cases. Some had pending mediation hearing dates with their districts scheduled that have since passed.

Jacquelyn Binford, whose son, Rocco, is in first grade in Chippewa Valley Schools, was scheduled to have a mediation hearing on March 19 for a complaint she filed in December 2023. She hoped the district would agree to provide more occupational therapy to help her son develop his motor skills.

The district’s representative never responded to confirm the hearing date.

Since then, all of Michigan’s cases were assigned to the federal department’s Denver office. Binford said she hasn’t gotten any updates about the case.

“Here we are now,” Binford said. “This could have already been resolved.”

Chippewa Valley Schools did not respond to a request for comment on Binford’s case.

Detroit Public Schools Community District officials said they “respect the challenges that all parents with students” with individualized education programs, or IEPs, have.

The district said it will continue to “problem solve through the challenges they are facing to ensure their children succeed in school with the limited resources the District receives to educate each child with an IEP.”

Critical services, safety at stake for children, workers say

The Office for Civil Rights is charged with investigating and enforcing federal protections for students in K-12 schools, as well colleges and universities. It also facilitates mediations to come to voluntary agreements between parties.

The department is mandated to promptly investigate and resolve complaints against local and state education agencies as an impartial third party.

The federal laws it seeks compliance with include Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, as well as Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which ensures students with disabilities have a right to equal access to educational opportunities and services.

Quickly resolving complaints is crucial to the safety and educational outcomes of many children, former federal workers say.

“There could be a kid staying at home because they’re the survivor of sexual assault and there are no measures in place to ensure their safety,” the former Cleveland staff member said. “Or there could be a student with a behavior plan that’s not being implemented and that student is being restrained.”

Before his departure, the attorney said there was a case close to mediation that involved a high school student in a juvenile detention facility. The complaint alleged the facility did not have the special education services that would allow the child to graduate.

“I did feel like there could be a pathway to see this kid graduate,” the attorney said. “We had to cancel mediation because we were told not to do any communication with schools.”

Because the department missed the opportunity to intervene before the end of the school year, the attorney said the window to help the student graduate is gone.

A large part of the work of attorneys at the Cleveland office fell outside of investigations and mediations to reach early resolutions, another former staff member told Chalkbeat.

George Finley Jr. and his mother, Sheri King, hold hands.

In King’s case, a mediation agreement was already made. But, the mother told the attorney who was assigned to her original complaint that the district was not complying with the tutoring portion of the agreement.

The attorney was in the process of finding the point of contact in the district to finalize George’s enrollment and payment for the tutoring program before the Cleveland office was shuttered.

Binford said while she waits for an answer from Chippewa Valley Schools about whether they will provide in-school occupational therapy for Rocco, he struggles to keep up with his peers in gym class. He still needs help developing his muscles to open and close zippers, write, and cut food.

Michigan families are also awaiting the outcome of an Office for Civil Rights investigation that found the Michigan Department of Education allegedly violated the rights of students with disabilities during COVID-era school closures.

The state agency was accused of repeatedly giving incorrect information about students’ rights to parents and schools, according to legal filings. The federal investigation also alleged the state agency knew districts were failing to provide services to students with disabilities.

The federal investigation alleged students at the Michigan School for the Deaf, which is operated by the Michigan education agency, had their instructional time reduced by 43% during the 2020-21 school year. Students didn’t get speech language pathology, social work, or visual impairment consultation services for long periods of time, according to the federal agency.

The complaint seeks compensatory services for all students with disabilities in the state who were denied adequate educational support during that time.

Attorneys for the agency asked multiple times for the case to be thrown out. The Office for Civil Rights accused the state agency of attempting to shield itself from scrutiny and said in case filings it had not provided any proof that its alleged violations have been remedied.

Marcie Lipsitt, a special education advocate who filed the initial complaint against the state agency, said the administrative law judge assigned to the case was not impacted by the cuts to the Department of Education. She said a final hearing date for the administrative judge to issue a ruling has not yet been set.

“We’re still waiting every day to see what happens,” said Lipsitt.

The Michigan Department of Education has denied any wrongdoing.

Caseloads have doubled since federal cuts, former staff say

The federal Department of Education handles thousands of cases each year. In 2024, it received nearly 23,000 complaints.

Now that 240 staff members at the Office for Civil Rights have been laid off, those who remain are saddled with more than double their usual caseloads, according to former Cleveland attorneys.

Staff working at the regional offices that are still open also will have to learn the idiosyncrasies of state-specific laws. The attorneys who were laid off took with them decades of institutional knowledge, according to former staff.

A federal lawsuit filed on March 13 against the Education Department, Trainor, and McMahon, alleges the agency’s “complaint and investigation processing functions have fallen under attack.”

Two parents and the nonprofit association Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, including two Michigan members, are plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

The plaintiffs allege the department “has abdicated its responsibility to enforce civil rights protections, leaving students who should be able to trust and rely on their government to protect and defend their rights to instead endure discriminatory and unsafe learning environments without recourse.”

The Department of Education did not respond to a request for comment.

Michigan families say they have run out of options

Many families feel they have run out of options after years of fighting for their children to receive appropriate education and support.

Lyn Hollister, mother of twins in ninth grade in Tri County Area Schools, filed federal complaints in February and still hasn’t heard anything about their statuses.

Shelbie, Hollister’s daughter who has autism and mild cognitive impairment, is still waiting for the district to modify her curriculum to focus on life and job skills. As she waits, Shelbie is suffering from mental health issues because of the stress to meet grade level standards.

Last week, the district agreed to put Hollister’s other daughter, Makenzie, who has cognitive impairment and severe cerebral palsy, on a track to receive a high school completion certificate instead of a diploma. The change will allow Makenzie to get more thorough transition services after high school, her mother said.

Hollister requested the same for Shelbie but is still fighting for the change.

“When your child comes home on certain days they have struggled and wrap their arms around you crying because they are so overwhelmed that day because of what is put on them, you just break down,” she said. “And your hands are tied.”

A representative for Tri County Area Schools declined to comment on Hollister’s case.

Hollister said she plans on moving her daughters to another school in the fall. They qualify for a Section 105c waiver, which will allow them to attend a school outside of their district.

“We’re hoping in this new district, they can finally have a team to support our children to be the best that they can be,” she said.

Mother and son Sheri King and George Finley Jr. embrace for a portrait.

King, the Detroit mother, said if she could afford to, she would move to another part of the state in hopes of finding a district that might provide a better outcome for George.

Options like private school wouldn’t work for Rocco, said Binford.

“I worry he would be forgotten about,” she said. “They don’t have the resources or the training to support him in a private school. We really do rely on the public education system.”

In some cases, complaints filed with the federal department can be handled by state or local agencies. That depends on what protections states have covered in their own civil rights laws.

In Michigan, the state education agency’s Office of Special Education enforces compliance with parts of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and state law. The office investigates and mediates state-level complaints. Complaints can also be filed with local intermediate school districts.

The Michigan Department of Civil Rights enforces the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, which includes protections from discrimination based on gender, sexuality, religion, race. It also enforces the state’s Persons with Disabilities Civil Rights Act.

Binford said since she hasn’t heard anything back from the federal office, she was advised by an advocate to make a mediation appointment with Macomb Intermediate School District.

Another avenue for parents are lawsuits. However, legal cases are costly and timely. The standard of proof in the court system is also higher than in administrative proceedings.

King said after years of fighting for her son, she is left with limited choices.

“I feel hopeless,” she said. “I don’t know where to go from here.”

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Chalkbeat

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