Chalkbeat

Federal scholarship tax credit sparks debate over funding for Michigan’s public and private schools

2026-10-13T21:30:23+00:00

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Over the years, Joshua Raymond has paid for a variety of “extras” for his three daughters in public schools, from tutoring to band instruments to SAT prep. If Michigan opts into the federal scholarship tax credit program, he believes the state could offset some of those costs for parents.

The new federal tax credit reimburses taxpayers for donations to scholarship-granting organizations, which then distribute money to families for a range of educational expenses, including private school tuition. Public schools could create their own organizations to help families pay some out-of-pocket expenses, such as after-school enrichment programs, summer school, and field trips.

“There were so many things we had to pay for that were not covered by the school,” said Raymond, who has had two daughters attend Rochester Community School District, while a third is a senior. “There were educational and academic opportunities we turned down (due) to cost.

“This is (one of) the largest federal investments in education ever. If Michigan spurns it, we risk falling further behind other states in education.”

The federal scholarship tax credit, which was primarily designed to benefit private school families by offering a public subsidy for tuition, has drawn comparisons to universal voucher programs enacted in states like Arizona and Texas. But some supporters point to an important difference and potential opportunity: The federal scholarship tax credit could be used by public school families.

But as Michigan weighs whether to participate, there are still a lot of unknowns, including what expenses scholarships can actually cover and whether private schools are better positioned to take advantage of the program.

Families earning up to 300% of area median income are eligible to receive scholarships for their children. The federal scholarship tax credit allows individual taxpayers to get reimbursed up to $1,700, or up to $3,400 for married couples filing jointly. The donations are reimbursed as a credit when donors file their federal taxes.

While 31 states have opted in to the program, Michigan is one of 19 states that have not yet made a decision for the coming year. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration said it is reviewing the new rules the Treasury Department issued on Oct. 1. States have until Jan. 1 to opt in to be eligible to receive funding from the program when it begins in 2027.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Friday she would opt that state into the program, despite opposition from teacher unions, after saying earlier this year that she was waiting for the rules to be released before taking that step.

Michigan gubernatorial candidates, Democrat Jocelyn Benson and Republican John James, have opposing views on the tax credit program. James’ campaign pledges to opt in on “day one,” while Benson opposes it.

“Nearly 1.5 million Michigan kids could be eligible to benefit from this program, giving families access to additional resources for tutoring, after-school programs, special-needs services, educational materials, scholarships and other opportunities that help students succeed,” James’ campaign spokesperson Alyvia Bailey said.

Benson said committing to the Trump administration’s tax program would be “reckless and irresponsible” as there is still a lack of clear guidance for how it will be implemented.

“I’m open to any policy that gets more resources into our schools,” Benson said. “But let’s be clear: Donald Trump is not being transparent about where the money from this program will go or how it will improve educational outcomes. As governor, I can’t commit taxpayer dollars to a program under Trump’s control with zero transparency or assurance it will deliver for Michigan students.”

The case for Michigan to opt into the federal scholarship tax credit

Josh Cowen, a voucher critic and Michigan State University education researcher, said the federal scholarship tax credit differs from state voucher systems.

Typical state voucher systems do not allow public schools to be providers, he said, and students must exit public schools to be eligible. With the federal credit, the opposite is true.

If public schools create nonprofit scholarship-granting organizations, Cowen anticipates they will be able to pay for things like after-school enrichment, tutoring, summer school, and to a smaller extent arts and music.

“The opportunity in the credit is real for public schools, but they’ve got to start moving,” he said. “Money is not just going to come to them automatically.”

Georgetown University school finance expert Marguerite Roza previously suggested that public schools could create a fixed package of services for what she calls the K12 Plus Plan, charging a fee – that would be covered by scholarships – to give students access to things like field trips, devices, Advanced Placement classes, after-school care, electives, and in-school tutoring.

But after the Treasury Department’s latest release of proposed regulations, Roza said what will ultimately be allowed for public schools “could get messy.” Roza, who noted that the department’s guidance isn’t binding, believes any expense covered by tuition for private schools should be allowed for public schools.

“Public school districts don’t love ambiguity,” she said. “I know that the government moves slowly, but these delays are actually contributing, in my opinion, to what will be a slower start than would be if we had better information sooner.”

Roza also worries that income verification requirements could make it much harder for public schools to realize the benefits.

She suggested that state leaders who have reservations could opt in for the first year of the program and then opt out the following year if the difference between what is allowed for public and private schools is a “disaster.”

Critics question who would benefit from federal tax credit

Michigan doesn’t have a school voucher or tax credit program, and its Constitution bans public money or tax benefits from going to any private, denominational, or other non-public school.

On two occasions, 1970 and 2000, Michigan voters rejected public funds going to non-public schools. In 2023, a federal lawsuit unsuccessfully challenged the state’s Constitution.

Cowen believes Michigan could participate in the scholarship program because it involves federal dollars, adding he sees “no problem with the state Constitution.”

Some critics of the new tax credit, however, have concerns about who will benefit from the program.

In May, Michigan’s State Board of Education passed a resolution opposing the state’s participation in the tax credit program, saying federal education policy should focus on strengthening public schools.

Pamela Pugh, president of the state board, said that instead of providing a tax credit, the federal government should fully fund its 40% share of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, something states have been “waiting decades” for.

Pugh also argued that private schools already have infrastructure to work with scholarship-granting organizations, while many public schools don’t have existing local foundations to award scholarships.

“We also are not expecting to have control over how those donations are geared and who they’re geared toward,” Pugh said. “What we do know is that there is a lot of ambiguity. There’s a lot of unknowns.”

Beyond the potential administrative hurdles public schools face, Michigan Education Justice Coalition Co-Director Rachelle Crow-Hercher also said vouchers have an ugly history, dating back to the 1950s with state-created tuition grants, which allowed white students in the South to pay for private school after Brown v. Board of Education ended legally mandated racial segregation.

“There are other things we could be spending the money on, and that we should be spending the money on, rather than a system that was created for segregating schools,” she said.

Michigan Association of Non-public Schools Executive Director Brian Broderick said the federal scholarship tax credit is “maybe a bigger deal” in Michigan than in other states that already have universal voucher programs. The organization has been pushing the governor’s office to opt in for several months, with private school advocates speaking out in favor during the state board’s May 12 meeting.

Blocking Michigan’s public and private schools from having access to these donations, Broderick said, could divert funding to other states.

“I think we’ll be at a real loss here in the state if we do not participate in the program because there’s so much potential new funding that can come to serve students in Michigan,” he said.

Raymond, the father of three in Rochester, said he would like to make a donation to a scholarship-granting organization in Michigan. But if he can’t, he plans to make one to benefit his nieces and nephews – in Utah, a state that opted into the program.

This story is part of a collaboration between Chalkbeat Detroit and the Detroit Free Press on covering key education issues in the race for Michigan’s next governor.

Voter guide 2026: What Detroit school board candidates say about closing small schools

2026-10-08T21:45:55+00:00

The five people elected to the Detroit school board in November will help decide the future of schools struggling with declining enrollment and high operating costs.

There are 19 schools on the Detroit Public Schools Community District’s list of small schools — so named because the revenue generated by enrollment doesn’t cover the costs of school programs and operations. The district generates the list each year.

Many of the schools have declining enrollment. Others face special circumstances that have led to the higher costs. For instance, Paul Robeson Malcolm X Academy’s enrollment has plummeted over the last two years because its building is being replaced and students and staff have been moved to another location.

“When the school relocates back to its new building it should return to a balanced funding model,” the 2026 small schools report said.

The district has closed four schools that were previously on the list and plans to close Thurgood Marshall Elementary-Middle School — which is on the current list — at the end of the current school year.

DPSCD Superintendent Nikolai Vitti has emphasized that appearing on the list doesn’t mean a school is being considered for closure. The annual reports detail the district’s efforts to boost enrollment, market the schools, or seek other solutions.

Chalkbeat asked candidates for the school board what DPSCD should do about the small schools.

Of the 19 candidates who filled out the questionnaire, many opposed closing any more schools, with one saying that if a school is expensive to operate but is meeting students’ needs, it should remain open. Other candidates said the district must review how the schools reached this point and consider strategies to keep them open.

In the race for five open seats in the Nov. 3 election — four seats with four-year terms and one seat with a partial two-year term — 34 names will appear on the ballot. Three of them — Natalie Bien-Aime, Henrietta Ivey, and Darious Morris — have said they are no longer running.

Here’s what they said about small schools:

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

Voter guide 2026: Are Detroit students better off under DPSCD? School board candidates weigh in.

2026-10-02T18:02:32+00:00

Ten years ago, the Detroit Public Schools Community District was in its infancy and charting a path for students that promised to be different than the traumatic and chaotic one that had become the norm for decades.

It would be debt free, after years in which Detroit Public Schools, the district that used to educate students, was mired in so much debt that bankruptcy seemed a certainty. The focus would be on academics instead of paying off debt. And it would be overseen by a new elected and empowered school board, after years in which the DPS board had little to no say.

After a decade of DPSCD, there are some encouraging signs. While overall achievement is still low and well below statewide averages, the district has seen steady improvement, and researchers have said that growth is a sign academic reforms are having an effect. The district’s board has adopted balanced budgets in each year of its existence. The district has had consistent leadership since Superintendent Nikolai Vitti was hired in 2017, unlike the revolving door of the previous district.

But there have also been challenges. Some board members and community members increasingly are criticizing academic performance, saying students aren’t improving fast enough. Vitti has frequently raised concerns that the district isn’t receiving funding from the state that is equitable to suburban districts. And while the district has invested $700 million (from federal COVID relief funds provided during the pandemic) into a facility master plan for upgrades and rebuilds across DPSCD, it covers just a fraction of the facility needs.

The candidates weighed in on the 10-year anniversary, answering questions in a Chalkbeat questionnaire about what the district has done well, what it’s gotten wrong, and whether schools are better off.

Here’s what they told us.

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

How to fix Michigan’s literacy crisis? Start with poverty and housing solutions, experts say

2026-10-01T19:01:56+00:00

Trenten longs for the days when he lived together with his whole family. For the past six months, Trenten and his older sister have stayed with close friends while his mother lives elsewhere as she continues to search for housing that will bring them together again.

The distance is hurting his confidence, which has impacted his schoolwork and performance, said his mother, Tanisha Adkins.

Twelve-year-old Trenten has dyslexia and manages his learning through an individualized education program, or IEP, a legally required plan for students with disabilities. Because of his disability, he struggles significantly in math and reading, Adkins said. Trenten is only being identified by his first name to protect his privacy.

Researchers and advocates say Michigan officials are focused on literacy and growing overall educational achievement in the state but that should start with addressing students’ lives outside the classroom – especially those who are economically disadvantaged.

“The real answer to fixing the reading problems across the country and in Michigan is that we need to address poverty and we need to address housing instability,” said Jennifer Erb-Downward, director of Housing Stability Programs and Policy Initiatives at Poverty Solutions.

There’s more than 710,000 economically disadvantaged students across Michigan, according to 2026 state data.

Nearly 36,600 school-aged children, or almost 3 percent of pre-K through 12th grade students, experienced homelessness during the 2024-25 school year, a steady rise since the pandemic, state data shows.

About 64% of homeless students statewide graduated with the Class of 2025, 20 percentage points below the state average for all students. Homeless students also drop out at double the statewide rate of about 7%.

‘Poverty is a policy choice.’

“It is too hard for us as people in society to acknowledge the fact that we collectively are responsible for the degree of harm that exists, and that degree of harm on children,” Erb-Downward said. “Poverty is a policy choice.”

Candidates for Michigan governor, Democrat Jocelyn Benson and Republican John James, have platforms that include education goals and outcomes for the state, yet neither candidate includes ways to tackle issues of poverty as they push to improve schools.

Benson’s plan outlines expanding Rx Kids, which provides cash payments to new mothers, and ensuring pre-K for all, while James wants to expand school choice and support for Michigan boys who have fallen behind in school. Both candidates name absenteeism and literacy as major problems to address in education.

Erb-Downward said it’s difficult for many children to succeed because of multiple barriers to learning, such as midschool year moves, homelessness, and families who live separately. Experts also point to food insecurity, healthcare access, living conditions, and education equity.

“We are forcing parents into situations where they have no good decision to make,” she said.

For Trenten, each night at their previous home, the 7th grader would read books aloud with Adkins. Now, he’s withdrawn and not as interested, she said.

“He’s like, ‘It’s not the same. You’re not here full time, so why should I do it?”’ Adkins said. “That affects me a lot.”

His grades dropped after they started living apart. He improved them, but only slightly. All of this is taking a toll on the family, she said.

For now, Trenten just began the new school year living separately from his mother.

Navigating the system

In August, education advocate Jenna Pickman checked on a family living in a long-term stay hotel. They were preparing for the start of school when they realized their school transportation cards had not yet arrived in the mail.

Pickman, of the Student Advocacy Center of Michigan, reached out on behalf of the family to the Detroit Public Schools Community District’s Office of Homelessness and Foster Care. The advocacy center is a nonprofit organization that provides support to K-12 students and their families living in poverty.

District officials told her the family would need to resubmit paperwork for the McKinney-Vento Act, which protects the rights of children dealing with housing issues. Pickman said it felt like yet another barrier for the family she’s helping through recent homelessness.

It’s hard enough when families have a case worker to make calls and push for aid, Pickman said, but “if you don’t have someone doing all of that and you’re trying to function and go to work and make money and do these calls, you’re going to be two or three steps behind, and it’s going to be exhausting.”

Detroiter Imani Foster started working with the local education equity nonprofit 482Forward when she was in high school. She recalls when a local charter school closed abruptly, scrambling many families who attended.

“I remember working alongside a family who was already dealing with homelessness, already dealing with lots of other things that just come alongside homelessness, and also now are trying to scramble to find a new school for their child that will accept their child with no transcripts,” Foster said. “This has been a longtime problem.”

In DPSCD, where Trenten attends school, about 8% of students were identified as experiencing homelessness, although homeless student counts are almost always undercounted.

Stressors from inconsistent housing eventually reach children who are taking all of those feelings and anxieties to school with them, Pickman said.

“Watching the kids that I work with and just seeing their demeanor and the looks on their faces, I think it’s like a big shock,” Pickman said. “It’s a trauma.”

Living separately from Trenten was the only option for Adkins after several housing agencies left her with nowhere to go, she said. The agencies helped with temporary housing, but that did not lead to a permanent place, she said.

About 72% of Michigan homeless students reported that they stayed with others while experiencing housing insecurity, far more than other solutions, according to data from national organization SchoolHouse Connection.

Jim Schaafsma, a housing attorney for the Michigan Poverty Law Program, trains and provides resources to legal aid groups statewide while also working directly with some families in need. Over the years, Schaafsma said he repeatedly watched housing costs push more people into unstable situations.

“There’s this enormous mismatch, not just in Michigan, but nationwide, between income and housing costs, so it’s a failure of a market system, and then it’s a failure of a governmental response to that market failure, and so the two combined go to produce these terrible outcomes for families that are so often really beyond their control,” Schaafsma said.

Seeking success

Nearly half of all Michigan students are considered economically disadvantaged, which includes homeless students plus those who live in households receiving food or cash assistance or qualify for free and reduced school meals, among others.

Michigan provides more than $1.3 billion for economically disadvantaged students, an amount that has increased since 2023 when the state began moving toward a weighted funding system that allocates more money for schools for at-risk students, as well as for other vulnerable children. Yet, the state’s at-risk funding need has jumped significantly in recent years.

School districts can use state at-risk funds for a variety of services like school health clinics, crisis intervention programs, mental health services, and noninstructional and instructional offerings. The money may not go to administrative costs.

Michigan’s Housing Choice Voucher program allotted nearly 22,000 vouchers to more than 20,200 families in the program, according to the agency’s June report. These vouchers subsidize rent to private landlords to help very low-income families, veterans, and elderly individuals afford housing.

In Wayne County, the state’s largest county, vouchers accounted for about a third of statewide spending. So far this year, the program has dispersed about $104.7 million, an average of $860 in assistance per family.

The county also reported the highest number of households that were homeless when they were admitted to the program. Across the state, more than half of families were homeless at the time they were admitted to the program.

In Detroit, the city and the Detroit Public Schools Community School District have implemented several programs to battle chronic absenteeism. Experts say students from low-income homes are two to three times more likely to become chronically absent, which is defined in Michigan as missing 10% of the school year, or 18 days in a 180-day school year.

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield said absenteeism is one of her administration’s priorities for city youth, which she repeatedly stressed to voters during her campaign. She created the Ride to Rise program, which targets chronically absent students with free DDOT bus transportation for all K-12 students in Detroit.

About 85% of district students are from economically disadvantaged families, which can greatly impact student attendance rates. The chronic absenteeism rate dropped to 60.9% for the 2024-25 school year from the pre-pandemic rate of about 62%. Chronic absenteeism soared in the district during the early pandemic school years to about 76%.

DPSCD’s 2027 attendance plan aims to decrease chronic absenteeism to below 43% and raise average daily attendance to 90%.

The district’s health hubs also deliver resources to families but schools only have so much they can offer, Foster said.

“It’s hard to ask our schools to do everything right. They’re supposed to be educating the child. Now they’re feeding the child. Now they have health hubs for the child,” Foster said. “We haven’t really cracked that code yet.”

This story is part of a collaboration between Chalkbeat Detroit and the Detroit Free Press to cover key education issues in the race for Michigan’s next governor.

5 Detroit school board candidates run as a slate backed by ‘militant’ ‘anti-fascist’ activism group

2026-10-01T10:00:01+00:00

In a crowded race for a new majority on the Detroit school board in the November election, five candidates are banding together as a slate based on political ideology.

The self-described “militant,” “anti-fascist” activist group By Any Means Necessary, or BAMN, is seeking five seats on the Detroit Public Schools Community District’s seven-member board. The entire slate wants to oust Superintendent Nikolai Vitti, citing the recent closures of four small schools as their main motivation. Most of the candidates told Chalkbeat they would use their platforms as board members to garner more attention for the activism and organizing they are already doing.

Liana Mulholland, Nicole Conaway, Tabrian Joe, and Elizabeth Ann Williams are running against 30 other candidates for the four full-term seats on the ballot. Shawn Vaughn will face two others in the running for the one partial-term seat.

Mulholland said she wanted to run in this election – which could drastically change the district’s future – in part because there will be the most turnover in membership at one time since DPSCD was created in 2016.

“This presented a real opportunity,” Mulholland said.

School closures continue to be a sticking point for BAMN

Over the years, BAMN has led multiple protests and school walkouts in Detroit. Its activism in Detroit public schools first focused on the end of emergency management and opposition to widespread school closures.

After DPSCD was created in 2016 and Vitti was hired in 2017, BAMN’s focus shifted from opposing state emergency managers to challenging the superintendent and his policies.

Vitti did not respond to a request for comment on the slate’s criticisms of his administration.

BAMN spoke out against the district’s June closures of Ann Arbor Trail Magnet School, J.E. Clark Preparatory Academy, Catherine Blackwell Institute, and Greenfield Union Elementary-Middle School.

The schools were identified to be phased out in 2022 because of low enrollment and high operating costs. Their closures were accelerated due to budgetary concerns.

Thurgood Marshall Elementary-Middle School will close at the end of this school year for the same reasons.

Mulholland, Conaway, Joe, and Vaughn told Chalkbeat they want to stop Marshall’s closure. Williams, an Osborn High School graduate, did not respond to a request for comment.

“Vitti’s been using the same excuses as emergency managers, that we need to right-size the district,” said Conaway. “We need to grow and invest in our schools.”

There are currently about 50,000 students in the district and around 72,000 seats.

All four candidates who responded said they believe there is enough money to keep the schools open. When asked where the funding would come from, they said the money is owed to DPSCD by the state because of the debt created during emergency management that Detroit Public Schools is still paying off. (DPS remained solely to collect taxes to pay off historical debts when DPSCD was created.)

The candidates said they would try to secure the additional funding by organizing in Lansing and using their platforms as board members to put pressure on legislators.

BAMN candidates want Vitti out

The four candidates who responded told Chalkbeat they want to fire Vitti or push him to resign.

The board can vote to hire or fire the superintendent, but the Detroit Financial Review Commission must approve the termination.

When asked whether they would work with Vitti to accomplish the day-to-day business of the board, the four candidates varied in their answers.

“I don’t have an answer for that right now,” said Joe, a UPS handler who previously worked as a paraprofessional and reading interventionist.

Joe added that the BAMN slate would “make decisions to best provide a quality education for Detroit students.”

Vaughn, an Osborn High School graduate employed as an organizer for BAMN, said he would do “whatever work is necessary for the district.”

“But if you’re asking if I will be kind to him, no,” Vaughn said.

Mulholland, a Cass Technical High School graduate who works at organ tissue recovery program Gift of Life Michigan, said she would be able to perform regular business, such as requesting information and data from Vitti.

“But if it’s around a fundamental disagreement, then no,” she said. “If he’s saying there’s not the money to keep Marshall open, I could not.”

Conaway, a longtime DPSCD teacher who was fired by the district after challenging its in-person work requirement in 2022, said she didn’t like the question.

“To me, that means be nice and accept what he’s saying,” Conaway said. “This is the time for leaders to step up and challenge what’s been going on instead of rubberstamping and accepting at face value.”

BAMN is the only ideological slate in the DPSCD board race

Sheila Cockrel, CEO of nonpartisan civic education group Citizen Detroit, said other candidates are receiving endorsements as slates. For example, Dr. Jameel Smith and Terry Whitfield were endorsed by 482Forward Action, the political arm of the local education justice nonprofit, as the “Detroit Kids Deserve Better Slate.”

But Cockrel said BAMN is the only one that began the race together on the same political platform.

Some research has shown that school board politics have become more influenced by national politics since the pandemic and more ideological slates have popped up across the country.

Kevin Deegan-Krause, a professor of political science at Wayne State University, said that is likely because of the increasingly polarized politics in the country today.

“The mood in America right now in general is that institutions aren’t working,” Deegan-Krause said.

The board election is an at-large race, meaning the top four vote-getting candidates will win the four full-term seats. The highest vote in the partial term race will go to one of the three in the running.

“It’s the most unpredictable and chaotic of all electoral systems,” said Deegan-Krause, also a former board member in Ferndale Public Schools. “It’s the hardest to predict who is going to win or lose.”

Running as a slate can either have a big pay off in the “winner take all” electoral system, Deegan-Krause said, or it can mean none of the candidates are helped.

“The risk is that if voters don’t like one or two people, then a good candidate is put at a disadvantage,” he said.

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

Should parents be held accountable for their children’s chronic absenteeism? Board candidates weigh in.

2026-09-30T14:19:05+00:00

As Detroit’s school district has explored ways to reduce chronic absenteeism, the conversation has at times turned to whether parents should be held more accountable for their children’s absences.

The Detroit Public Schools Community District board has also discussed incentives for parents to ensure their kids get to school. With 34 candidates running for five board seats in the Nov. 3 election, it’s a conversation newcomers will likely contribute to.

Researchers generally frown on penalties and incentives for parents and students, citing research showing they don’t move the needle on attendance. Michigan law allows parents to face penalties for their children’s poor attendance and allows the state to halt public assistance for parents whose children are missing too much school.

DPSCD has had some success, however, in paying high school students for perfect attendance from January to March. It plans to expand the program to middle school students this school year.

At a meeting last October, board member Monique Bryant said she doesn’t understand “how we are not more firm with our parents and their responsibility to get their children to school.” At the same meeting, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said “it is time to enhance the accountability and engagement” with parents.

High rates of student absenteeism have plagued Detroit schools for years, impeding the district’s academic reform efforts. When students aren’t in school, they aren’t learning, and research shows students who are frequently absent are more likely to struggle academically and drop out.

In DPSCD, 60% of children were chronically absent at the end of the 2025-26 school year, down from 76.7% in the 2021-22 school year, during the pandemic. But district and city officials say it’s still too high and have continued looking for options to improve attendance, including by providing more transportation options for students and expanding after-school programs.

Chalkbeat asked candidates their thoughts on whether parents should be held accountable for their children’s absences. Of the 34 candidates, 31 are running for four seats with four-year terms, and three are running for a partial two-year term.

Here’s what those who filled out our questionnaire told us. You can also read their responses to a question about improving attendance in the district here.

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

K-2 reading growth slowed last year in the Detroit district. Here’s what administrators say caused it.

2026-09-29T10:00:01+00:00

After the first year of the Detroit district’s $94.4 million literacy lawsuit settlement, which paid for hundreds of academic interventionists and after-school tutoring, there were big improvements in reading scores for early learners.

But growth stalled last school year for students in kindergarten to second grade in the Detroit Public Schools Community District.

In retrospect, the school system should have provided more individualized interventions for students who were closer to reaching grade level in reading in the 2025-26 school year, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said at a board committee meeting last week.

“We have way more students that are just below being at grade level,” Vitti said during the meeting, adding they need different intervention than their peers who are behind two or more grade levels.

Though much of the settlement efforts have been aimed at early learners, the interventionists, tutoring, and other resources are available to students in all grades.

The analysis presented at the meeting included results from assessments administered by DPSCD. State standardized tests are not given to K-2 students.

The results showed that 27.3% of K-2 students were proficient last school year – up less than 1 percentage point from 2024-25, the first year the district used the settlement funds.

The percentage of proficient students in 2024-25 grew by 4.5 percentage points compared to 2023-24, according to district data.

There was also a noticeable drop – 6 percentage points – in students who showed the typical growth expected in one school year, with nearly 50.5% meeting that goal in 2025-26.

Detroit’s reading growth outpaces similar districts

MarGrady Research, the third-party firm that completed the analysis, compared the district’s results with 12 similar school systems across the county that use the same assessments. The analysis did not name the other districts.

The analysis showed about 31.4% of K-2 students in the comparison districts were on grade level in reading on the assessment in 2025-26. In DPSCD, 27.2% reached grade level.

But DPSCD students showed more growth than those in the comparison districts between 2022-23 and 2025-26. The share of Detroit students reading on grade level increased by 7.7 percentage points compared to an increase of 2.6 percentage points in the other districts.

This year is the last the district has to spend the settlement money from the 2016 federal “right to read” civil rights lawsuit, which was meant to help make up for years of state funding inequities. As the money is set to run out, board members are pushing for faster improvements in early literacy.

“Our kids cannot afford to continue to go backwards: 80% of our kids are not proficient,” said LaTrice McClendon, chair of the board, during the meeting.

The lawsuit settlement exposed years of underfunding in Detroit schools, which had led to deplorable conditions, including vermin infestation, overcrowded classrooms, and leaking sewage. The complaint said the unsafe and bleak condition of the schools denied children access to education.

The state settled the lawsuit in 2020 and allocated the money to DPSCD three years later. The district created a three-year plan to use the funding based on recommendations made by a task force and input from community meetings.

With the money, the district hired 267 additional literacy academic interventionists to work in small groups with K-2 students. It reduced K-3 class sizes, hired more teachers, and offered educator merit pay for schools and classrooms that met ambitious literacy goals.

Some of the funding also established newcomer centers for English language learners, created Parent Academy sessions to help families encourage their kids to read, and expanded after-school tutoring.

In recent years, there have been significant improvements in the district’s state standardized test scores compared to before the settlement. But DPSCD students remain far behind statewide averages, with only 14.1% of third graders at or above proficiency last spring.

The analysis of the results presented by district administrators last week showed the share of K-2 students reading at grade level increased by 8 percentage points over the last three school years.

The gains made by K-2 students are equivalent to 35 extra days of learning, according to the district.

The district focused on K-2 literacy to build solid foundations for students who start school far behind their peers in wealthier communities due to issues tied to systemic poverty and racism. The focus helped create a “culture of literacy,” Vitti said. Now, principals are visiting those classrooms, observing, and providing feedback to teachers more often, he added.

The additional interventionists have helped students who were far behind grade level catch up, according to the district.

But several obstacles are preventing faster progress, Vitti said.

In addition to the need for more individualized student support, Vitti said a large number of new K-2 students in DPSCD last year had undiagnosed disabilities with “extreme behaviors” and should have been in self-contained classrooms with more support. Some of those students, who remained in general education classrooms while waiting to be evaluated for special education services, disrupted instruction, Vitti added.

The district has made progress reducing the wait time for evaluations in recent years by increasing staff, but Vitti previously said many evaluations were still not done in the amount of time allowed by state and federal law. Some delays were caused by issues out of the district’s control, such as parents’ inflexible work schedules and difficulty reaching families, according to administrators.

Higher rates of chronic absenteeism – defined as a student missing 18 days or more during a typical 180-day school year – in early grades continues to be a challenge, said Vitti.

DPSCD students overall also showed more summer learning loss than students in other districts across the country taking the same assessments, according to the analysis.

In some of the districts included in the analysis, Vitti said students showed growth over the summer between kindergarten and first grade, while students in DPSCD had a 10 percentage point decline during the same period.

“They’re not being engaged at the same level, and the learning that happens regresses,” said Vitti of DPSCD students overall.

Vitti, board members consider summer school changes

The idea of mandatory summer school for students who are significantly behind grade level has been brought up more frequently by principals, said Vitti.

During the last board meeting, member Monique Bryant asked why students who are significantly behind grade level are not retained.

“I’m not quite ready to say universal retention,” Vitti said during last week’s committee meeting, adding that potential decisions on mandatory summer school should be made on a case-by-case basis for each student.

Board members also suggested paying students to attend summer school, expanding programs, and refocusing offerings to center academics instead of enrichment.

The district’s Summer Discovery program is a “fun, camp-like experience” with academic and enrichment activities for K-8 students, according to its website. In previous years, academics happened for a couple of hours in the morning, followed by enrichment activities in the afternoon, such as art, drama, and athletics.

Board members said they would like to see summer school be targeted to remediating struggling students.

Previous boards made similar suggestions, but those efforts failed or ended due to funding constraints.

“We need to find the money because we are in a crisis,” said McClendon.

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

Here’s what DPSCD board candidates would do to replace literacy money that’s about to run out

2026-09-25T15:45:02+00:00

Ten years ago, an explosive lawsuit against the state was filed on behalf of Detroit students, alleging such poor learning conditions that it sent shockwaves across the country and drew attention to a literacy crisis in city schools.

A $94.4 million settlement gave the Detroit Public Schools Community District the resources it needed to hire hundreds of academic interventionists to work with struggling students. Other changes have included reducing class sizes in early grades, tutoring, and merit pay for teachers whose schools or classrooms reached ambitious literacy goals. Steady improvement on state exams have followed these interventions.

But the settlement money will run out after this school year, and the election of five people to the DPSCD board Nov. 3 will help decide how the district responds. Their big decision will be how and whether to maintain the interventionists, as well as other strategies the settlement funded.

Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said earlier this year that he wants the district to prioritize keeping the interventionists. But doing so could be costly, and it’s unclear where the money would come from.

Chalkbeat asked the 34 board candidates what the district should prioritize. Nineteen of the candidates responded. Here’s the full list of candidates. Also, if you’re voting in the election, remember that there are two types of school board races for DPSCD on the ballot: one for four four-year terms and the other for a partial two-year term.

Here’s what they told us:

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

Detroiters to vote on two-year, four-year terms for DPSCD school board

2026-09-24T21:44:57+00:00

When voters open their absentee ballots or head to the polls on Election Day, they may notice something different when selecting candidates for Detroit’s school board.

Instead of one race for the Detroit Public Schools Community District board, there are two: 31 candidates are running for four seats with 4-year terms and another three are seeking one seat with a partial term that will end in 2028. Those three candidates are home health aide Ijazz Jackson, education advocate Aliya Moore, and By Any Means Necessary (BAMN) organizer Shawn Vaughn.

The partial term is for a seat formerly held by Sherry Gay-Dagnogo, who left the board last year to become the ombudsman for the city of Detroit, superintendent Nikolai Vitti told BridgeDetroit. The former teacher and state lawmaker was reelected to the board in 2024, which leaves two more years of her term, he said.

While retired special education teacher and principal Bessie Harris filled Gay-Dagnogo’s seat last October, she is only allowed to serve through the end of 2026 instead of completing the 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.

Longtime board member Angelique Peterson-Mayberry also resigned from the board last year after being appointed to the Wayne County Commission. Her term does not appear on the ballot because it expires at the end of the year. Pastor Steven Bland was appointed in July 2025 to take Peterson-Mayberry’s place.

Daniel Baxter, chief of operations for the Detroit Department of Elections, said candidates were able to select whether they wanted to run for the two-year or four-year terms.

The 34 total candidates running are the largest slate since 2016, the year DPSCD was created, and when more than 60 people ran to serve on the new district’s board.

This race could be consequential because only two incumbents — Harris and Bland — are running for reelection. Voters will elect a new majority to the board in an election that could shape the future of Michigan’s largest district for years to come.

The board’s current leaders — Board President LaTrice McClendon and Board Vice President Corletta Vaughn — are not running for reelection. The fifth open seat belonged to Iris Taylor, who died in July {the board appointed Jeremiah Steen to fill her seat until the end of 2026, after which those elected in November will take over}.

Sheila Cockrel, CEO of civic nonprofit CitizenDetroit, shared concerns that the two board races could confuse voters.

“We have to let Detroit voters know that if you want to learn about who the candidates are, you have to learn about them in the context of which race they’re in,” she said. “I’m afraid that people are going to find the five folks they like out of the four-year term group and not look at the two-year term group and hurt themselves by voting for five as opposed to four.”

To educate voters on the school board races, CitizenDetroit has released a YouTube series with 25 of the candidates. The organization will also host a sold-out, speed-dating-style event on Oct. 1, in which 16 of the school board candidates will participate, Cockrel said.

“There are a set of six questions that we’re going to share with the candidates in advance that they might be asked at one of the tables,” she said. “The people who are at the table will review the questions and select which questions they want to ask on each of the rotations.”

Additionally, Cockrel plans to publish posts on CitizenDetroit’s social media pages to talk about the differences between the four-year and two-year terms.

View your sample ballot by inputting your information at the Michigan Voter Information Center. Get more information on this race and all of the issues at bridgedetroit.com and chalkbeat.org/detroit.

More election resources

Meet the candidates: Unsure of who is running for school board and what they stand for? Chalkbeat sent surveys to all of the candidates, and CitizenDetroit recorded many on video to talk about their platforms.
Why it matters: Here’s what’s at stake in the Detroit school board race.
Chronic absenteeism: How candidates plan to tackle it.
Election page: All of BridgeDetroit’s election-related coverage in one place.
Complete voter guide: How to register, vote absentee, vote early, vote in person, learn about candidates, and more.
What’s on the ballot: Everything you need to know about statewide races.
Fact checks: Bridge Michigan fact-checks and debunks misinformation in the gubernatorial and Senate campaigns.
FAQ: Frequently asked questions about elections in Detroit.
Be an informed voter: A guide to identifying misinformation and disinformation.
A ballot’s journey: What happens to your ballot after you vote.
Upcoming debate: Secretary of State candidates will gather for a one-hour debate Oct. 8 at the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, with Bridge Michigan serving as the lead media and editorial partner.

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

Michigan aumentó en $12.5 millones los fondos para estudiantes que aprenden inglés. Defensores afirman que persiste una brecha importante.

2026-09-23T17:59:14+00:00

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Read in English.

Este año, los legisladores de Michigan aumentaron en $12,5 millones el financiamiento estatal para los estudiantes que aprenden inglés, pero no todos esos alumnos se beneficiarán.

Michigan no otorga fondos adicionales a los distritos escolares por los estudiantes que están cerca de alcanzar el dominio del inglés, aunque las leyes estatales y federales exigen que los distritos les proporcionen servicios. De los 49 estados que financian servicios para estudiantes que aprenden inglés, investigadores dicen que solo Michigan excluye a algunos estudiantes de su fórmula de financiamiento.

Los estudiantes que están cerca de alcanzar el dominio del inglés suelen desenvolverse bien en conversaciones, pero todavía pueden tener dificultades académicas sin apoyo adicional. La brecha de financiamiento de Michigan puede dificultar que se les brinde la enseñanza que les permita salir de los programas para estudiantes que aprenden inglés, según defensores, docentes y líderes escolares.

“Tiene que ver con la complejidad del lenguaje, pero también con el nivel de servicio que les estamos brindando a nuestros estudiantes”, dijo Madeline Mavrogordato, directora de Education Policy Innovation Collaborative, o EPIC, de Michigan State University.

El sistema actual de financiamiento de Michigan otorga fondos adicionales a los distritos que tienen estudiantes con mayores necesidades, como los que aprenden inglés o los de hogares de bajos ingresos.

Pero, para los estudiantes que aprenden inglés, la cantidad de fondos adicionales que reciben los distritos se basa en los resultados de una evaluación anual del dominio del inglés llamada WIDA ACCESS, cuyas puntuaciones van de 1,0 a 6,0. Los estudiantes con puntuaciones de entre 1,0 y 4,7 deben recibir, por ley estatal y federal, enseñanza para el desarrollo del idioma inglés a fin de tener acceso equitativo a su educación.

Este año, los distritos recibirán $1.998 adicionales por cada estudiante que obtenga una puntuación de entre 1,0 y 1,9; $1.379 por estudiante para quienes obtengan entre 2,0 y 2,9; y apenas $225 por estudiante para quienes obtengan entre 3,0 y 3,9. El estado no proporciona fondos adicionales por los estudiantes que obtienen una puntuación de 4,0 o más.

Los líderes escolares dicen que el financiamiento es insuficiente incluso para los estudiantes que se encuentran en el rango intermedio, lo que obliga a algunos distritos a buscar otros ingresos para costear esos servicios. Los defensores dicen que algunos distritos solo tienen recursos suficientes para atender las necesidades más urgentes de los estudiantes que aprenden inglés y que tienen poca comprensión del idioma.

En Troy School District, el superintendente Richard Machesky dijo que alrededor del 90% del presupuesto del distrito para estudiantes que aprenden inglés provino de fondos generales durante el año escolar 2025-26 porque el financiamiento estatal no era suficiente para cubrir las necesidades del grupo. Ese año, el distrito recibió alrededor de $607.000 en fondos estatales para educar a unos 1.900 estudiantes que aprenden inglés.

Con esos fondos estatales, el distrito solo pudo contratar a cinco especialistas en desarrollo del idioma inglés, dijo Machesky.

La maestra de English Language Development Christina Rick, a la izquierda, brinda instrucción individual a estudiantes que aprenden inglés y a algunos de sus compañeros en una clase de biología en Troy High School.

Afrin Alavi, directora del Multilingual Learner Department de Hamtramck Public Schools, dijo que alrededor del 17% de los estudiantes que aprenden inglés en el distrito obtienen puntuaciones en los niveles más altos del WIDA.

Sin financiamiento específico para ese grupo de estudiantes, Alavi dijo que el distrito enfrenta “déficits estructurales” en su presupuesto para estudiantes multilingües.

Las escuelas públicas de Michigan matricularon a más de 104.200 estudiantes que aprenden inglés durante el año escolar 2024-25, lo que representa el 7,3% de todos los estudiantes del estado. Alrededor de 24.000 de esos alumnos no calificaron para recibir fondos estatales adicionales, pero aun así debían recibir al menos 150 minutos semanales de enseñanza para el desarrollo del idioma inglés.

Los defensores creen que un mayor financiamiento podría permitir que los estudiantes que aprenden inglés salgan antes de los programas especializados y tengan más oportunidades de tener éxito en sus clases de materias básicas.

Según un informe de 2025 de EPIC, casi la mitad de los estudiantes que aprenden inglés en Michigan seguían en programas especializados después de seis años, una señal de que podrían no estar recibiendo una enseñanza que responda a sus necesidades, según sugieren las investigaciones.

Michigan School Finance Research Collaborative, un centro independiente de investigación sobre educación K-12 de Michigan State University, contrató a un tercero independiente en 2021 para calcular cuánto financiamiento se necesitaba para mejorar el rendimiento académico en el estado. El estudio recomendó aumentos sustanciales en el financiamiento para estudiantes que aprenden inglés, de entre $3.500 y $7.500 por estudiante según sus puntuaciones en el WIDA.

El informe también recomendó financiamiento adicional para algunos estudiantes que obtuvieron puntuaciones más altas en el WIDA.

Los legisladores dijeron en el presupuesto estatal de este año que quieren aumentar cada año el financiamiento para estudiantes que aprenden inglés hasta alcanzar las cantidades recomendadas en el informe externo, pero no establecieron un plazo para llegar a esa meta.

DPSCD: Las brechas de financiamiento dificultan satisfacer las necesidades de los estudiantes

El estado otorgó a Detroit Public Schools Community District alrededor de $6,7 millones en fondos adicionales durante el año escolar 2025-26 para atender a más de 7.400 estudiantes que aprenden inglés.

Pero el distrito no recibió fondos adicionales por 1.041 estudiantes que obtuvieron una puntuación de 4,0 o más en la evaluación.

“Concentrar los fondos en los niveles más bajos de dominio […] no refleja la realidad de que los estudiantes que se acercan al dominio del idioma todavía necesitan servicios”, dijo el superintendente Nikolai Vitti.

Vitti dijo que el distrito ha utilizado dinero de su acuerdo judicial por el litigio sobre alfabetización para contratar a 58 especialistas multilingües de intervención académica para apoyar a los estudiantes que aprenden inglés en 15 escuelas.

Sin embargo, las calificaciones de esos especialistas son distintas de las de docentes certificados con acreditación para enseñar a estudiantes que aprenden inglés. Los críticos dicen que su trabajo no sustituye los minutos de enseñanza para el desarrollo del idioma inglés que las escuelas están obligadas a proporcionar a esos estudiantes.

A pesar de esos esfuerzos, persisten brechas de rendimiento entre los estudiantes que aprenden inglés del distrito en varias áreas. Alrededor del 10,4% de los estudiantes que aprenden inglés alcanzaron o superaron el nivel de competencia en inglés en el Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress de 2025, una disminución de 2 puntos porcentuales respecto del año anterior y un resultado inferior al de sus compañeros. La tasa de graduación en cuatro años de los estudiantes que aprenden inglés fue de 79,2%, 3,8 puntos porcentuales por debajo del promedio del distrito, según datos estatales.

Algunos docentes y estudiantes del distrito dicen que los estudiantes que aprenden inglés, en particular los que están cerca de alcanzar el dominio del idioma, no reciben todos los servicios que necesitan.

Un estudiante de último año del distrito de Detroit, que emigró de Cuba, dijo que su nivel de comprensión del inglés en décimo grado lo colocaba por delante de sus compañeros en su clase de inglés como segundo idioma en Western International High School. Como resultado, pasó a clases de educación general.

Según su puntuación en el WIDA, debería haber seguido recibiendo al menos 150 minutos semanales de enseñanza para el desarrollo del idioma inglés. Pero el estudiante dijo que no recibió ninguno durante su segundo año de secundaria.

El estudiante, que habló bajo condición de anonimato por temor a represalias de funcionarios escolares, tuvo dificultades en las clases de educación general. Con el tiempo, le pidió a un consejero que le permitiera volver a la clase de inglés como segundo idioma, donde estudiaba las materias básicas con contenidos adaptados para estudiantes cuyo primer idioma no es el inglés.

Kristen Schoettle, quien le dio clases al estudiante, dijo que él se aburría gran parte del tiempo porque otros alumnos de la clase todavía estaban aprendiendo a comunicarse en inglés usando palabras sueltas y frases memorizadas.

“Es difícil, con una clase de 35 estudiantes, pensar en cosas que hacer y desafiarlo todos los días como me habría gustado”, dijo.

Otros tres docentes de DPSCD en escuelas con estudiantes que aprenden inglés, quienes pidieron hablar con Chalkbeat de manera anónima por temor a represalias de su empleador, dijeron que la experiencia del estudiante no es inusual. Debido a los recursos limitados, dijeron, los estudiantes que se encuentran en los niveles intermedios de dominio no reciben el tipo de apoyo que deberían.

Bianca Hardy, portavoz de DPSCD, dijo por correo electrónico que el distrito trabaja con los líderes escolares para asignar estratégicamente al personal con acreditación para enseñar a estudiantes que aprenden inglés a fin de atender a “los estudiantes con mayor necesidad”, al mismo tiempo que apoya a quienes tienen un mayor dominio del inglés en las materias básicas.

“Coincidimos en que el enfoque actual de Michigan para financiar a los estudiantes que aprenden inglés coloca al estado cerca de los últimos lugares a nivel nacional en cuanto al apoyo que brinda a los estudiantes multilingües, especialmente a aquellos que se acercan al dominio del idioma”, dijo Hardy.

El financiamiento limitado impide que distritos con grandes poblaciones de estudiantes que aprenden inglés, como DPSCD, les brinden la enseñanza que necesitan para salir del programa, agregó Hardy.

Hardy añadió que el distrito seguirá abogando por un financiamiento equitativo para los estudiantes que aprenden inglés.

Durante el segundo año de secundaria del estudiante, su puntuación en el WIDA habría generado aproximadamente $210 en fondos adicionales para el distrito. Con el aumento de financiamiento de este año, esa cantidad subirá $15.

En ese nivel de dominio, los estudiantes tienen dificultades con el vocabulario, la gramática y la ortografía. Pueden comprender instrucciones orales básicas de los docentes, pero no pueden participar con facilidad en conversaciones abstractas.

Mavrogordato, directora de EPIC, calificó de “insignificantes” los fondos adicionales destinados a un estudiante en ese rango.

“No sé qué se puede hacer con $225 por estudiante a lo largo de literalmente todo un año en términos de brindar servicios”, dijo Mavrogordato.

Educadores dicen que un mayor financiamiento y más estabilidad son pasos en la dirección correcta

Defensores y educadores elogiaron a la Legislatura por el aumento en el financiamiento para estudiantes que aprenden inglés, aunque dicen que todavía se necesita más.

Con el aumento de $12,5 millones, el presupuesto estatal de 2026-27 para estudiantes que aprenden inglés asciende a unos $75,3 millones. Históricamente, Michigan se ha ubicado entre los peores estados del país en cuanto al financiamiento para estos estudiantes.

“Creo que esto indica que sigue siendo una prioridad importante, y también creo que reconoce el hecho de que esta es una población estudiantil que ha crecido en nuestro estado”, dijo Mavrogordato sobre el aumento.

En la última década, la cantidad de estudiantes que aprenden inglés en las escuelas públicas de Michigan ha aumentado en más de 12.300. Durante el mismo período, la cantidad de estudiantes que no están aprendiendo inglés disminuyó en 132.496.

La investigadora dijo que otra mejora es que la fórmula ponderada de financiamiento ahora está establecida en la ley estatal.

Anteriormente, los distritos solicitaban subvenciones mediante un sistema ponderado similar. Ahora recibirán el dinero automáticamente y tendrán más flexibilidad para gastarlo.

“Este nuevo marco garantiza que los distritos reciban la totalidad de los fondos con los que cuentan”, dijo el senador Darrin Camilleri, demócrata de Trenton que presentó el proyecto de ley.

Además, la ley exige que los distritos informen cómo están utilizando los fondos para apoyar a los estudiantes que aprenden inglés.

Michigan Department of Education está revisando su proceso de monitoreo y presentación de informes para garantizar que las escuelas cumplan con los requisitos, dijo Bob Wheaton, director de asuntos públicos y gubernamentales del departamento.

La nueva ley también consolida los modelos de programas para estudiantes que aprenden inglés de MDE y sus lineamientos sobre el mínimo de minutos de instrucción. Anteriormente, esos lineamientos estaban vinculados a los presupuestos estatales de educación.

Mavrogordato dijo que los requisitos establecidos en la ley podrían significar que, en los próximos años, haya menos historias como la del estudiante de Western.

“Diría que los distritos han tratado, en cierta medida, la atención a los estudiantes con niveles más altos de dominio del inglés como algo un poco más opcional, un poco más flexible”, dijo. “Pero este estado ha establecido una serie de requisitos […] realmente diseñados para funcionar como un estándar mínimo de atención para los estudiantes”.

How Detroit school board candidates would address chronic absenteeism

2026-09-22T20:24:06+00:00

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The five people elected to the Detroit school board in the Nov. 3 election will help shape the district’s continued strategy to address high rates of chronic absenteeism.

It’s a tough task. The district has steadily reduced the share of students who are chronically absent, from a high of 76.7% in the 2021-22 school year to 60% at the end of the 2025-26 school year.

While the decline is notable, a large number of students still do not attend school regularly. A student is considered chronically absent if they miss 10% or more of the school year, or 18 days in a 180-day school year.

The district’s efforts to improve attendance over several years have included an investment in attendance agents, the creation of health hubs, incentive programs that pay high school students for perfect attendance, and a pilot program that provides free yellow school bus transportation for some students attending high schools with high rates of chronic absenteeism.

Mayor Mary Sheffield has made reducing chronic absenteeism a priority since she took office in January. She has made city bus service free for all Detroit students, expanded after-school programs, and created a pilot program providing rideshare service to students at several high schools.

Chalkbeat asked the 34 candidates about their ideas for reducing chronic absenteeism. Thirty-one are running for four four-year terms, and three are running for one partial two-year term.

Below are responses from the 19 candidates who filled out our survey. For a full list of candidates and their responses to other key questions, check out our voter guide.

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

Voter guide: Meet the candidates running for the Detroit school board

2026-09-21T15:55:09+00:00

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Thirty-four people are vying for five open seats on the board for the Detroit Public Schools Community District, a pivotal race that could result in multiple new people overseeing the largest district in Michigan.

It’s the largest slate since 2016, the year DPSCD was created and more than 60 people ran to serve on the new district’s board.

This race could be consequential because only two incumbents — Steve Bland and Bessie Harris — are running for reelection. Both were appointed to their seats last year to fill out the remaining terms of members who resigned.

The board’s current leaders — Board President LaTrice McClendon and Board Vice President Corletta Vaughn — are not running for re-election. The fifth open seat belonged to Iris Taylor, who died in July.

Thirty-one of the candidates are running for four-year terms while three of them — Ijazz Jackson, Aliya Moore, and Shawn Vaughn — are running for a two-year partial term.

Just 19 of the 34 candidates responded to a questionnaire Chalkbeat sent via email and text in July. They have a plethora of ideas of how to address some of the biggest challenges, including fighting high rates of chronic absenteeism, increasing enrollment, and dealing with the pending loss of the funding that allowed the district to hire academic interventionists.

In our voter guide below, you’ll read the candidate bios and their answers to our questions as they wrote them. Chalkbeat did not edit for grammar or punctuation. For more information on voting, go here.

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

Clarification: Sept. 21, 2026: This story was updated to clarify that one of the five board seats in the November election will have a partial term that ends in 2028.

This November’s Detroit school board election may drastically change the district’s direction. Here’s how.

2026-09-21T10:00:00+00:00

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Voters will elect a new majority to the Detroit school board this fall, in an election that could shape the future of Michigan’s largest district for years to come.

The race for five open seats on the seven-member board comes as many parents and community members push for more urgency in improving early literacy scores, facilities, and administrative transparency.

The Detroit Public Schools Community District is standing “on the precipice of probably another watershed moment,” said Jamon Jordan, the city’s appointed official historian.

Jordan compared the importance of this election to a number of seminal moments in the history of Detroit’s public school system — from Milliken v. Bradley, a landmark 1974 Supreme Court case that limited busing for desegregation, to the 1990s reform movement in the city that pushed African-centered education, to the 2016 “right to read” lawsuit a decade ago that shone a light on deplorable school conditions.

There are 31 candidates running for four seats with 4-year terms on the board. Another three are seeking one seat with a partial term that will end in 2028. Only two in the running are incumbents: Steve Bland Jr. and Bessie Harris. Both were appointed to the board last year and are newcomers to governing the district. Many of the candidates are vocal critics of the district’s current leadership, with some calling for Superintendent Nikolai Vitti’s removal. He has been in Detroit nine years.

The school board’s current leaders announced earlier this summer that they would not seek reelection as their terms come to an end. Iris Taylor, a member credited as a longtime force for progress, planned to run again in November but died in July. The two board members who were elected in 2024 and are not up for reelection this fall – Monique Bryant and Ida Short – have become more vocal in their criticism of Vitti.

DPSCD has made progress academically in the last decade, and some observers worry a new board could make changes that could stall or reverse those gains.

After years of financial turmoil under emergency management, DPSCD also has had balanced budgets every year since Vitti took over. There are no longer hundreds of teacher vacancies. Instead of pay cuts, teachers have gotten steady raises.

LaTrice McClendon, current board chair, said she doesn’t want to see the district lose momentum. But she does want to see the next board bring new ideas.

“You want people of different experiences so that they can bring a different perspective,” she said.

A new school board could bring more conflict with district leadership

Vitti has said little about what a new school board could mean for the Detroit district. He did not respond to requests for comment this week, but previously told Chalkbeat the district will “either move forward with greater progress and momentum or backwards” after the election.

It’s not unusual for a change in school board members to lead to heightened criticism, conflict, or even efforts to push out top administrators.

Vitti left his previous job as the leader of Florida’s Duval County Public Schools in 2017 — months after the board president called for his resignation and amid threats that he would sue the district over a hostile work environment.

Some in Detroit wonder if something similar could happen here. At last month’s board meeting, a handful of board candidates and current board members called literacy rates “unacceptable.”

During a heated exchange at the meeting, Bryant said there should be more improvement given the settlement money spent on extra support for early learners.

“The return on investment has been 0% as far as I am concerned,” said Bryant. “You and your staff have got to figure it out.”

School boards’ roles are to hold systems accountable, said Verjeana McCotter-Jacobs, executive director of the National School Board Association and former board president of Prince George’s County Schools in Maryland. In DPSCD, the board can vote to hire or fire the superintendent. However, the Detroit Financial Review Commission must approve the termination.

“It can be an awkward relationship, but it should be a collegial one,” said McCotter-Jacobs of the board-superintendent dynamic.

“I would hope no new board member would say they will fire the superintendent,” she said. “They should be saying they will come in and understand what the district’s needs are.”

Before Vitti took his position in DPSCD, turnover for the city’s public school district leaders was very high, Jordan said. That was especially true from 2000 to 2017, particularly during the years under emergency management.

Many times throughout history, Detroit public school boards have been at odds with superintendents. The last nine years have been relatively calm compared to the years before, Jordan added.

Vitti’s nine-year tenure in DPSCD is among the top 10% among superintendents in the 500 districts across the country included in a recently released analysis by the Superintendent Research Project.

Emily Hartnett, executive director of Women Leading Ed and lead researcher of the project, said superintendents with longer tenure overwhelmingly leave on their own terms or through a “negotiated exit” rather than removal.

Vitti’s current contract expires June 30, 2028. While negotiating his contract extension in 2024, he raised the possibility of his exit from the district for the first time.

Some worry a new direction may put academic progress at risk

Despite fairly steady progress, DPSCD’s performance on state standardized tests and the SAT remain far behind statewide averages. And some critics are dissatisfied with small year-over-year gains in proficiency rates.

At the September board meeting, board member Short suggested changing the reading curriculum because “it isn’t working.”

Part of the community’s frustrations stem from decades of inequitable education for Black children in Detroit, Jordan said. As the 2016 literacy lawsuit documented, Detroit students experienced deplorable conditions in city schools — such as vermin infestations, caved-in ceilings, and mold — that denied them access to education.

This will be the last year the district has to spend settlement money from the lawsuit. Much of the funding has been used to hire hundreds of academic interventionists and contract with out-of-school tutoring to bring students to grade level. When the money is gone, the district will have to find other ways to pay for the positions or make cuts. The collective disappointment many Detroiters express over current early literacy outcomes may be underscored by the end of funding meant to correct historical wrongs, said Jordan.

But researchers say the substantial progress made suggests systemic change is working.

DPSCD also ranked among the best of similar districts in the U.S. for the speed at which students learn in a school year, a recent analysis found. Researchers say it’s important to keep that in mind because students like those in Detroit often start school far behind their peers in wealthier districts due to systemic racism and poverty.

One of the biggest challenges in education is the tendency to change course when immediate results don’t show the desired outcome, said Jeremy Singer, assistant professor of educational leadership and policy at the University of Michigan-Flint.

“Even while districts may be showing improvements year to year, the risk is always that people feel it’s not enough,” said Singer. “The risk then is throwing out a strategy that is actually working.”

Recent research also suggests that instability in district leadership can affect student achievement.

Beyond oversight of district leadership, the new board will have a wide range of responsibilities. It will create the district’s new four-year strategic plan. The plan, which concludes at the end of this school year, outlines the vision for the district, as well as specific goals for academic progress.

The new members also will have input on the future of small schools in the district and what happens to the buildings after they are vacated. In the next budget cycle, the new board will likely have to make difficult decisions about which initiatives to keep once the literacy settlement is gone and as threats to federal funding continue.

Board members also will need to decide whether DPSCD’s current efforts to reduce chronic absenteeism are working. Though the rate has gone down recently, about 60% of students still missed 18 or more days in the 2025-26 school year.

School safety remains a key area where parents want to see improvement. The new board will decide how to spend future state funding on safety personnel and equipment.

Detroit parents, community members want change

Many parents in the district and Detroiters with a pulse on local education want to see a new board challenge the status quo.

Parent Jasmine Johnson said though there has been long-term progress in academic achievement, she wants to see faster results and new curricula.

“Everybody wants to see these huge jumps immediately,” she said. “That’s not realistic. But this incremental percent change — that’s not going to make it either.”

Gwen Moore, parent of a former DPSCD student, said she wants a new board to “shake up the district and the parents.”

“I want them to become accountable for supporting their schools, teaching them at home and all working together to make our students the best they can be,” she said.

Georgea Cole, a DPSCD grandparent and founder of nonprofit Act Now Services, wants the district to “stay the course” but be “more vigorous.”

“We need to raise the bar to the standards that I know that we can,” said Cole.

Cyekeia Lee, executive director of Detroit College Access Network, wants the new board to dig deeper and go beyond the concept that graduation is the only measure of success.

“I just remain optimistic that the right candidates will land in the right seats and a change will continue to come,” 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.org.

Clarification: Sept. 21, 2026: This story was updated to clarify that one of the five board seats in the November election will have a partial term that ends in 2028.

Michigan chronic absenteeism falls again, but more than 1 in 4 students miss too much school

2026-09-17T20:56:02+00:00

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Chronic absenteeism in Michigan schools dropped slightly last year, but more than a fourth of students are still missing a lot of school.

Statewide, 27.2% of K-12 students were chronically absent, down from 27.9% the previous year, according to figures released Thursday. The absenteeism rate in Michigan has been among the highest in the nation, according to one report.

The persistently high absenteeism comes as many students in the state continue to struggle with reading and math. Third-grade reading scores reached a 12-year low in 2025, with just over 38% of students considered proficient.

A student is chronically absent if they miss 10% or more of a school year. That would mean 18 days or more in a typical 180-day calendar.

It’s the fourth year of decreases since the state’s chronic absenteeism reached a high of 38.5% in the 2021-22 school year.

“Students benefit when they are in school and engaged in learning,” State Superintendent Glenn Maleyko said. “Michigan’s improving attendance and chronic absenteeism rates reflect the hard work of local school districts, students, families, community partners and the Michigan Department of Education. While this progress is encouraging, more work remains. We must continue working together to improve attendance and further reduce chronic absenteeism across our state.”

Student attendance is linked to achievement. Teachers and principals have reported that regular student attendance is a challenge, especially after the pandemic.

Meanwhile, gaps persist. About 38% of students from low-income homes were chronically absent, compared to 15% of students who were not economically disadvantaged.

Sarah Lenhoff, a professor at Wayne State who studies chronic absenteeism, said the gap “remains concerning.”

“We still have quite a ways to go to get back to pre-COVID levels statewide,” Lenhoff said.

State law requires districts to provide 180 days and 1,098 hours of instruction. But many schools have fewer days because of bad weather, emergencies, or teacher professional development. Districts can count up to 38 hours of professional development as pupil instruction.

Students are considered chronically absent regardless of whether their absences are made up of excused, unexcused, or a combination of the two. District policies vary on what is counted excused or unexcused.

Michigan has not passed new laws or rules on attendance in recent years.

“Schools that are more effective at improving their students’ attendance tend to do more deep family engagement strategies,” Lenhoff said.

That includes visiting students’ homes to understand why students aren’t showing up and having staff that work directly with families and attendance. On the flip side, schools that more frequently send students to truancy court have lower attendance rates, she said.

Lenhoff said the state could provide funding for districts’ efforts to improve attendance and to study those efforts.

A state education department report issued in July lists student boredom, economic instability, and health issues as some of the root causes of absenteeism. The report says schools can remove barriers to attendance by offering transportation assistance, gas cards, or ride-sharing networks. It also recommends that schools communicate with families the importance of regularly attending school.

“At the secondary level, this is a very similar challenge we see with cellphones in schools,” said Bob Kefgen, associate director for government relations at the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals. “Students are choosing something other than the education they are offered, for whatever reason.”

“The challenge here is: how do we re-engage students?”

He said efforts to change the high school learning experience can help make learning more engaging and meaningful for students.

Kefgen also acknowledged that other factors, such as food and housing insecurity, could keep students out of school.

“Chronic absenteeism is a community problem that manifests in schools,” he said.

Districts get creative to get students to school

Local districts have tried student incentives, reaching out to parents earlier about attendance trends, and conducting home visits. But leaders say they cannot increase attendance alone. In Detroit, high schoolers could earn up to $1,000 in Visa gift cards for achieving perfect attendance in various one-week periods. Almost 84% of high schoolers received at least one $100 gift card, Chalkbeat Detroit reported.

Detroit Public Schools Community District, which has long struggled with high rates of chronic absenteeism, saw its rate decline slightly to 60% during the 2025-26 school year.

That was down nearly 1 percentage point from the 2024-25 school year and well below the 76.7% rate in the 2021-22 school year.

The district has invested in attendance agents who monitor student attendance and often visit the homes of chronically absent students. It also created 10 health hubs, in part to provide resources that make it easier for students to get to school. The district also has a pilot program that provides yellow school bus transportation to students at select schools with poor attendance.

Since Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield took office in January, a centerpiece of her education plan has been to address chronic absenteeism. Her administration has done that by allowing students to ride city buses for free and, most recently, with an expansion of after-school programming.

Lenhoff said the mayor’s office’s attention to attendance was “promising.”

In Muskegon County, two neighboring districts had a friendly attendance competition that included a big trophy, bragging rights, and celebration for students who had fewer than five absences in seven months.

Meanwhile, a group of five intermediate school districts covering eight counties in mid-Michigan ran a public information campaign urging students to miss fewer than five days of school.

The Michigan Department of Education offers coaching to districts on how to look at student data to identify students at risk of dropping out and pair them with support. The process is called the Early Warning Intervention and Monitoring System, or EWIMS.

Last school year, about 60 school districts participated in a pilot program aimed at better tracking attendance, student behavior, and course completions. The pilot program is run by the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

Isabel Lohman is a reporter for Bridge Michigan. You can reach her at ilohman@bridgemi.com.

DPSCD makes progress on long-needed air conditioning upgrades

2026-09-17T20:37:46+00:00

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As the Detroit school district marks the end of its first month of the 2026-27 school year, more than half of its schools now have full air conditioning throughout the building, according to Superintendent Nikolai Vitti.

Vitti gave an update on Detroit Public Schools Community District’s ongoing project to modernize its HVAC systems at Tuesday’s board meeting. The investment is part of the district’s $700 million facility master plan, which was implemented in 2022. The plan includes rebuilding, reopening, or demolishing certain schools. DPSCD received the money for the project through one-time federal COVID relief funding. In 2018, about 34% of schools had full air conditioning, Vitti said.

By the 2028-29 school year, DPSCD expects 81% of its buildings to have full air conditioning and 11% to have partial air conditioning, where air is only available in certain rooms, Vitti said.

“After the FMP investment in the 2028-29 school year, we’ll go from 19% of schools having no A/C to only 8% of schools having no A/C,” he said.

The progress report comes after DPSCD issued two consecutive early dismissals this month for students and staff as temperatures reached 90 degrees or higher.

An early dismissal at noon is ordered when temperatures soar to 85 degrees or hotter, Vitti said. This is due to the bus routes coordinated among schools and for the benefit of some students who might be in schools with little or no air conditioning. Vitti said that after the pandemic, fans were placed in all school buildings when the majority of schools lacked air conditioning.

Extreme heat in the classroom can contribute to dehydration and affect a child’s attention, memory, decision-making skills, and ability to participate fully in learning, according to a 2026 report from the American Psychological Association. Educators and school staff may experience symptoms like fatigue, emotional exhaustion, and reduced capacity to support students effectively.

“The changes moving forward … industrial fans will be placed in all buildings that only have partial or no A/C,” he said Tuesday. “We’ll make sure that every classroom has fans. They will not have to request it. We are delivering them starting this week, and it’ll be an ongoing delivery based on supply and demand of receiving those fans.”

Additionally, portable air conditioning units will be delivered to certain schools that have the proper electrical infrastructure, Vitti said.

By spring or fall 2027, the district is considering allowing schools with full-building air conditioning to remain open on hot days, even when schools without air have a half-day, Vitti said.

“The challenge of implementing that now is that the bus routes are not coordinated to focus on A/C schools and non-A/C schools,” he said. “There’s the challenge of siblings (attending different schools). There’s also the challenge of staff who have children in schools that don’t have full air and childcare issues. This is something that has to be negotiated and discussed with DFT (Detroit Federation of Teachers).”

Joe Janosik, a social studies teacher at Osborn High School, said during public comment that even with a portable air conditioner and three pedestal fans in his classroom, he’s still not getting relief from the heat.

“I left them on overnight last night, and had the window cracked open,” he said. “I walked in my room at 7:15 a.m., it was 78 degrees. I know you guys have talked about the initiatives with bringing the air conditioning inside all of the schools, but what I ask is have it done faster.”

Millions still needed to install air conditioning throughout district

While DPSCD is expecting a majority of its schools to have air conditioning within two years, 11 schools will still have partial air, and eight schools will not receive air conditioning at all because they’re not covered under the facility master plan, Vitti said. Providing full air to those 19 schools will cost the district an additional $245 million.

The superintendent said the board will have its annual budget amendment meeting in the fall or early winter to discuss allocating general funds for facility needs.

“There has been some conversations already of possibly allocating more one-time money to address this gap and other challenges in facilities like safety or ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) issues,” Vitti said.

Board member Monique Bryant suggested that when the district issues a half-day of school, notifications should be sent out 24 to 48 hours in advance. She said getting a robocall the night before is hard because parents will have to scramble to find childcare for the next day. As a parent in the district, Bryant also noted that the robocalls are inconsistent and are delivered at different times.

“Most of those robocalls come out at 9 p.m. That’s a little late for parents to have to prepare for childcare and work,” she said.

The district tries to send out notifications for weather-related school closures the night before, Vitti said. However, when schools close for a building issue, notifications might be sent out in the morning.

“The evening before is the longest I typically wait to make a decision on a half-day or a (full-day) closure based on the temperature,” Vitti said. “I wouldn’t put us in a corner to say it has to be 24 or 48 hours because the weather can change.”

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

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.

As Michigan reading scores fall again, state superintendent is clear: ‘We need to improve.’

2026-09-04T22:03:12+00:00

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Michigan third grade reading scores continued to slide in the state’s most recent standardized tests this year, even as schools began to implement reading reforms.

Just 38.2% of third grade students in Michigan are proficient in English Language Arts, down from 38.9% the previous year, according to results released Friday from the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress, commonly known as the M-STEP. Students took the tests in spring 2026.

It’s the lowest third graders have scored in the 12-year history of the exam. The news comes after leaders have tried a variety of efforts over the last decade to improve reading scores with literacy coaches, optional teacher training, and a short-lived law to retain struggling third graders.

Meanwhile, fourth through seventh grade reading scores are also down from the previous year. Just 44% of students grades 3-8 are proficient in reading, according to a Chalkbeat analysis of M-STEP and PSAT 8/9 tests.

“We need to improve the results of all these assessments for our students moving forward,” said State Superintendent Glenn Maleyko. “Michigan proficiency rates are not where we want them to be. We must increase proficiency rates in all subjects and areas, and in all grades. And we must do this over time, showing steady improvement in all areas.”

Use the tool to search your local district’s test results.

It’s the first M-STEP release since Maleyko took over the Michigan Department of Education last December. The tests measure if students are able to achieve skills outlined in state standards.

Only 35.5% of students grades 3-8 are proficient in math.

Many proficiency rates moved less than one percentage point, which MDE acknowledged in a news release.

“Most proficiency rates are essentially flat when compared to 2025 results on the tests, with the rates on all except four of 20 tests staying within 2 percentage points of the numbers in 2025 and most staying within a percentage point,” the department said.

Other takeaways include:

Math proficiency is up in third and sixth grades compared with last year, down in fifth grade and flat in fourth and seventh grades.
Fifth grade science and social studies proficiency is down.
Eighth graders improved their proficiency in social studies but results dropped in science.
In the 11th grade, science and social studies proficiency is up but performance is down in reading and math

Brian L. Love, state director of EdTrust-Midwest, praised the state’s recent boost in funding for at-risk students and literacy reforms but said more must be done, calling the results “extremely troubling.”

“Funding alone is not enough. The state should put in place fiscal accountability and transparency systems so that the dollars reach the students in their schools.”

Venessa Keesler, president and CEO of Launch Michigan, said Michigan has taken the right steps, including passing legislation that requires literacy training for K-5 educators.

“It is too bad the results aren’t better, but the results are just a symptom of a system that hasn’t been set up for success. But we’re making the right moves toward them.”

Socioeconomic gaps persist

The third grade reading proficiency rate for noneconomically disadvantaged students is more than twice the proficiency rate of economically disadvantaged students.

The gap is even wider for third grade math: 28.8% of students who are economically disadvantaged are proficient compared to 60.5% of students who are not economically disadvantaged.

What to know about key districts in the state:

Detroit Public Schools Community District, the state’s largest district, saw gains in reading and math. In third grade, 14.1% of students are proficient in reading, up from 12.9% the previous year. In math, 20.1% are proficient, up from 15.7%.
In Grand Rapids, third grade reading made a slight gain from 19.6% reading proficiency to 20.1%. Math increased from 19.6% to 23.5%.
Lansing School District saw gains in reading proficiency in third, fourth, fifth and sixth grades. But proficiency declined in seventh and eighth grades.

In Ypsilanti Community Schools, the results mirrored the state: Small declines in most areas, with exceptions in English language arts for fifth and seventh graders. The biggest gains in grades 3-8 were for eighth graders taking the PSAT, who went from 39.8% proficiency in English language arts to 46.8%. In math, the eighth graders went from 10.1% proficiency to 19.5%.

Superintendent Alena Zachery-Ross told Chalkbeat that the district’s own assessments, given to students multiple times during the school year, tell a more encouraging story.

“We’re seeing that 80% of our scholars are growing, and that’s what’s really important because many of our scholars come to us behind,” she said.

The results are impacted by a number of factors, including attendance. Nearly half of the district’s students are considered chronically absent, meaning they’ve missed 18 or more days in a 180-day school year. Assistant Superintendent Carlos Lopez said students frequently missing school affects student performance on state and district assessments.

“Students who have great attendance that are not chronic perform significantly better,” Lopez said. “Attendance matters.”

Zachary-Ross and Lopez said strong partnerships with parents and in the community are key to efforts to improve student achievement. So has been adopting strong curriculum, such as the HMH Into Reading, which is among those the state has approved. The district has also put emphasis on training, intervention, tutoring, and other efforts.

“We’re leveraging everything we can,” Lopez said.

Test scores are important and help shine a light on data that informs decisions, said Kevin Polston, superintendent for Kentwood Public Schools. But he said it’s just one piece of information.

“It’s important for us to take time to digest the data, look at the other sources of data for the things that matter for us, and keep designing plans for each of our individual students to thrive in Michigan,” said Polston, whom Whitmer this week named chair of the newly-formed Every Child Reads Champions Council, which will advise and strengthen Michigan’s statewide literacy plan.

His district had some gains and declines in English language arts, while there was mostly growth in math. The gains in math come as the district just started its third year using a new math curriculum.

The new HMH Into Reading curriculum launched this school year, replacing a district-created curriculum that had been in place for 20 years. The district’s previous curriculum was good, but required a lot of time and resources to keep it current and teachers trained, Polston said.

MDE also shared information on what it is doing to improve student proficiency.

It plans to release the “Michigan Mathematics Framework” this fall that will include “a shared vision for mathematics learning; evidence-based curriculum, instruction, and assessment; and coordinated systems for mathematics,” according to a news release. MDE is also creating a committee focused on science, technology, engineering, and math, commonly known as STEM.

State is focused on literacy, but results are down

These are the last state test scores that will come out before term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer leaves office. She has said literacy is her number one priority in her final year.

Voters will decide whether Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson or Republican U.S. Rep. John James will be the next governor.

Both candidates blamed the other party in their response to the scores and touted their education platforms.

“These test scores are not just numbers, they represent real Michigan children who are being left behind by a system that has failed them for far too long,” James said in a statement.

“Jocelyn Benson and Lansing Democrats have failed our students, failed our teachers and failed Michigan families at every turn. This is the civil rights issue of our time.”

Meanwhile, Benson said: “These scores are deeply troubling, and Michigan families deserve better. We are here after decades of Republicans defunding Michigan schools at a higher rate than any other state instead of doing what’s necessary to help every student succeed.”

Both candidates called the school system “broken.”

Maleyko emphasized that laws aimed at improving literacy are not fully in effect yet. He said the Legislature, governor, State Board of Education, and educators needed to work together to improve outcomes.

Among those changes is a requirement that school districts use evidence-based reading instruction and screen students for characteristics of dyslexia by the 2027-2028 school year.

Under a new law signed this summer, elementary teachers will be required to complete science of reading training by the 2031-2032 school year. Some school districts will receive state help as they work to fully train their teachers. Michigan also has funding for literacy coaches, vetted curriculum, and teacher training.

If a district uses a literacy curriculum not from a state-vetted list and fails to inform parents, the district loses its state funding. But MDE does not have a mechanism where districts report what curriculum they use because state law doesn’t allow the department to “require a new report to be submitted unless state or federal law requires or authorizes the report,” said MDE spokesman Bob Wheaton.

The law requiring the parent notification kicked in during the 2025-26 school year, and Wheaton said thus far, no districts have lost funding because they didn’t comply.

While department officials emphasize the need to improve literacy, they caution that state test scores are only one way to measure student achievement.

Delsa Chapman, a deputy superintendent at MDE, told Bridge that “if a student is not proficient or partially proficient, that does not mean that the student cannot read.

“On that one test in time, their demonstration of mastering the standards is determined through a proficiency rating. But that absolutely, again, does not state or say that the student cannot read or cannot do mathematics.”

Who gets tested in Michigan

Third through seventh graders in public schools throughout the state take the English language arts and math test.

Fifth grade students also take a science and social studies test. Eighth grade students take the PSAT 8/9 test for English language arts and math and the M-STEP for science and social studies.

Ninth graders take the PSAT 8/9 while 10th graders take the PSAT 10.

In 11th grade, students take the SAT, WIN Readiness Assessment, and science and social studies M-STEP.

Some students with disabilities take the MI-Access tests instead of the other tests.

Isabel Lohman is a reporter for Bridge Michigan. You can reach her at ilohman@bridgemi.com.

Chalkbeat Data Reporter Kae Petrin contributed to this report.

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.

DPSCD board addresses funding gaps between sports teams

2026-08-28T16:33:43+00:00

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The Detroit school district spends more than $300,000 a year on high school athletics, but one school board member wants more investment in younger athletes and girls’ sports.

Superintendent Nikolai Vitti gave an update on the athletics program for Detroit Public Schools Community District during a board committee meeting Wednesday. Out of the $4.82 million spent annually on sports, $340,441 is allocated to high school athletics and $112,000 goes to K-8 sports.

When the budget is broken down, $1.4 million is allocated for coaching pay, $1.1 million for contracted coaches that do not work for the district full-time and $691,295 for transportation. Other associated costs include paying DPSCD and non-DPSCD game-day staff and officials, and security and police support.

But there are gaps when it comes to funding and how much each sports team receives, especially between K-8 and high school sports, said board President LaTrice McClendon.

As a mother of a student athlete in the district, she’s noticed that some K-8 teams don’t have enough uniforms for everyone.

“There are several things missing,” she said. “There’s not enough shorts, not enough jerseys and a lack of a refresh happening at a lot of our schools. I really encourage you guys to do a survey and do an inventory, especially in basketball on the K-8 level, because these students are invested and they deserve to have good-looking uniforms.”

Some of the K-8 offerings include boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, track and field, and flag football. Meanwhile, the district high schools have sports like boys and girls golf, tennis and swimming, competitive cheer, and wrestling.

Beginning this school year, all teams district-wide will receive new uniforms every four years, instead of having to wait between four and six years, Vitti said. Additionally, after Labor Day, the district plans to distribute a survey in grades K-12 to determine what students’ interests are based on courses that are available, including enrichment programming. The survey will help identify gaps at individual schools, Vitti said.

McClendon also wants to see a budget increase for K-8 sports, which receive $200 per team. Meanwhile, high school varsity football is allotted $3,000 per team while junior varsity football receives $2,000 per team. All other varsity high school teams receive $1,000 each and junior varsity teams receive $535.

The allotments pay for things such as uniforms and required game attire, Vitti said.

“We at central office fund first aid supplies, training and practice equipment, team warm-ups and we repair or replace a damaged uniform,” he said.

McClendon called the budget for K-8 sports “terrible,” saying the district could do better.

“Two hundred dollars does not go a long way and a lot of the coaches have to come out of their pocket to pay for equipment for our children because we are not giving them more money,” she said. “Athletics can give our students college scholarships and give them a well-rounded experience as far as relationships and playing on a team.”

McClendon added that the district should level the playing field and have all of the high school varsity teams receive $3,000 for both boys’ and girls’ sports.

“Girls’ athletics is on the come-up, and so, we should be investing as much in female sports as we are investing in male sports,” she said.

Vitti said the budget for the football teams is significantly more because supplying the equipment is more expensive. He added that when teams need more equipment and supplies beyond the basics the district provides, coaches can talk to the school principal or the athletic director about the gaps that need to be filled.

“The district provides the standard items, not the extras,” Vitti said. “The extras come through the school budget or through fundraising.”

Board member Steven Bland asked if money from the DPSCD Foundation can be used to help cover the funding gaps. Vitti said the board sets the priorities for the foundation, so athletics could become one of those priorities. However, he isn’t sure if he wants the foundation to focus on athletics.

“My recommendation would be to focus on the larger costs that are more prohibitive — let the foundation focus on those,” Vitti said.

DPSCD board members seek easier access to games

In addition to gaps in funding, McClendon and board secretary Monique Bryant brought up the inconsistencies in ticketing for sports games. McClendon thought tickets for DPSCD students and the elderly were free, but mentioned she’s had to buy tickets for her children and grandparents.

According to the athletics page on the DPSCD website, tickets are $6 for high school varsity sports games, $4 for junior varsity games and $11 for varsity championships. Students 12 years old and younger accompanied by a paying adult are free. K-8 sports games and championships are $3, and children under 8 years old accompanied by paying adults are free. People can buy tickets online through the GoFan app.

Vitti said the policy was inconsistent in the past, but DPSCD students should be able to attend games for free at all schools this year.

“We should have a unified policy and an expectation for students and for our seniors,” Bryant said.

Vitti said that there will be two entrances at games — one for students and one for the general population. Students will have to show their ID or another form of verification to prove they’re part of the district. Students can also pull up PowerSchool on their phone to show they are enrolled, Vitti said.

“We probably need to get clarification on the ticketing process in a separate meeting,” McClendon said. “Maybe we can have some follow-up emails about that.”

Micah Walker is a reporter 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.

56% of Michigan teachers are thinking about leaving in five years, poll says

2026-08-25T22:43:58+00:00

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Most Michigan teachers feel deeply dedicated to their profession, but a quarter of them are considering leaving the profession within a year, and 56% might leave within five years.

Those are the results of a new poll released Tuesday. It was commissioned by Michigan Educator Workforce Initiative, an organization focused on addressing the state’s teacher pipeline challenges.

If the poll results bear out, they could destabilize the profession and worsen the teacher shortages that already affect many districts, particularly in hard-to-staff areas such as special education.

The results come as teachers face increasing pressure. Students are performing poorly on state and national exams as Michigan continues to slide lower in national academic rankings. Lawmakers are enacting new mandates for teacher training in methods that use the science of reading.

Respondents cited inadequate compensation, not enough training for new teachers, and barriers to classroom innovation as reasons they are considering leaving.

“If we want our state to move out of this perpetual threat of losing half of our teacher workforce over the next five years, we should listen to our teachers,” Jack Elsey, CEO and founder of the Workforce Initiative, said during a media roundtable Tuesday. “They’re telling us what they need.”

The poll was conducted from May 29 to June 30, surveyed a representative sample of 300 teachers, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 5.7 percentage points. It was conducted by Impact Research, with help from UpONE Insights, another polling company.

“The data confirms what we see in classrooms every day, as teachers are pouring their hearts into this work, but love for the job does not alleviate the challenging workload and financial pressures we face,” CJ Walker, a teacher at Concord Community Schools, said in a news release about the poll results. “If we want to reverse this retention crisis, we must value our teachers both via compensation and support.”

Michigan has an aging educator workforce, but teachers of all ages are considering exiting the profession according to Brian Stryker, managing partner at Impact Research.

“That is also true of newer teachers, teachers in the middle of their career. You also see it across elementary, middle, and high school,” Stryker said.

Compensation was one of the biggest factors. The problem is more acute among newer teachers, because the longer someone has been teaching, the more fairly compensated they feel, Stryker said. Fixing it is challenging, as decisions about pay are decided at the local level.

“We think the poll tells a powerful story that we have made progress over the last few years in improving the workforce’s experience, but they’re also telling us that we have a ways to go,” Elsey said.

Here are some additional findings:

46% of the teachers strongly agreed with the statement that “I frequently feel I am expected to be ‘all things to all people at all times’ in my current role.
54% strongly agreed with the statement that “my school is a great place to be a teacher.”
48% strongly agreed with the statement that “Michigan is a great place to be a teacher.”
32% strongly agreed with the statement that “I feel fairly compensated for my work as a teacher.”
39% strongly agreed with the statement that “I have access to rigorous, standards-aligned curriculum and instructional materials for the subject areas and grades I teach.”

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

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.

Back to school in Michigan: New cellphone rules, a fitness test, and more

2026-08-21T17:32:58+00:00

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Michigan students may be planning to head back to school with their cell phones in tow, but parents should know that new rules will restrict how much they can use those devices.

The 2026-27 school year begins Monday in the Detroit Public Schools Community District and many others across Michigan. Other districts begin Aug. 31, while the bulk of districts will begin Sept. 8.

The new academic year will mean new beginnings, new programs, new everything. It also means new state rules. One of them requires school districts to adopt policies that restrict the use of wireless devices — such as cellphones, smart watches, and smart glasses — during instruction.

How the law plays out locally will vary between school districts.

For more on that, and four other things parents, students, and teachers and others should know heading into the new school year, read below.

School leaders see positive results from cellphone restrictions

Michigan’s new law gives schools a fair amount of leeway regarding cellphone restrictions, and most have established different restrictions for different grade levels.

District policies provide exemptions for things such as medically necessary devices, district-owned devices including laptops and tablets, and devices used by schools for instructional purposes.

In Westwood Community Schools in Wayne County, if elementary students bring wireless devices to school, they must leave them in the main office lock box, or in a secured classroom locker, for the entire school day, Superintendent Stiles Simmons said.

In a practice that has been in place for several years, middle school students in Stiles’ district drop their devices off in the morning in the office, where they’ll be locked away, and pick them up at the end of the day. High school students can keep their devices with them, but they must be locked in Yondr pouches once they enter the school. The fabric pouches can only be unlocked at the end of the day.

Stiles said the district went with a more restrictive policy because the experiment at the middle school had positive results.

“Far fewer distractions, less drama, more social interaction, healthy social interaction,” Stiles said. “We want to replicate that across the district.”

Some districts enacted cellphone restrictions last year, after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called for them in her 2025 State of the State address.

In Ferndale Public Schools, for example, high school students can bring wireless devices, but they can only use them before and after school, and in the cafeteria during lunch. During classes, phones must be locked away in a box that holds devices for all students in the class.

Ferndale Superintendent Camille Hibbler was skeptical about whether students would freely place their phones in a box. While some students have been caught placing an old phone in the box, while keeping the phone they use with them, most have followed the rules.

“It’s a part of their routine now,” Hibbler said.

Time for Michigan kids to get fit

Parents of a certain age may remember slogging their way through push-ups, sit-ups, and running as part of the Presidential Fitness Test. The program ended during the Obama administration, but last year President Donald Trump brought it back. This year, he established awards students can earn by excelling on the test.

And the state budget lawmakers approved July 3 requires all public school students enrolled in physical education classes to take the fitness test.

Michigan lawmaker approved a new rule that kicks in for the 2026-27 school year that requires students take the Presidential Fitness Test.

Students who have an individualized education plan aren’t required to participate, unless their plan requires it. And it would only be required in schools that offer P.E. classes.

The presidential test requires varying fitness feats, depending on the age and gender of the student. The target for a 13-year-old boy: 53 curl-ups in one minute, run one mile in six minutes and 30 seconds, and 39 right-angle push-ups. To win the fitness test award, a student must meet all of the targets.

One fewer essay for high school students

Here’s something high school juniors in Michigan will appreciate: They’ll no longer have to write an SAT essay as part of the Michigan Merit Exam. But they’ll have to wait until the state assessment season begins next spring to benefit.

Whitmer in May signed legislation into law that eliminates that essay from the exam. It also eliminates a requirement that students’ scores on the state exam be placed on their transcripts.

Advocates said the latter requirement was unfair because many colleges have made testing optional, and because Michigan students are competing for college admissions against students whose state test scores don’t appear on their transcripts.

More team teaching on tap in Michigan schools

Team teaching — when two or more teachers share the same students and work as a team, often by dividing up which subjects they’ll teach — is growing in popularity in Michigan.

The Michigan Educator Workforce Initiative, an effort aimed at strengthening educator pipelines in the state, first started taking Michigan educators on trips to Arizona, where Arizona State University researchers have done extensive research on team teaching, a few years ago. Last year, 15 Michigan schools were experimenting with the concept. For the 2026-27 school year, 16 more schools will join.

Teachers have been team teaching for years. But many of the districts that have joined the team teaching program do so because they have teachers already trying team teaching but need help.

“What we do is bring in the structures, the process, the data, the tools, that help those teachers,” said Jack Elsey, the founding partner and CEO of the workforce initiative.

The upside? Effective team teaching can improve student achievement and teacher retention, Elsey said.

Public can track progress of teachers’ literacy training

New rules this school year require school districts to report how many of their K-5 educators have received mandatory training in literacy.

The reporting requirement is part of newly enacted legislation that makes this literacy training a mandate for all K-5 educators who teach reading or language arts, as well as anyone who provides, supports, or oversees such instruction in K-5. However, current educators will have until the 2031-32 school year to complete the training.

School districts will also have to report how many and what percentage of their K-5 educators have received the training to the state, which will publish the data. That will allow the public to track districts’ progress.

This data is part of a broader effort in Michigan to improve literacy instruction. Test scores show a majority of students are struggling with reading.

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

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.

Need free school supplies? Here’s how Detroit parents can get back-to-school gear for their kids.

2026-08-07T16:30:14+00:00

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One thing we know about Detroit: During back-to-school season, people go all out to make sure the city’s youth can return to the classroom with the supplies they need and, in some cases, a fresh hairstyle and cut.

Organizations across the city are offering free backpacks and school supplies at events throughout August. Below, we’ve compiled a list of as many as we could find to make the school shopping experience easier for families.

Nearly all of these events offer free school supplies. Many also offer other free resources such as haircuts, hairstyling, wellness checkups, dental cleanings, eye screenings, and uniforms. And don’t forget the fun activities, from bounce houses and crafts to face painting and books. Most events also provide free food.

If you plan to go, here are a few things parents should remember:

Go early. Some of these events have a limited number of backpacks and supplies, so if you go later in the day, you may miss out.
Click the links to see whether registration is required. You don’t want to get to an event and find out you need to sign up in advance.
Some events require your children to be present. So make sure you bring the kiddos; there are plenty of fun activities at these events.
Events are in Detroit unless otherwise noted.

These events rely on donations of money and school supplies from the public to serve more students. If you click the links for each listing, you may find contact information showing how you can still donate.

Monday, Aug. 24, is the first day of school for the Detroit Public Schools Community District. Michigan’s first official day of school is Tuesday, Sept. 8.

Below are some upcoming events. Know of others that aren’t on our list? Email us at detroit.tips@chalkbeat.org.

Sunday, Aug. 2

LAMA Detroit Backpack Giveaway

Time: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: Clark Park, 4301 W. Vernor Highway, at Clark and Vernor

Wednesday, Aug. 5

Back-to-School Rally

Time: 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Where: Racquet Up Detroit, 6530 Outer Drive West

What: The event includes free school supplies, including backpacks, as well as family activities, a bounce house, raffles, and free Kona Ice. Organized by Racquet Up Detroit.

Tuesday, Aug. 11

Back-to-School Supplies Giveaway

Time: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: 4733 Conner St.

What: The event includes free backpacks, school supplies, and healthy snacks, as well as resources for families. Organized by Wayne County MDHHS.

Friday, Aug. 14

Back-to-School Market

Time: 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Where: 22735 Fenkell St.

What: There will be bike giveaways for youth who live in the Brightmoor neighborhood, as well as free wellness checkups provided by Michigan State University nursing students. Local artisan and cottage food vendors will be on hand, along with community resource organizations. Organized by the Brightmoor Artisans Collective.

Back-to-School Bash

Time: Noon to 4 p.m.

Where: Kemeny Recreation Center, 2260 S. Fort St.

What: The event will feature free backpacks and school supplies. Children must be present to receive them. There will also be bounce houses, music, lunch, and crafts.

Saturday, Aug. 15

Peace Over Pistols Back2School Event

Time: Noon to 4 p.m.

Where: 10700 W. Seven Mile Road

What: The event includes free backpacks and food. Organized by Chanira Roundtree and Busy Bee Here to Help.

Reading in Ramsay Park + Back-to-School Supplies and Backpack Giveaway

Time: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: Ramsay Park, 14800 Longacre St., between Grand River Avenue and Ray Monnier Street

What: The event features free books, backpacks, and school supplies. Organized by the Grandmont Community Association Youth and Education Committee.

Tuesday, Aug. 18

Back-to-School Drop-In Party at the Library

Time: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Where: Detroit Public Library Chase Branch, 17731 W. Seven Mile Road

What: Free school supplies and backpacks will be available, in addition to video game competitions, crafts, games, and snacks.

Thursday, Aug. 20

Back-to-School Resource Party

Time: 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Where: Joseph Walker Williams Recreation Center, 8431 Rosa Parks Blvd.

What: The event includes free backpacks and school supplies, bounce houses, video gaming trucks, hygiene kits, face painting, community resources, diapers, and food. There will also be free haircuts and hairstyling, but advanced registration is required.

Saturday, Aug. 22

Impact Detroit Youth Community Hub’s Back-to-School Event

Time: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: SAY Detroit Play Center, 19320 Van Dyke Ave.

What: The event features free backpacks and school supplies, food and refreshments, a petting zoo, bounce houses, fun activities for youth, and community resources. Organized by Impact Detroit Youth Community Hub.

Backpack Giveaway at the Co-op

Time: Noon to 6 p.m.

Where: Detroit People’s Food Co-op, 8324 Woodward Ave.

What: The event will feature free school supplies, including backpacks, folders, notebooks, pencils, and loose-leaf paper, as well as free school uniforms and wellness and hygiene products. The Detroit People’s Food Co-op, the organizer, is still seeking donations so it can serve 150 students.

Back-to-School Bash

Time: Noon to 4 p.m.

Where: Made with Love Donuts, 9837 Reeck Rd, Allen Park

What: The event features free backpacks and school supplies, health screenings and physicals by Monarch Urgent Care, face painting, balloons, and donut decorating. Children must be present. Organized by Made With Love Donuts.

Sunday, Aug. 23

Back-to-School Community Resource Fair

Time: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Where: Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, 4454 Woodward Ave.

What: The event features free backpacks and school supplies, a children’s clothing swap, free books, a hands-on craft table, community resources, and local organizations that support youth and families. Organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit with partners Birdie’s Bookmobile, Brilliant Detroit, MFWAR House, and MSUFCU.

Tuesday, Aug. 25

Back-to-School Supplies Giveaway

Time: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: Hamtramck Woody Plaza, 12140 Joseph Campau St., Hamtramck

What: The event includes free backpacks, school supplies, and healthy snacks, as well as resources for families. Organized by Wayne County MDHHS.

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

Detroit school district addresses school cleanliness, special education, and more in community meeting

2026-08-06T23:03:08+00:00

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The superintendent of Detroit’s school district is vowing to improve public meeting notifications, be more engaged with parents, and host a forum to address special education concerns after being peppered with questions at a pair of virtual and in-person engagement meetings.

Dozens of parents and community members attended meetings on Monday and Wednesday, voicing concerns about a range of issues, from the cleanliness of schools and the district’s lack of communication and transparency to difficulty receiving special education services for their children.

While DPSCD Superintendent Nikolai Vitti did answer questions from the audience during Wednesday’s meeting, he and Deputy Superintendent of Operations Machion Jackson mainly focused on discussing the district’s procurement and contracting process and breaking down contracts with three custodial companies.

The format was similar to the district’s first meeting with community members on Monday. More than 700 people joined that virtual meeting, with more than 100 questions and comments logged.

Machion Jackson, the deputy superintendent of operations for the Detroit Public Schools Community District, speaks during a community meeting Aug. 7 at Renaissance High School in Detroit.

DPSCD officials decided to hold the community conversations after content creator Brandi McGill posted a series of viral videos last month calling out the district. Known as “Brandi Thee Millennial Manager” on social media, McGill has racked up thousands of views for her videos on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok criticizing DPSCD for poor cleanliness in its buildings and for contracting work to out-of-state companies. But parents who attended Wednesday’s meeting largely used the opportunity to ask district leaders about other issues.

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.

At the end of Wednesday’s meeting, Vitti said he welcomes the community criticism of DPSCD, noting the district has many areas it needs to improve upon. The superintendent promised he will be more engaged and that the district will do better with communication and follow-ups with parents and community members.

“Believe it or not, I do try to listen always,” he said. “Even in the sharpest criticism, there’s a truth in reflecting, owning the wrong, and trying to improve systems and processes. Keep engaging, keep holding me and the district accountable.”

Here are some other questions BridgeDetroit heard audience members ask Vitti throughout the meeting:

These responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Q: What are you doing for the special needs community? How are you helping the parents?

Vitti: When I walked into this district … we had over 200 special needs teacher vacancies. You can’t serve children without certified teachers. The first step was trying to staff ESE (Exceptional Student Education) teachers. We changed the name from special ed (to ESE) because it’s a negative connotation that I think goes with that. That was step one — try to get the department fully staffed. Then, try to train everyone to be more compliant with IEPs (Individualized Education Programs) and implement those IEPs.

ESE is one of the areas where we still have a lot to improve. What do we have to do better? We have to process initial evaluations on time, implement IEPs, provide services like OT (occupational therapy), PT (physical therapy), and speech. Accountability in schools, where principals, lead teachers, and teachers are held more accountable in implementing the IEP.

We made changes at the central office for leadership. We have a new team that started this summer, so there’s fresh ideas, fresh ownership of the problems, and understanding that what we’re doing has to change and improve. Those are all examples of how that can trickle down to making improvements across the district. I’m committing to a separate community meeting on special needs, so all parents can understand where we’ve been, what our challenges are, and what our plans are.

Q: Why can’t parents receive notifications and robocalls about district meetings more in advance instead of the day before or the day of?

Vitti: We put all the school board meetings and the committee meetings on our website. We do the robotexts the day of because it gets people’s attention. We get a lot of criticism that we’re sending out too many robocalls and too many texts. To your point, we’ll do it in advance and try to tell everyone when the next meeting is, not the day before or the day out. Point taken. We can develop a separate calendar just for school board meetings, and that can be easier for parents to see.

Q: What are the district’s goals for its students?

Vitti: Our goal is that all students are showing at least one year of growth in their academic level. One year of growth in reading and math is what the minimal expectation is. The more aggressive and visionary goal is that all students are at grade level. More importantly, all students graduate in four years. The larger goal is that we’re graduating children who can get into college and not take remedial classes, and/or get a job with a livable wage. That our children go into society and they’re active citizens; that they’re confident, they’re comfortable talking in front of people, and they feel empowered to engage in our society at a high level.

Q: Who is being held accountable for issues in DPSCD?

Vitti: We’re all accountable. Yes, I’m the leader of the day-to-day operations of the district. It’s easy to put it on me, and I own the responsibility. I don’t run away from it. But a superintendent alone cannot be solely responsible. Everyone has to be responsible, and that’s got to trickle down to the entire organization, from the principal to the teacher, to the parents. It has to be a collective ownership. But I can stand here and say I’m accountable because every day I’m trying to make this district better — changing things, removing personnel, adding personnel. So it’s easy for me to say I’m accountable, but it would be naive to say or to even accept it’s only about the superintendent.

Q: Vetal Elementary School was one of the highlighted schools that was supposed to be reactivated in the facility master plan. It was supposed to start back in the winter, and it’s almost September. Are there any updates being done with that site, and how will communication be better in the future so people won’t continue to complain about things like that?

Jackson: Obviously, it takes far longer to build new schools than it takes to reactivate schools, and so we had to move forward with those schools first. Vetal is in our Series Five of the facility master plan. We moved it back slightly (the project is estimated to be completed in the fall of 2028) because we needed to make sure that we opened the (new) schools on time. The design and development work has not yet commenced because we’re going through the procurement process with the architect and engineering firm. However, we do have an owner’s representative that has been procured, and that is working with us on the planning of that site.

Vitti: The plans are on the (DPSCD) website. But there might be an opportunity to do another round of neighborhood (engagement) about the status of the Series Five and Series Six projects.

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

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.

Education will be a key topic as Benson and James face off in Michigan governor’s race

2026-08-05T03:55:12+00:00

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Democrat Jocelyn Benson and Republican John James will face off in the Nov. 3 general election to become Michigan’s next governor.

Multiple news organizations, including the Associated Press, called the race, declaring Benson the winner with more than 80% of the Democratic vote and James the winner with 50% of the Republican vote. They beat Democrat Chris Swanson and Republican Perry Johnson.

Education has been a hot issue in the race, with Benson and James agreeing on the need to address Michigan’s low literacy rates among K-12 students but taking largely partisan stances on other key issues.

James wants to expand school choice and said that on day one if elected, he will opt Michigan into the federal tax credit scholarship program, which allows people to receive tax credits for donations they make to organizations that provide scholarships for private school tuition, tutoring, and other educational expenses.

He also wants to keep transgender girls from playing on sports teams and using girls’ locker rooms and bathrooms.

Benson plans to make sure Michigan schools have fair and equitable funding, while also looking out for teachers by investing in recruiting and retaining educators. The latter is critical because districts have struggled to recruit teachers in some specialties, especially educators who work with students with disabilities.

One of Benson’s plans requires starting salaries for teachers to be $60,000 a year minimum. Some districts are close to that amount. The Detroit Public Schools Community District set a starting salary of $57,400 in the recently approved contract with the Detroit Federation of Teachers. The average starting salary statewide is about $41,000.

Benson, as she has done throughout the campaign, mentioned being the daughter of public school teachers in her acceptance speech. She said she wants a state “where child care is affordable for all, where homes are easily built so teachers and nurses and farmers can afford to live in the communities where they work,” and where public education prepares students for jobs.

She said she would work for teachers “who dedicate their lives to preparing our children for the future and who deserve pay and more respect.”

James, in his acceptance speech, said the night marks the beginning of Michigan’s comeback. In his acceptance speech he said that Michigan’s children are falling behind in education and that too many young people leave the state in search of opportunities.

He said Michiganders want schools that will teach their children to read and noted that his administration will prove that phonics work.

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

From literacy to school choice: How Michigan’s governor candidates compare on education

2026-07-23T15:19:50+00:00

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Michigan’s gubernatorial candidates, who face off Aug.4 in Democratic and Republican primaries, have only a few similar priorities in addressing the state’s biggest education crises.

Improve literacy rates among elementary students? Check.

Ensure students leave high school well prepared for careers or college? Check.

Support teachers? Check.

After that, the education plans veer off into divergent paths, with Republican candidates focused on issues such as school choice while Democratic candidates push for equitable funding for students. The plans include a lot of broad ideas, with few specifics on how they will accomplish them. Some of their ideas replicate things already in place or soon to be underway in Michigan.

They all agree that Michigan’s schools are troubled, given state test results that show students are struggling with reading and math. On the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress, nearly 38.9% of third graders last year were considered proficient, the lowest percentage in the 11-year history of the exam. Students similarly struggled in math. Performance on the rigorous National Assessment of Educational Progress is also troubling.

Candidates include Democrats Jocelyn Benson, Michigan’s current secretary of state, and Chris Swanson, current Genesee County sheriff; and Republicans John James, current U.S. representative, and Perry Johnson, a businessman. Republican Mike Cox, former Michigan attorney general, dropped out of the race July 17, citing President Trump’s June endorsement of James.

Chalkbeat read through the candidates’ education plans and listened to what they said in recent debates and interviews to give readers a clearer picture of how schools could be affected by whoever becomes Michigan’s next governor.

Here’s what you need to know.

Benson: “Everyday we don’t fix this … is a day lost.”

Benson’s plan is built around five “pillars,” each of which has a number of steps she would take to improve education. They include creating a world-class education for every Michigan child; recruiting, paying, and keeping educators; focusing on children from birth to prekindergarten; funding school fairly, equitably, efficiently, and transparently; and making the system work together.

“I’m a mom, and I know that every day we don’t fix this for our kids and our teachers, is a day lost that we won’t get back, for these kids, for their childhood,” Benson said during a WDIV interview.

Her plans to improve education include tackling student chronic absenteeism by creating a statewide strategy, ensuring students are reading by the third grade, expanding after-school programs, and working with families and advocates to improve education for students with disabilities.

Benson is advocating for requiring starting salaries for teachers to be set at $60,000 a year minimum, ensuring competitive pay for childcare workers, and expanding the state’s PreK for All program, which provides funding so students can enroll in the state’s preschool program for free, regardless of income.

In the WDIV interview, Benson acknowledged that schools have received increased funding, but she said it’s not enough. She advocates for a weighted funding system (that Michigan has experimented with for several years) that provides additional funding for students with the greatest needs, such as students from low-income families and students learning English.

James: “There’s no accountability.”

James described education as a “basic civil right,” and said that his plan prioritizes transforming Michigan from a state that ranked near the bottom in fourth-grade reading on a rigorous national exam to one at the top.

One of his first actions if elected would be to opt Michigan into the Trump administration’s federal tax-credit scholarship program, which allows people to receive tax credits for donations they make to organizations that provide scholarships for private school tuition, tutoring, and other educational expenses.

He also would reinstate a retention policy that requires schools to hold back third graders who don’t meet reading standards.

His education plan also includes working with parents and teachers to address student absenteeism and protecting girls’ sports, locker rooms, and restrooms. James opposes allowing transgender girls to compete on girl’s sports teams, saying on Facebook last month, “It’s INSANITY that Michigan is going to continue to allow biological boys to play girls sports. That ends in 6 months when I’m Governor.”

Accountability is key, James said in a WDIV interview.

“I’m going to make sure we have fiscal accountability, make sure that as we are losing school age populations we are not overspending on overhead and waste in our school systems,” he said.

Johnson: “My administration will focus on results.”

Johnson’s plan revolves around a handful of topics: returning to academic fundamentals, maintaining and expanding school choice, preparing students for postsecondary life, supporting teachers, and accountability for schools.

“Too many students are leaving school without strong reading, writing, and math skills despite record levels of education spending,” Johnson says on his website. “My administration will focus on results, restore accountability, and ensure that education dollars are reaching students and classrooms.”

His plan isn’t as detailed as some of the other candidates. He says he will “promote proven instructional methods, including phonics-based reading instruction and early intervention for struggling readers.” He’ll also focus on reducing the amount of bureaucracy teachers deal with, so they can prioritize teaching.

“My administration will work to restore classroom discipline, reduce administrative burdens, and allow educators to focus on teaching instead of paperwork,” Johnson said on his site.

In an interview with WDIV, Johnson said schools need more accountability.

“In my companies, we always reward on the basis of performance and I think we’ve lost sight of the fact that we have to have something like that. If we incentivize teachers for actually achieving certain levels of performance, we’ll change the focus.”

Chris Swanson: “We’re on the right track.”

Swanson has a seven-point plan that prioritizes a state initiative that provides free breakfast and lunch to all students, regardless of income; expands access to preschool; and ensures the state School Aid Fund is used for K-12 schools, rather than directing some of it to higher education.

He would also place emphasis on early career exploration, attracting and retaining educators, expanding GED diploma and high school completion programs, and ensuring public money goes toward public schools, not private schools.

During a forum for gubernatorial candidates hosted by the Michigan Education Association earlier this year, Swanson pushed back against candidates who say Michigan should replicate what Mississippi has done to improve its standing on a rigorous national exam. He said then that, “I’m not interested in the Mississippi model. I’m interested in the Michigan model.”

He expanded on that during a WDIV interview. He said he believes Michigan students are doing better academically than what the national test data shows, and he said the results in Michigan can’t be compared to Mississippi.

Swanson believes Michigan schools “are on the right track,” and are getting a “bad rap.” But he said one of the first things he would do if elected is an assessment of the state’s education system.

“We’re going to figure out where are we, really.”

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

DPSCD board approves new teacher contract that includes pay raises, AI policy

2026-07-15T02:12:03+00:00

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The Detroit school board approved a new two-year contract for teachers Tuesday that increases their salaries, includes new language on AI use, and gives more money for teachers to participate in professional development.

More than 5,000 people belong to the Detroit Federation of Teachers, including teachers, paraprofessionals, academic interventionists, and psychologists, among other school staff. The new contract covers the 2026-27 and 2027-28 school years.

The board also approved a contract for the Detroit Association of Educational Office Employees. The two-year contract includes a 3% pay raise for fiscal years 2027 and 2028, along with a $2,000 annual retention bonus and a $1,500 longevity bonus for those with experience of 10 years or more.

The board approval comes after DFT and the Detroit Public Schools Community District reached a tentative agreement on June 18. It was the earliest the two groups had approved an agreement since 1994, according to the document. DFT membership ratified the contract on June 25, with the previous union contract expiring June 30.

Many of the highlights in the tentative agreement remain in the final version, such as the annual 3.7% raise teachers and ancillary staff with a master’s degree receive. 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 previous contract is $93,000 a year.

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, compared to $55,000 in the previous contract.

DPSCD Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said during the meeting the salaries for beginning teachers are the highest in the region.

“This is critical because we’re seeing our veteran teachers retire, and for us to be competitive for beginning teachers and early year teachers, this number is important,” he said.

Substitute teachers would get a 3% raise in 2026-27 and 2027-28, and subs who cover an absence on a Monday or Friday will receive additional compensation. This is due to the district having difficulty in retaining subs on those days, Vitti said.

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.

One thing that will remain the same in the new contract is healthcare coverage for union members. The district will maintain or increase overall health care cost contribution up to the 80% threshold, with the intention to maintain current plan options and providers if competitive.

“As a district, we cannot serve our students at the highest level if we’re not fully staffed, and to be fully staffed, we have to have a combination of a retention strategy and a recruitment strategy,” Vitti said. “And as we continue to improve wages and salaries for our teachers and beyond, we continue to be fully staffed across the district in most areas. And this is also leading to student achievement and improvement in overall student attendance.”

What else is new in the contract?

The contract also includes new language on artificial intelligence, with DPSCD and DFT committed to ensuring that “AI technology is used safely, effectively and equitably in the classroom,” the document states. This means AI should not replace a teacher’s professional judgement but can be used for instructional support purposes, like lesson planning or drafting communications.

AI cannot be used for tasks such as student grading or assessment decisions, individualized education program determinations, or student discipline decisions.

In addition, the district must maintain and publish a list of all approved AI tools at the beginning of the school year and provide ongoing professional development on AI to union members. The training would include responsible and ethical use, data privacy protections, and identifying bias and inaccuracies.

The language for “teacher leader” is changing, with educators in that role now being referred to as “lead leacher,” so that all positions across core content areas share more consistent duties, according to the contract. Lead teacher roles will be available in literacy, mathematics, science, and social studies for grades K-12.

Responsibilities for a lead teacher include mentoring new or student teachers, facilitating professional development during staff meetings, and providing information to colleagues. They will receive an annual $3,000 stipend in addition to their regular salary.

As for professional development, DFT members will receive $35.25 per hour for participating in workshops, up from $23.82 in the previous contract. Meanwhile, the DFT consultant, director, and facilitator rate will be $65.56 an hour.

Other contract highlights include:

The voluntary transfer window for teachers shifts from March-May to April-June, with added protections for involuntarily transferred teachers and union building reps.
Teachers taking maternity or paternity leave can earn back sick days in the years following their leave if they remain employed with the district.
Personal religious observances are now an allowable use of personal business absences.

Michelle Awesome, a speech pathologist at the Jerry L. White Center, said she’s happy overall about the contract. She likes the new policy on maternity and paternity leave. In addition to sick days earned back, eligible employees are allowed up to 12 weeks of protected time off. Employees become eligible for leave after one year of service and 1,250 hours worked in the past 12 months, says the contract.

“I only took five weeks off after I had my son, so I’m happy the younger people get to have a little more time with their kids,” Awesome said.

However, she doesn’t agree with the new bonus system for speech and language pathologists when they exceed their maximum caseload. According to the agreement, caseloads should not exceed more than 60 students. When caseloads do go over, pathologists will receive supplemental pay. Pathologists can earn from $250 per quarter if they have between one and five students over their caseload, to up to $1,000 per quarter if they have 16 or more students exceeding their caseload.

“Basically, they’re offering us a bonus for more than what the state guidelines are,” Awesome said. “I’m not doing it. I’m not getting more than 60 because my kids need a lot more attention.”

The 2025 guidelines for the Michigan Speech Language Hearing Association states that the maximum caseload for pathologists is 60, but should be adjusted based on factors like the severity of the student’s disability and time for diagnostics, IEP meetings, and travel.

“I don’t think that what the contract has for SLPs (speech and language pathologists) is comparable to other ancillary professions in terms of workload expectation,” Awesome said.

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

What Detroiters should know about the proposed school operating millage on the Aug. 4 ballot

2026-07-13T10:00:00+00:00

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If you’re a Detroiter heading to the polls for the Aug. 4 primary, or someone voting early, you’re likely asking yourself one big question: Why are we voting on another school operating millage?

The answer is a bit complicated. Yes, in 2024, Detroiters easily approved an operating millage renewal — the technical term for a tax levy on some real estate — for Detroit Public Schools. That’s the entity that used to educate students in the city, but since 2016 has only existed to collect tax revenue and pay off old debt.

But a lot has changed in the last two years. The Detroit Public Schools Community District must now seek its own operating millage for two key reasons:

The DPS millage will be done paying off old operating debt in September and must cease collecting operating tax revenue.
The operating revenue the state has been providing to DPSCD since state lawmakers created the district in 2016 will be eliminated, per the budget lawmakers approved July 3.

That means DPSCD must collect its own operating revenue, through a millage every Michigan district is required to levy.

There’s a lot at stake if voters reject the millage — more than $100 million in annual operating revenue for Detroit’s schools.

Below, we answer some important questions about the millage,. Have a question you don’t see answered? Reach out to us at detroit.tips@chalkbeat.org.

What is this millage for?

The Detroit Public Schools Community District is seeking an 18-mill operating millage, which equates to an $18 tax for every $1,000 of taxable value, for 20 years that will provide revenue for general operating expenses that can range from classroom programming and supplies to staff salaries. It can’t be used for capital projects.

Who’s affected by this millage?

Anyone can vote on the proposal, as long as they’re registered. But the operating millage is levied on commercial property, rental property, and vacation property. It doesn’t affect primary homeowners. So, if you own and live in your own home, this vote doesn’t affect you.

So what’s the difference between Detroit Public Schools and the Detroit Public Schools Community District? And why is there a change in which of them will collect operating revenue?

DPS was the district that for years educated students and operated schools. But DPS debt had grown over time, and most of it accumulated when the state controlled the district. That cut into the amount of money for classrooms.

To avoid what many thought was looming bankruptcy, lawmakers created DPSCD in 2016 as a separate district. Lawmakers transferred control of schools from DPS to DPSCD, and the new district benefitted from a fresh, debt-free start. DPS remained intact solely to collect revenue from millages. That revenue goes toward paying off the lingering DPS operating debt. (A separate debt millage is paying off capital debt and debt to the state’s revolving loan program.)

Meanwhile, because operating revenue was going to pay off debt, the state beginning in 2016 provided what DPSCD would have received from a millage.

But the state budget approved Friday eliminates $124 million for operating costs the state would have provided to DPSCD next year. It assumes the district will receive those funds from a millage.

Lawmakers made that move because rising Detroit property values mean the debt will be paid off much earlier than planned. DPSCD officials wanted to keep the DPS operating millage revenue flowing to help pay off the rest of the old debt. But the Michigan Department of Treasury said that’s prohibited by state law, and a lawsuit brought by the district ended with the courts siding with the state.

How much money would be generated by this millage?

The millage would generate about $112 million during the 2026-27 school year. DPSCD’s total budget for the coming school year is around $1.1 billion. State and federal funding provides the rest.

Are operating millages required?

Yes, traditional school districts are required to levy an $18 tax for every $1,000 of taxable value to generate operating revenue. DPSCD was an exception during its first 10 years.

Charter schools do not have millages and do not receive millage revenue, except in the case of a countywide school millage.

Why is this vote being held now?

The Aug. 4 primary is the first opportunity for DPSCD to put the proposal on the ballot since the district lost its battle with Michigan Treasury officials in court. If it doesn’t pass next month, the district can revive it during subsequent elections, with the first opportunity being the Nov. 3 general election.

The district could also opt to hold a special election, but that would be costly.

What happens if voters reject the proposal?

DPSCD Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said that if voters don’t approve the tax levy by July 1, 2027, the district would face a deficit of $111 million for the 2027-28 school year.

What is unclear is whether the state’s elimination of the operating revenue for the district for the 2026-27 school year will also lead to a shortfall. Vitti said the only way for the district to get its full $10,300 in per-student funding allotted to it by the state “would be to force the tax collections from DPS to DPSCD.” There is no other source of funding the district could tap to fill that gap, he said.

What if tax collections fall below 100%?

Approving the measure is one thing. Taxpayers still must pay their tax bills for the district to collect the projected revenue.

The state has provided DPSCD with 100% of what a millage would have generated. That may not be the case when the district has to rely on actual millage revenue. If property owners don’t pay their bills, less revenue will be generated. The ballot language says revenue generated would be $112 million; Vitti said that assumes a 92% collection rate.

Vitti said he has raised this issue with legislators. It is something that could affect every school district in the state.

“This makes no sense to me from an operating point of view, that you would put a school district in jeopardy of not having as much revenue as they should because of local property tax collection,” Vitti said during a May school board committee meeting. “This is 2026; we shouldn’t be funding school districts like this.”

How will tax incentives affect how much money the district receives for operating purposes?

Vitti said city incentives designed to boost economic development but which reduce tax revenue wouldn’t affect how much operating revenue the district receives, as long as the collection rate is 100%, because the state reimburses the abatements on the operating millage.

In a 2021 Detroit News opinion piece, the authors noted that communities “can offload the cost of their economic development deals onto taxpayers and schoolkids statewide. As a result, these deals receive less public scrutiny, because the state will make up most of the difference anyway.”

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

Michigan lawmakers OK increased student funding and investments in literacy

2026-07-03T18:09:44+00:00

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Michigan schools would receive a 2.5% increase in per-pupil funding in a $22.9 billion state education budget lawmakers pulled an all-nighter to finally approve Friday morning.

The increase means the minimum amount a school would receive is $10,300 per student. That’s up from $10,050 schools got during the school year that just ended.

The budget was approved two days after the July 1 deadline. In 2025, the budget wasn’t approved until early October.

In a news release Friday morning, Whitmer applauded the budget, saying that for education in particular, the budget is strengthening literacy and “setting our students up for success.” It still needs her signature.

The budget includes a significant investment in efforts to improve literacy in order to reverse Michigan students’ years-long struggle in reading, with more money going toward teacher training in science of reading methods, hiring literacy coaches, and tutoring. The budget also continues an investment into a weighted funding formula that provides additional funding for at-risk students and English language learners.

It also includes money that would allow some districts to increase educator compensation, increases funding for students with disabilities and career and technical education students, and increases funding for after-school programs and early childhood education.

State Superintendent Glenn Maleyko said in a statement that students stand to benefit from the literacy investment. He also highlighted the budget’s continued investment in free school meals for all students, regardless of income.

“The budget also includes important investments in our ongoing efforts to address the teacher shortage so students are taught by highly qualified, certified educators,” Maleyko said. “It increases support for students with the greatest needs, including children who are economically disadvantaged, English learners, and students with disabilities. It also provides additional investments in Career and Technical Education, rural and isolated school districts, student transportation, and dual enrollment opportunities that expand college access.”

The increase in funding for students from low-income homes and English learners means that on top of the $250 per student increase, districts will get even more for such students, acknowledging that those with greater needs require more money to educate. Lawmakers first approved a shift toward a weighted system in 2023. This year’s investment represents a substantial step forward and establishes the system into law.

“Today’s school budget is a big win for all Michigan students, especially students with the greatest needs,” Brian L. Love, state director for EdTrust-Midwest, said in a statement from the education research and advocacy organization.

“For Michigan to become a top ten state for education, we have to ensure all students have the opportunity to succeed,” Love said. “While there’s more work to do to ensure schools and educators have the support they need to improve outcomes for all students, this budget continues to put Michigan on the right path.”

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

DPSCD adds five new schools to list of buildings with low enrollment, high costs

2026-06-30T18:40:02+00:00

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Five new schools have been added to a list of buildings the Detroit school district is monitoring for possible consolidation or closure due to challenges like high operating expenses, low enrollment, and underutilization.

Detroit Public Schools Community District Superintendent Nikolai Vitti presented an annual report on the district’s small schools during a school board committee meeting on June 24. The report examines the program and operating expenses the 19 schools carry and how they surpass the revenue received through state and federal funding and grants.

The presentation was similar to one he gave last year outlining potential solutions that include merging schools, stepping up enrollment efforts, reconfiguring grades served, and investing in marketing.

The five schools added to the list for the 2025-26 school year include Palmer Park Prep Academy, Pasteur Elementary School, Gardner Elementary School, Chrysler Elementary School, and Thurgood Marshall Elementary, which is closing at the end of next school year.

Schools that were previously on the list but were removed include Mark Twain School for Scholars and four schools that closed earlier this month that the district identified for phase out in 2022: Ann Arbor Trail Magnet School, J.E. Clark Preparatory Academy, Catherine Blackwell Institute, and Greenfield Union Elementary-Middle School.

The 18 other schools on this year’s list are not slated to close at this time, Vitti said.

“The schools on this list, all by varying degrees, the district supplements their budget based on the number of students enrolled at the school and the cost of running that school,” he said.

Below is a list of the schools on the list, not including those already being phased out:

Frederick Douglass Academy for Young Men

Grades: 9-12
Enrollment: 61
Utilization rate: 5%
Revenue: $1,441,707
Expenses: $3,050,786
Cost per student: $50,013
Comparison school cost per student: $11,832
Potential solution: Reconsider bringing back sixth, seventh, and eighth grades since enrollment dropped when Frederick Douglass turned into a high school. Another option is moving the school within a high school building and operating it as a program within a school.

Davis Aerospace Technical High School at Golightly

Grades: 9-12
Enrollment: 112
Utilization rate: 15%
Revenue: $1,828,078
Expenses: $2,963,458
Cost per student: $26,459
Comparison school cost per student: $11,832
Potential solution: Monitor enrollment improvement closely and explore possibility of expanding course offerings to non-Davis students in a CTC model after relocation to City Airport if enrollment does not significantly improve.

DPSCD Virtual School

Grades: K-12
Enrollment: 196
Utilization rate: n/a
Revenue: $2,248,592
Expenses: $3,719,368
Cost per student: $18,976
Comparison school cost per student: $10,525
Potential solution: The district has expanded admission requirements to increase enrollment for special student circumstances.

Detroit International Academy for Young Women

Grades: K-12
Enrollment: 228
Utilization rate: 33%
Revenue: $3,817,804
Expenses: $4,742,678
Cost per student: $20,801
Comparison school cost per student: $10,525
Potential solution: Explore moving school and transition to a program within a larger high school building. Use the current DIA building (which was renovated) for Davison Elementary-Middle School.

Crockett Midtown High School of Science and Medicine

Grades: 9-12
Enrollment: 178
Utilization rate: 35%
Revenue: $2,830,968
Expenses: $3,518,370
Cost per student: $19,766
Comparison school cost per student: $11,832
Potential solution: Consider moving the program to an existing high school building as a program, or moving DIA and the Frederick Douglass Academy to the building.

Palmer Park Prep Academy

Grades: Pre-K-8
Enrollment: 359
Utilization rate: 61%
Revenue: $6,426,493
Expenses: $7,486,621
Cost per student: $20,854
Comparison school cost per student: $14,886
Potential solution: The district is adding two additional Montessori classrooms for the 2026-27 school year and expects enrollment to rebound as lower-grade Montessori students matriculate to middle school.

Detroit Lions Academy

Grades: 6-12
Enrollment: 388
Utilization rate: 83%
Revenue: $6,432,088
Expenses: $7,582,328
Cost per student: $19,542
Comparison school cost per student: $11,832
Potential solution: “Because the demand and need for alternative education settings are high, and because students at the school need smaller, supportive learning environments, continue to fund at current levels,” the report states.

Osborn High School

Grades: 9-12
Enrollment: 392
Utilization rate: 42%
Revenue: $5,756,220
Expenses: $6,819,521
Cost per student: $17,397
Comparison school cost per student: $12,691
Potential solution: Continue to provide prioritized enrollment support with a focus on ninth grade recruitment. The district may also consider the phaseout of Osborn after the new Pershing building opens.

Thurgood Marshall Elementary-Middle School

Grades: 1-8
Enrollment: 178
Utilization rate: 25%
Revenue: $3,774,262
Expenses: $4,187,111
Cost per student: $23,523
Comparison school cost per student: $13,705
Potential solution: School is phasing out and will close at the end of the 2026-27 school year with the new Paul Robeson Malcolm X building opening.

Pasteur Elementary School

Grades: Pre-K-6
Enrollment: 234
Utilization rate: 43%
Revenue: $4,289,113
Expenses: $4,736,304
Cost per student: $20,241
Comparison school cost per student: $13,705
Potential solution: Provide school with prioritized enrollment support, including a “Summer on the Block” event for current and potential families with door-to-door canvassing prior to the event in the surrounding communities.

Carstens Academy of Aquatic Science

Grades: Pre-K-8
Enrollment: 295
Utilization rate: 43%
Revenue: $5,060,494
Expenses: $5,555,271
Cost per student: $18,831
Comparison school cost per student: $13,705
Potential solution: The school will move into a new facility as part of the district’s facility master plan, which will reduce operating costs and increase enrollment.

Northwestern High School

Grades: 9-12
Enrollment: 284
Utilization rate: 31%
Revenue: $4,526,557
Expenses: $5,002,007
Cost per student: $17,613
Comparison school cost per student: $12,691
Potential solution: Consider a smaller and more modern building as a K-12 on the existing campus to emerge with Sampson-Webber Leadership Academy through a new district bond.

Pershing High School

Grades: 9-12
Enrollment: 444
Utilization rate: 22%
Revenue: $6,367,128
Expenses: $7,051,324
Cost per student: $15,881
Comparison school cost per student: $12,691
Potential solution: The school’s new building will increase enrollment and will have fewer seats and reduced costs, the report states.

Edison Elementary School (Montessori)

Grades: Pre-K-5
Enrollment: 289
Utilization rate: 88%
Revenue: $4,925,889
Expenses: $5,276,909
Cost per student: $18,259
Comparison school cost per student: $14,886
Potential solution: Phasing out of Montessori education will increase seat access to neighborhood students in addition to Pre-K expanding from one classroom to two, with a total of 36 seats, according to the report.

Edmonson Elementary (Montessori)

Grades: Pre-K-8
Enrollment: 307
Utilization rate: 63%
Revenue: $4,802,073
Expenses: $5,005,375
Cost per student: $16,304
Comparison school cost per student: $14,886
Potential solution: “As of May 2026, there are 215 new 1st choice applications submitted for Edmonson. Edmonson will be fully funded with 42 additional students,” the report states.

Paul Robeson Malcolm X Academy

Grades: K-8
Enrollment: 268
Utilization rate: 74%
Revenue: $4,541,908
Expenses: $4,738,660
Cost per student: $17,682
Comparison school cost per student: $14,886
Potential solution: “The school is currently operating out of the former CMA, while a new building is constructed. When the school relocates back to its new building it should return to a balanced funding model,” the report says.

Detroit School of Arts

Grades: 9-12
Enrollment: 553
Utilization rate: 39%
Revenue: $7,431,525
Expenses: $7,850,424
Cost per student: $14,196
Comparison school cost per student: $11,832
Potential solution: DPSCD has continued to develop and expand the K-8 performing arts pathway schools, leading to annual increases in enrollment
at DSA. This will continue with the new K-8 Southwest performing arts school. The school needs to enroll 20 additional students to break even with expenses, the report says.

Gardner Elementary School

Grades: K-5
Enrollment: 211
Utilization rate: 55%
Revenue: $3,712,772
Expenses: $3,822,624
Cost per student: $18,117
Comparison school cost per student: $13,705
Potential solution: Provide school with prioritized enrollment support, including a “Summer on the Block” event for current and potential families with door-to-door canvassing prior to the event in the surrounding communities.

Chrysler Elementary School

Grades: K-5
Enrollment: 142
Utilization rate: 76%
Revenue: $2,535,488
Expenses: $2,593,725
Cost per student: $18,266
Comparison school cost per student: $14,886
Potential solution: “The small deficit was caused by increases in personnel costs due to teacher salary increases and the adjustment to MPSERS (Michigan Public School Employees’ Retirement System) reimbursements,” the report states.

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

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.

How should Michigan’s next governor improve education? We want to hear from you.

2026-06-23T13:21:31+00:00

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Education has become a critical issue in the race for Michigan’s next governor, an election that will determine who has the power to shape policies that improve learning for the state’s 1.3 million public school students.

But how should the winner do it? That’s a question we have for Michigan residents.

Chalkbeat Detroit and the Detroit Free Press are collaborating this election season to cover education issues that are key in the gubernatorial contest. To help shape our coverage, we’re asking you to take a few minutes to fill out the survey below. Your feedback is critical to ensuring we understand what issues are important.

This is a difficult time for education in Michigan. On the National Assessment of Educational Progress, just 24% of Michigan fourth graders who took the exam were considered proficient in reading, compared to 30% nationally.

Meanwhile, in 2025, just 38.9% of Michigan’s third graders were proficient in English language arts on the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress.

Math performance has been just as troubling.

Gubernatorial candidates have their own ideas about what it will take to improve Michigan schools, ranging from paying teachers more to replicating what other, more successful, states like Mississippi have done.

What do you think Michigan should do?

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

Feds open new investigations into transgender athletes in three Michigan school districts

2026-06-19T14:43:17+00:00

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The U.S. Department of Education says Title IX investigations have been opened into three additional Michigan school districts, this time over allegations the districts are allowing students to compete on athletic teams and use locker rooms based on their gender identities.

The districts include Ann Arbor Public Schools, Monroe Public Schools, and Chippewa Valley Schools. The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights, which will soon move to the U.S. Department of Justice, will conduct the investigations.

A press release from the Education Department alleges the Ann Arbor district allowed a transgender student to compete on the girls volleyball team, the Monroe district required the girls volleyball team to compete against a team with a transgender student and share locker rooms with the student, and the Chippewa Valley district permitted a female student athlete to use the male-only locker room.

“The convoluted practice of allowing students to participate on sex-segregated athletic teams and make use of locker rooms based on ‘gender identity’ is not only known to be unsafe for students, but is a direct violation of federal law,” Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey said in the press release.

Title IX is a federal civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in schools. The Trump administration has used it to target transgender student protections.

A statement sent Friday by Monroe Superintendent Andrew Shaw said there has been a “prior, thorough review of this matter by an independent investigator” who determined that Title IX violation allegations were unsubstantiated.

The statement said the district is dedicated to “fostering a secure and nurturing educational setting for every student,” and complies with all state and federal rules.

“We welcome the opportunity to coordinate with federal officials and are working in full cooperation with the Office for Civil Rights,” the statement read.

A spokesperson for the Chippewa Valley district said in a statement Thursday to Bridge Michigan that it had yet to receive a copy of the complaint and learned about the investigation from the media.

“As a matter of practice, the district cooperates fully with any review conducted by the Office for Civil Rights,” Diane Blain, the spokesperson, said in the statement. “Chippewa Valley Schools remains committed to providing a safe, supportive, and respectful learning environment for all students and to complying with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations. We will continue to work cooperatively with the Office for Civil Rights throughout its review process.”

A spokesperson for the Ann Arbor district did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Justice Department earlier this year opened Title IX investigations into the Detroit Public Schools Community District, the Lansing School District, and Godfrey-Lee Public Schools.

The department at the time 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 status of those investigations is unclear.

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

As demolition nears, protective barriers at Detroit’s Cooley High vandalized

2026-06-15T20:51:52+00:00

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Detroit’s public school district is stepping up security at soon-to-be demolished Cooley High School after weekend vandals breached the property and caused damage.

In a statement released Sunday night, Detroit Public Schools Community District spokeswoman Chrystal Wilson said intruders broke down a large section of the fence protecting the building and a covering protecting the entrance of the long-vacant school was destroyed.

Vandals knocked down the covering that protected the entrance to Cooley High School in Detroit.

Fencing around the site went up in recent days as salvage work began at the building, expected to be torn down this summer. The weekend damage has since been repaired and DPSCD will now have 24-hour security coverage at Cooley until demolition activities are complete, Wilson said.

“The former Cooley High School building remains closed to the public, and unauthorized entry is prohibited,” Wilson said. “The district continues to prioritize the safety of the surrounding community and will work closely with law enforcement and demolition partners to secure the site throughout the demolition process. Violators of the building risk their own safety by entering the grounds and building and will be prosecuted if apprehended.”

Wilson said Detroit Police have been alerted about the situation. Police spokesperson Jasmin Barmore told BridgeDetroit Monday that the department does not have any arrest reports from the incident.

The weekend vandalism comes days after a pair of community meetings were held by the district to answer questions and gather feedback from residents and alumni, many upset, over a future sports complex that will be built on the site. DPSCD confirmed earlier this month that Cooley would be demolished this summer after sitting vacant for more than 15 years. Cooley closed its doors in 2010.

“Due to years of public outcry regarding safety, arson attacks and blight tickets, the building will be demolished,” DPSCD Superintendent Nikolai Vitti has said.

Vitti has said that the district will preserve architectural features from Cooley, like bricks, terra cotta medallions, the entry archways, and the bell from the tower of the building.

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

Community voices concern, support for Cooley demolition in public meeting

2026-06-12T18:35:11+00:00

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A week after facing backlash from alumni and community members over the upcoming demolition of the historic Cooley High School, the Detroit school district is giving more insight into why the long-vacant building is being razed and the sports complex that will be built in its place.

The Cooley sports complex will come to fruition in multiple phases, Detroit Public Schools Community District Assistant Superintendent of Operations Machion Jackson said Wednesday. The first, which is set to be completed Sept. 30, includes demolishing the building and resurfacing the walking track and natural turf field. The second phase is set to be completed in fall 2028 and will consist of an artificial turf field, a track, additional parking, and a practice area for shot put and discus.

The complex also has a phase three with an indoor complex, but the district needs more funding to complete that part of the project, Jackson said.

“We’re showing phase three as a concept, but this is not funded,” she said.

Dozens of Cooley alumni and community members gathered Wednesday inside the Renaissance High School auditorium to hear more about the project, many voicing opposition to the demolition and how they felt there was little community engagement about the complex and the razing. A virtual meeting was also held Thursday for alumni and community members who couldn’t attend the in-person meeting or who live out of state.

Salvage work at Cooley began in recent days with the installation of fencing to secure the property, said DPSCD spokeswoman Chrystal Wilson.

Cooley alum Leonard Reid said Wednesday evening that he heard the news about the demolition on social media and wondered why TV news wasn’t reporting anything about it.

“It’s ridiculous that we have to find out on social media about this plan,” he said.

Demolition of Cooley, which closed in 2010, is expected to get underway this summer. Superintendent Nikolai Vitti told BridgeDetroit earlier this month that the decision was informed by community complaints regarding blight and crime.

Detroit Public Schools Community District Assistant Superintendent of Operations Machion Jackson speaks during a community meeting on the demolition of Cooley High School.

Jackson noted during Wednesday’s meeting that she received numerous complaints from residents and businesses who live near Cooley about the condition of the building and its future. There have been fires, illegal dumping, prostitution, and a fatal assault occurred behind the school in 2018.

The Cooley sports complex, which was announced last year, will use $15 million from the state for the planning, design, and construction of the outdoor football field and outdoor track, green space, and updated parking lots.

Another $15 million was allocated for the project in February as part of a $79 million one-time investment from the DPSCD board to advance priority projects outlined in the district’s facility master plan, according to a news release.

In addition, the DPSCD Foundation is actively fundraising for the project, Wilson said.

The complex will mainly serve as the home for sports teams at nearby Cody High School, but will also be open to the community and to district partners like the Pop Warner youth football program and Detroit Police Athletic League, Jackson said.

Vitti said the field that Cody students use now is owned by the city, and attempts to buy the land has been unsuccessful. Members of the Cody and Denby football teams were in attendance Wednesday, donning their green and yellow jerseys.

Shortly after receiving the $15 million state grant, Jackson said, the district began hosting community engagement meetings. The meetings were held at a DPSCD school, a church across the street from Cooley, a Detroit City Council meeting, and then a virtual meeting in March.

The project initially included plans to preserve a part of Cooley for a locker room, weight room, community gathering space, and dedication to Cooley alumni.

However, preserving the historic front facade would have cost an additional $2 million, Vitti told BridgeDetroit. Architects and district officials have been unable to explore much of the school’s interior because it’s unsafe, Jackson said.

“The last time I was in the building, I was right on the edge of the auditorium, and … there was a gaping hole,” Jackson said.

Vitti has said that the district will preserve some architectural features from Cooley, like bricks, terra cotta medallions, the entry archways, and the bell from the tower of the building.

Those Cooley touches will be added during phase two, Jackson said Wednesday. Many of the bricks will be cleaned and given away to alumni, but others may be used to rebuild something else on the site. In addition, the bell towers could be placed on the corners of Hubbell Avenue and Chalfonte Street or at Hubbell and Fenkell.

Community members weigh in

Chet Pitts, a 2001 Cooley alum, said Cooley is a place of many memories.

He told BridgeDetroit that the teachers there made an impact in his life, like English teacher Charlotte Smith. He even met his wife, Sarah Pitts, at Cooley.

Pitts was sad to see Cooley close and is disappointed about the impending demolition. He believes the district is diminishing the feelings of other Cooley alumni and the overall community. Pitts created a petition to save Cooley. As of Thursday afternoon, the petition had 1,087 signatures.

“The thing is, when they erase our history, you lose identity, you lose culture, you lose memories,” he said at the meeting.

Meanwhile, Maura Cady-Rye talked about her attempts to save the old Hudson’s building in downtown Detroit before it was demolished in 1998. Her grandparents used to live a few blocks away from Cooley on Ardmore, and Cady-Rye grew up nearby in Rosedale Park.

Cady-Rye, who now lives in Ypsilanti, said Cooley is also historic and asked the district to reconsider saving a portion of the building.

“I’m not asking to take little bits and pieces off of it and put it someplace else,” she said. “Let’s save the front of the building while you guys are tearing down the rest of it. Let’s save the front portion to say, ‘This is a historic building,’ because buildings don’t get built that way anymore. Keep everybody happy. Why can’t you guys do that?”

Grace Moore said she understands that the district will move forward with the sports complex, but asked how Cooley alumni like herself will be represented in the project.

“How can we get a part, and how can you guarantee us that our flag, our championships, the history of Cooley will still be there?” Moore said.

Meanwhile, Rafeal Peterson is eager for change. He said it’s unfair to residents to continue letting the Cooley building stay vacant. As a 1988 Cooley graduate and a former basketball coach at the school, Peterson will keep those memories with him but agrees that it’s time for a new chapter.

“It’s my old school, but hey, it’s not a family member, it’s a building,” he said. “It’s bittersweet, but I’m not gonna be crying about it. It’s a good opportunity for Cody and anybody who uses it.”

Editor’s note: June 12, 2026: This story was updated to reflect the total cost of the project and the sources of funding.

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

Free housing for educators and an early childhood program in a transit center mark new Michigan innovations

2026-06-11T17:25:42+00:00

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After five years of living paycheck to paycheck, Haylee Fettes is getting something most early childhood educators could only dream of: free housing in Battle Creek for teaching in a preschool program.

Fettes is one of the first two early childhood teachers to move into free housing as part of First Home, First Teacher, a new initiative in the city that eventually seeks to provide housing for 30% of educators like Fettes, who often earn minimum wage salaries.

The new program is giving Fettes, who works at Stars and Stripes Learning Center, some financial freedom and will allow her to save more money.

Haylee Fettes talks with her children Zaiden and Zaiveair about their new residence inside a duplex on the north side of Battle Creek. Fettes will live in the residence rent free as part of a new collaboration called First Home, First Teacher.

“I can just breathe, honestly -- it’s like a weight lifted,” she said. “I’'ve never wanted to leave [early childhood education], but I have thought about it because of money,” she said. “I don’t have to think about how much I am going to get paid on Friday, and where it needs to go, because it’s typically spent before it comes.”

Low pay for early childhood educators is a perennial problem in Michigan and across the nation, leading to instability in the system as providers struggle to find workers willing to work for such low pay. It’s led to innovative efforts like the one in Battle Creek. The state has also tried to address the low pay with an ongoing pilot program that is providing $300 monthly stipends for early childhood educators.

But low pay is hardly the only challenge facing the industry. Transportation is another, with many working parents struggling to get their children to and from childcare while they also get themselves to and from work. Another innovative solution unveiled this week: In Grand Rapids, a new early childhood education center is opening at the city’s transit hub.

Battle Creek program takes inspiration from Connecticut

Battle Creek’s Pulse, part of the research nonprofit for W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment, was on the hunt for an innovative solution to issues with early childhood workforce shortages. Their search turned up the Friends Center for Children’s Teacher Housing Initiative in New Haven, Connecticut, which purchases properties for early childhood teachers with the help of supporters.

To date, the New Haven program has purchased properties for 12 teachers with a goal of providing 24 teachers with free housing by 2028.

After a site visit to Connecticut, the Battle Creek advocates built a program modeled after the New Haven effort, but aimed at supporting the entire city’s early childhood workforce as opposed to a single school. First Home, First Teacher was launched Monday through a partnership that includes Pulse, Neighborhoods Inc. of Battle Creek, Community Action, Battle Creek Community Foundation and United Way of South Central Michigan. Support paying the rent will come from Local Initiatives Support Corporation, or LISC, Kalamazoo for the first two years.

As part of the launch, Fettes and her fellow early childhood educator were welcomed to their new home, which was fixed up and furnished by several community organizations and volunteers.

“We don’t have enough professionals doing this work because of the low pay, so we’re trying to make sure we’re addressing the root cause of the vulnerability of the childcare sector, which is their work force,” Pulse Co-Executive Director Kathy Szenda Wilson said. “It’s not because those folks don’t want to do this work -- they deeply want to do this work. It’s because it’s really hard work to do for $14, $15 an hour, and survive and support your family.”

Pulse Co-Executive Director Kathy Szenda Wilson talks about how a new community partnership, First Home, First Teacher, will pay the rent for a pair of early childhood workers in an effort to stabilize its workforce.

Program invests in people who invest in the community’s children

Neighborhoods Inc., a nonprofit that owns and manages 50 rental properties in the Battle Creek area, saw an opportunity to support early childhood care providers by partnering with First Home, First Teacher, to provide its first home.

President and CEO Whitney Wardell said the project provided a unique opportunity to invest in the people who invest in the community’s children every day.

“For Neighborhoods Inc., the decision to participate was more than about providing housing,” Wardell said. “It was about removing barriers, creating stability and supporting a workforce that is essential to the success of our community. By offering quality housing at no cost to participating providers, this program creates an opportunity for them to strengthen their financial position, reduce housing-related stress, and focus on the important work that they do for the children and families of Battle Creek.”

While Neighborhoods Inc. donated the first duplex property that will benefit two Battle Creek early education teachers, the goal for First Home, First Teacher is to set up a trust for as many as 105 total housing units.

“This is just the beginning,” Szenda Wilson said. “The more we can help people understand what this is and what it looks like, we think there will be more [opportunities] available.”

In Grand Rapids, a solution to transportation challenges

Nearly 70 miles away from Battle Creek, similar discussions were being held in 2022 about a different early childhood education challenge, and were fueled when Tracie Coffman learned that the top floors of the transit center in Grand Rapids would remain vacant after plans to move administrative offices fell through.

Coffman, a program officer at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, immediately began texting with her team to see if there was interest in converting the 12,000 square feet of space inside Rapid Central Station into a childcare center with easier access for families without reliable transportation.

Renovations of the Rapid Central Station have helped transform it into an early childhood center that will serve children from infancy to preschool.

The Rapid CEO Deb Prato had been looking for the right tenant to fill the space that had been vacant for more than two decades.

More than four years later, Coffman, Prato, and several Grand Rapids community partners celebrated the ribbon cutting June 8 of a new state-of-the-art early childhood center that will serve 100 children from infancy to preschool.

Dubbed the Central Station Early Childhood Center, Coffman said the center’s immediate access to public transportation for working families who rely on it has paved a new path for how a city can reuse an existing building to increase access to affordable childcare and transportation.

“This center is a model for how communities can look at their public spaces and ask themselves, ‘What more could we be doing for the public good?’” Coffman said. “This concept exemplifies the strength of public-private partnerships where the needs of children and families always came first and the traditional roles we played in the working world took a back seat.”

Research from Michigan State University shows that 79% of Michigan’s ZIP codes, including Grand Rapids, are childcare “deserts” for children ages 0-5, meaning there are at least three children for every available childcare spot.

With an estimated shortage of more than 7,000 childcare spots in the Grand Rapids area, those who worked to realize the vision of Central Station Early Childhood Center acknowledge it won’t solve the area’s childcare shortage. Instead, the cross-sector partnerships and outside-the-box solution sends a message about what is possible.

“Transportation leaders like me always hear about the three most difficult things: Finding a job, who’s going to take care of my kid and how am I going to get there?” said Prato, a single mother with triplets. “We’ve combined this opportunity to solve two of those issues.”

The Rapid offered rent-free real estate while the Kellogg Foundation contributed $5.8 million in funding toward the $9.1 million project, which was funded by 18 different philanthropic foundations and businesses. The YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids served as the lead developer and will operate the facility, while Grand Rapids Public Schools and Head Start for Kent County will also occupy the center, with public funding accounting for 75% of the slots.

Titus and Peter Moore play on the rooftop playground atop the Central Station Early Childhood Center in Grand Rapids.

The early childhood facility occupies the second and third floors of the building, with spaces for the metro YMCA’s infants ages 0-12 months, Head Start for children 0-3, the Great Start Readiness Plan for ages 3-5, and pre-K space. The space also includes a ground floor outdoor playground and one on the roof of the building.

On top of the convenience of on-site transportation, being co-located with other organizations in one facility helps each benefit from the center’s resources and allows them to help more families, Head Start of Kent County Executive Director MaDonna Princer said.

“Head Start works with the whole family, whether that’s access to referrals for stable housing or employment service,” said Princer, who noted Head Start will have 26 of the center’s 100 slots. “By being co-located here, we’re able to spread that out amongst families who maybe don’t get an opportunity in a program like Head Start because either we’re full or they’re just above the income levels for head start.”

The reimagining of the transit center space into a childcare center didn’t come without its share of obstacles, from $1.5 million in added costs in the budget for fireproofing every steel beam in the facility to experiencing issues with the state’s newly-rehauled licensing system that led to extended timelines.

Despite some setbacks, having wide-ranging philanthropic support and cross-sector partnerships ensured the project’s success, W.K. Kellogg Foundation CEO La June Montgomery Tabron said.

“It’s a powerful example of what becomes possible when a community comes together with a shared vision and a willingness to do things differently,” Tabron said. “Let me be clear, this was not a simple project. Transforming a transit hub into a high quality early childhood center required new thinking, new partnerships, and at times, a willingness to navigate systems that weren’t designed for innovation.”

Michigan bills aimed at improving student literacy clear House committee

2026-06-10T19:03:28+00:00

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A Michigan House committee approved several bills Wednesday that are aimed at improving literacy in Michigan schools, including one that would require specialized training for all K-5 teachers.

The full House will now have to weigh the legislation.

Literacy has been a top education priority in the Michigan Legislature and for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, as state and national exams show significant challenges for students in reading. On the National Assessment of Educational Progress, just 24% of Michigan fourth graders who took the exam were considered proficient in reading, compared to 30% nationally.

Meanwhile, in 2025, just 38.9% of Michigan’s third graders were proficient in English language arts on the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress.

Rep. Nancy DeBoer, a Republican from Holland who chairs the House Education and Workforce Committee, said the bills’ advancement is a significant step for the state.

DeBoer said she is excited that the people who attended the hearing “care about the students in the state of Michigan — that they can learn to read, that we can diagnose them if they have issues with dyslexia, that our colleges can train them to be prepared with the phonetic method of reading.”

Here are the three literacy bills the committee passed Wednesday.

House Bill 5646, sponsored by Rep. Tim Kelly, a Republican from Saginaw Township, would require that beginning Sept. 30, 2027, people seeking a teaching certificate in Michigan — whether through a traditional higher education program or an alternative pathway — must have completed a teacher preparation program that included training in the science of reading. The bill also has some specific literacy requirements teacher prep programs would need to meet.
House Bill 5697, sponsored by DeBoer, would require that all Michigan K-5 teachers as well as certified staff who provide, support, or oversee instruction in K-5 receive literacy training in high-quality reading instruction methods.
House Bill 5081, sponsored by Kathy Schmalz, a Republican from Jackson, would require at least one teacher in each school to work with students with dyslexia and be trained in Orton-Gillingham approach principles.” Orton-Gillingham is a highly structured multisensory literacy program.

The committee previously heard testimony on the teacher preparation and mandated training for K-5 teachers legislation. No testimony was heard on those bills Wednesday, but lawmakers did hear testimony on the dyslexia legislation.

Schmalz noted that Michigan has a law that requires schools to test students for dyslexia, but doesn’t have a law mandating teachers be trained to teach kids with dyslexia.

“I’ve seen too many young people with dyslexia pass through school not getting the help they need,” Schmalz said.

Rebecca Hutchinson, superintendent of the Concord Community Schools, said the district integrated Orton-Gillingham with a reading intervention this school year. She said some of the most struggling readers showed dramatic improvement as a result.

Hutchinson also spoke from the perspective of a mother whose son has dyslexia. She said staff at his school had not received training in Orton-Gillingham, so his teacher had significant concerns about his literacy skills, but he is now excelling at reading.

“My son is very, very lucky that we have the resources to do that. If a school district doesn’t have or offer a program like Orton-Gillingham, then these children lose that advantage in being able to access all learning through reading,” Hutchinson said. “The power of this is clear, not only to reach those kids that are struggling to read, really all readers, but also to lift them up to reach their fullest potential and remove a barrier for our families who don’t have the ability to seek this outside literacy support.”

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

How Detroit parents are searching for new schools amid uncertainty, closures

2026-06-05T14:44:29+00:00

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For Takiyah Pearson, the Barack Obama Leadership Academy has been an idyllic place to send her children, with its Afro-centric curriculum and family atmosphere.

But the charter school could close after this year, leaving her and other parents in a conundrum: Search for new schools now or take a wait-and-see approach that, if the school does close, could put them behind other parents also on the hunt.

“I am waiting every day,” Pearson said. “I want to know what’s going on now. I don’t want to wait until the last minute and find out they’re closing. It’s already stressful and very disheartening to know that this is even happening.”

As this school year comes to a close, some parents in Detroit are trying to find new schools for their children, navigating a complicated selection process that is often based on word of mouth and requires parents to learn about the plethora of educational options in the city. Parents and students also are grieving the loss of their current schools.

In addition to the uncertainty surrounding the Barack Obama Leadership Academy, which needs a new charter authorizer to stay open, four schools in the Detroit Public Schools Community District are set to close at the end of the school year. Students’ last day is Friday.

Those schools include Ann Arbor Trail Magnet Academy, Greenfield-Union Elementary-Middle School, Catherine C. Blackwell Institute, and J.E. Clark Preparatory Academy. A fifth school, Thurgood Marshall Elementary-Middle School, is slated for closure at the end of the 2026-27 school year.

The district first announced in 2022 that it would begin “phasing out” the schools, which meant not enrolling new students and eliminating grades over time. District officials decided last year, as part of the district’s budget, to accelerate the timeline, citing the high cost of maintaining buildings with so few students.

Despite the advance notice these parents had, some are still weighing next steps for their children, whether that means enrolling them in the schools the district reassigned them to or finding new schools.

Marcus Langston is raising two granddaughters who were enrolled at Ann Arbor Trail, one an eighth grader who is moving on to Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School and a fifth grader who is currently on a waitlist at the School at Marygrove.

Langston said he’s interested in Marygrove because it’s not too far from his home in Rosedale Park and he likes its extracurricular activities, including sports teams, arts clubs, and robotics. He also has heard positive things about the support available to students, such as counseling and mental health services.

“I just heard it’s a good school with a lot of programs,” he said.

In the past, school closures in Detroit were traumatic

This year’s school closures mark the first time in more than a decade that this many schools have shut down in one year but is far short of the days when dozens of schools in Detroit would close each year.

Between 2000 and 2016, around 200 district schools closed because of low enrollment and budget deficits. During most of that time period, the district was under some form of state control.

Many of the decisions were made by emergency managers at the end of the school year, with little to no warning.

The closures were unsettling because of how attached students, staff, and families were to their schools, said Helena Lazo, the co-founder of education nonprofit 482Forward and a former Detroit district teacher and principal.

But it was a “complex situation,” she said, pointing to dramatic drops in the district’s enrollment over the years. In 2000, for instance, the district enrolled more than 160,000 students, compared to nearly 50,000 now. (The district has 72,000 available seats.)

School closures had some damaging consequences, as some parents fled the district and sent their children to one of the many charter schools in the city, or enrolled them in suburban school districts through Michigan’s Schools of Choice law.

Today, half of the school-age children in the city don’t attend district schools. Meanwhile, years of school closures left the city littered with vacant, abandoned school buildings. (The district has vowed to demolish the four schools that are closing.)

Concerns about enrollment persist, but under the current administration, the approach to closure decisions has been different. Superintendent Nikolai Vitti told Chalkbeat in 2019 that he didn’t want to “replicate the sins” of district leaders who abruptly closed schools without listening to the community.

“Ten years ago, school closures happened a lot more frequently, and they would just lock the door and be like, ‘Good luck to you,’” said Maria Montoya, a Detroit parent and education consultant who has worked with schools in Michigan and nationwide on issues such as enrollment. “You might not even get any of your child’s things back. But what’s evolved for this is the fact that they’re telling people, ‘This is how you’ll get your placement and you will have this transportation.’”

Greenfield Union Elementary-Middle School is one of four schools in the Detroit school district that are closing.

Lazo said she appreciated how the district handled this year’s school closures, especially that families were sent letters regarding the accelerated timeline, and students will have transportation to their new assigned school next year. But she thinks more engagement with families was needed.

“There’s always room for improvement,” she said.

Families grieve loss of closed schools

Trying to navigate the complicated process of finding a new school is difficult enough. But when schools close, many of those involved — children, parents, staff — go through a grieving process, Montoya said.

“Even if you’ve only been there (at a school) for one year or if you’ve been there for three, four years, there’s some sort of grieving process,” she said.

Tiffany Walls, whose daughter, a fifth grader, has attended the Obama charter since kindergarten, is still shocked that the school might close. Her father also went there, when it was called Timbuktu Academy of Science and Technology (the school name changed in 2020).

Even as her own life shifted — she lived for some time in Pontiac, then moved to Detroit’s west side — she kept driving her daughter to the school.

“I was dedicated to keeping her in some stability,” she said. “Although I moved, I didn’t want to keep switching schools with her.”

She isn’t sure what to do about her daughter’s placement for next year.

“I’m a part of this community, and just to take that away would be devastating, not only to me but to her too,” she said.

Cha-Rhonda Edgerson, CEO of the charter school, said school officials are trying to secure a new authorizer. She said they are under review with one, but it could be mid-August before that authorizer makes a decision.

“We are pushing forward and hopeful,” she said.

Because parents are grieving, they may wait until July or August to select a new school for their children, Montoya said, but families should create a plan as soon as possible.

Adero Jenkins is among the parents who haven’t made a decision yet.

When her daughter Amara was in first grade, Jenkins enrolled her in Ann Arbor Trail, a school she attended in the late 1990s when it was solely a middle school. With the school’s closure, Jenkins is disappointed that her daughter, now in sixth grade, won’t graduate from Ann Arbor Trail like she did.

Extracurricular options are an important factor in the decision – Amara played volleyball and did theater at Ann Arbor Trail, and she wants her to continue those activities.

Jenkins said she is expecting some recommendations from the district’s enrollment team. Wherever she goes, Jenkins told Amara to keep an “open mind.”

“Hopefully it’ll be a smooth transition,” she said.

Chalkbeat bureau chief Lori Higgins and reporter Hannah Dellinger contributed to this report.

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

Laurie Mermet is a freelance reporter for Chalkbeat Detroit.

Are you a Detroit parent looking for a new school? Read these tips on how to make the best choice.

2026-06-05T14:00:59+00:00

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For a parent, choosing a school for their child can be difficult no matter where they live. But in Detroit, the city’s dizzying array of options can leave parents struggling to figure out the best one.

This year, more parents are looking for schools than usual, with the closure of four schools in the Detroit Public Schools Community District and the uncertain future of the Barack Obama Leadership Academy, which could shut down if it doesn’t find a new charter authorizer.

Some parents will send their children to the closest neighborhood school assigned by the district. Others told reporters at Chalkbeat and BridgeDetroit that they are still weighing their options.

Those parents won’t be the only ones searching for new schools, however. Detroit has constant churn as parents new to the district look for the best options, and existing parents consider new schools because they’re either dissatisfied with where they are, or they just want a school that is a better fit for their children. Just last week alone, multiple parents who are moving into the city posted in a Facebook group for DPSCD parents seeking feedback from others.

Searching for schools in Detroit can be complicated. There is no centralized source of information on both DPSCD and charter schools, said Maria Montoya, a Detroit parent and consultant who has worked with students, families, and administrators in Michigan and nationally on education issues, including enrollment.

The Detroit district has a school locator, as well as a guide to each school in the district, information about district services and programming, and a school-by-school listing that includes QR codes to take readers directly to school websites. The Community Education Commission guide to Detroit schools has a link to a school locator, but it takes viewers to the DPSCD website and has no information about the city’s many charter schools.

“There isn’t a place that you can go that says, ‘okay, here’s all the preschools, here’s all the elementary schools, here’s all the middle schools, no matter who runs them,’ and so … you become an expert on your own, and it’s like you have to figure them out, you know, you’re just kind of going word of mouth, you’re going with, you know, whatever research you can find,” Montoya said.

To help parents navigate this process now and anytime during the year, Chalkbeat Detroit pored over what’s available from various sources, compiling the best tips for parents. The tips below come from interviews with experts, current and past guides produced by the Community Education Commission, the DPSCD guide for picking the perfect school, a guide for parents in Kent County who are exploring enrolling their children in a district outside their boundaries, and other sources.

Step 1: Interview yourself to understand your education priorities for your child

Before parents even begin a school search, they need to ask themselves some key questions so they can determine what their priorities are in a school, Montoya said. Answers to the questions can help a parent decide where to begin their search.

Before beginning a school search, parents should ask themselves questions to determine what their priorities are in a new school.

Some of those questions include:

What does my child need in a new school?
What are their interests?
What specific academic needs need to be considered when choosing a school?
Does the school location need to be near my home or work? Does it need to be near a relative’s home?
Is there a specific type of staff or curriculum I’m looking for? For instance, do I want a school that is focused on the arts, or language, or something else?
For students entering high school, do I want a school that will give my child access to advanced coursework such as Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate classes?

Step 2: Finding schools

The first thing to know is the landscape in which you’re searching. Detroit has a little over 100 schools run by DPSCD and about 80 charter school districts.

DPSCD has a number of schools that require either an application to enroll or an exam. Parents interested in these schools, some of which are highly sought after, should become familiar with application deadlines and testing dates. You can learn more here.

There may be no centralized way to find information about all public schools in the city, but there are some options.

On this DPSCD School Locator, you can type in your address and find what schools are nearby. You can also type in an intersection near where you live, or in an area of the city you’d prefer to find a school.

On this Michigan Department of Education map of public school academies (the formal name for charter schools), you can search for all charter schools in Detroit and they’ll show up on a map. Or, as with the DPSCD locator, you can type in an address or intersection and find which charter schools are nearby.

Step 3: Time to research schools

Once you have a list of schools you’re interested in, you will want to explore such metrics as how students perform academically, attendance rates, and staffing.

Researching schools is an important part of the school selection process.

MI School Data is Michigan’s official portal for education data. It’s easy to get lost in all of the information, but there is one spot designed especially for parents: the Parent Dashboard for School Transparency. Parents can search for schools and, when they find what they’re looking for, they’ll find a host of information, including data showing how well students perform academically compared to the rest of the state and similar districts, as well as how much improvement students have demonstrated.

Some other things you’ll want to be aware of: Not all schools follow the same schedule for opening up enrollment. Call the school office or check their websites to know the best time to enroll.

Step 4: Diving deep on possible schools

These 10 questions come courtesy of the Kent Intermediate School District in West Michigan. It’s designed for parents considering enrolling their children in districts outside their boundaries through Michigan’s Schools of Choice law:

Does the school and the community match your expectations? Are buildings presentable? Are teachers and students friendly?
What special services does the school offer? Does it offer the special needs or gifted and talented programming your child might require? Do the extracurricular and athletic offerings match your child’s interests?
Does the curriculum meet state and national standards? Does the curriculum help prepare children for the realities of the working world and the diverse people they will meet? Does the district offer special programming focused in areas of interest to your child?
How does the school integrate technology into the classroom? Is technology integrated into the curriculum? Does the school have a well-equipped media center?
How does the school communicate with families? Do the opportunities for parent involvement meet your needs and desires? Are parents involved in their children’s education?
What is the student-teacher ratio? Will your child get the attention he or she needs to succeed? Are students actively engaged in their education? Is there a sufficient mix of teaching and self-guided instruction to engage your child?
Will school or self-provided transportation meet your child’s needs? Will transportation capabilities allow your child to participate in the before- or after-school activities that meet his or her needs and interests?
Will there be consistency in the curriculum, the staff, and in your child’s friends from year to year?
How does the school handle disciplinary matters? What is the parent’s involvement in disciplinary matters?
What is the school doing to meet demands for improved student achievement? Are parents, teachers, and administrators actively involved in efforts to ensure curriculum and technology are current and appropriate for student needs?

Step 5: Visiting a school, talking to the principal

The following tips on visiting schools come from the Community Education Commission, and provide guidance on what to look for as you’re touring a school, and what questions to ask. Visiting a school is ideal, but it isn’t always possible.

A key part of the school selection process is talking to the principal and school employees to get a sense of whether it's a good fit for your child.

What to look for:

Does the school feel welcoming?
Is the building neat and clean? Do things appear to be in good working order?
Do you feel comfortable with the security measures in place? Does the location seem safe?
How are adults interacting with students?
What are students doing? Do they look interested and engaged?
What technology is available in libraries or classrooms?

Here are questions you should ask:

How are you working to make sure every child is learning and making progress?
How does the school support students who have academic, behavioral/emotional, or social difficulties? How will the school support my student’s needs?
What activities are available to students beyond the classroom?
How experienced are the teachers? How often do teachers get training?
How are parents involved in making decisions at the school?
What kind of homework will my student have?
How does this school keep students safe? What are the school’s discipline policies?
How would you describe the school culture?
How does the school communicate with parents? How often can I expect to hear from the school?
How does this school prepare students for college? For careers? (for high schools)
How does your counselor help students choose classes and make decisions about college, careers, and life after high school? (for high schools)

Step 6: Knowing what documents you need to enroll

Every school and district may have a different set of requirements. But here’s what kind of documents DPSCD requires for parents to enroll.

Parent/Guardian photo ID
Student’s birth certificate or birth record
Student’s immunization record or waiver
Student’s most recent transcript or report cards
Two forms of proof of address

This DPSCD flyer has more details about what’s required, as well as what counts as proof of address.

Step 7: Not a step, just more recommendations

Here are some additional tips from Montoya:

Some schools may already be full and offer only waitlists, but many are still looking to fill seats until Michigan’s school count day on Oct. 7. Families shouldn’t fear that being on a waitlist means their student will not get offered a seat because some students are waitlisted at multiple schools.
Some parents don’t need to see a school in action to feel comfortable enrolling their child. But others find seeing a building and classrooms critical. Most schools host summer enrollment events where families can explore classrooms, meet staff and connect with others to ask questions.
If there’s a school you have a particular interest in, give them a call and ask about upcoming events, any newsletters you might sign up to receive, or start to follow them on social media to receive any news about events they might have in the works or ways to connect with their team over the summer.
While events, lawn signs, and billboards in Detroit aim to attract families, word of mouth remains the main influence on where families choose to send their children. This approach is second only to a school’s reputation within the community. However, families need to understand the school’s current reality, as staff, academics, and culture can change. While seeking advice from your network is helpful, also ensure you have a clear picture of your child’s potential experience at the school.
If a parent finds that the school isn’t working well for their child or family, they should not feel stuck. Start by talking to the school staff to see if issues can be resolved. If nothing works, remember you don’t have to stay at a school that isn’t the right fit. However, Montoya advises families to avoid pulling their child out without having a new placement lined up, as this can cause them to miss important academic milestones.

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

DPSCD moving forward with plan to demolish historic Cooley High School building

2026-06-01T21:41:13+00:00

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A year after Detroit school district officials announced plans to preserve a portion of the long-vacant Cooley High School building while demolishing the rest, the district is moving ahead with plans for a full demolition.

The historic school building, which opened in 1928, will be razed this summer, Detroit Public Schools Community District Superintendent Nikolai Vitti confirmed to BridgeDetroit. He didn’t give an exact date for the demolition.

“Due to years of public outcry regarding safety, arson attacks and blight tickets, the building will be demolished,” Vitti said in an email. “Our last round of community engagement in the area about our plans for the building and land discussed the full demolition of the building.”

The news was first reported by HistoricDetroit.

Despite Cooley being razed, plans for a sports complex on the school site will move forward, Vitti said. He expects the $25 million project to be completed by 2028.

The Cooley sports complex will include a football field, outdoor track, and green space. DPSCD will use $15 million from the state for the planning, design, and construction for the outdoor football field track as well as the green space and updated parking lots. The DPSCD Foundation raised the remaining $10 million.

The project initially included plans to preserve a part of the building for a locker room, weight room, community gathering space, and dedication to Cooley alumni. It’s unclear whether that part of the plan will still come to fruition.

“Despite our initial intentions, once we started to understand specific costs for the actual project, the cost and timeline to preserve part of the building prevented our initial strategies,” Vitti said. “This was communicated during our last round of community engagement.”

Preserving the historic front façade would have cost an additional $2 million, Vitti said.

But Vitti told BridgeDetroit that the district will preserve some architectural features, like bricks, terra cotta medallions, the entry archways and the bell from the tower of the building.

“These will then be used to honor the history of Cooley through the athletic complex,” he said.

Located at 15055 Hubbell Ave. on the city’s northwest side, Cooley became one of Detroit’s most storied high schools and was known for its Mediterranean Revival architectural style. The former high school is one of the largest empty public schools in Detroit, according to city documents.

The school closed in 2010. The following year, Cooley was listed under the National Register of Historic Places.

Ann Boucher remembers the grandness of the Cooley building, including its marble staircases. She taught English at the high school from 1970 to 1977, when there were at least 3,000 students walking the halls, Boucher said. She’s disappointed to hear the building is being demolished.

“I would like to have seen it turned into condos or apartments or something like that,” Boucher said. “It was a huge building, so to see it being destroyed is really sad.”

News of the demolition comes after development plans in recent years stalled for Cooley. In 2023, DPSCD rejected nonprofit Life Remodeled’s proposal to turn Cooley into a community hub. The organization, which aims to revitalize neighborhoods with the help and cooperation of neighborhood organizations, was planning to house various nonprofits at Cooley, including a pediatric mental health center, vocational college, and after-school programs.

Life Remodeled made two offers to the district: $1 million in cash, which included the school’s 5.7 acres of athletic property, and $500,000 in cash, with the assurance of an eventual $1 million donation to DPSCD, should it wish to build an athletic complex on its own, former CEO Chris Lambert wrote in a letter at the time to area residents, Cooley alumni, and community partners. The district rejected both proposals.

Vitti at the time said the Life Remodeled proposal raised concerns among some board members over whether the district was underpricing the property, and how future owners would use the site, specifically a football field that was to be gifted to a junior college. Vitti at the time noted that plans for the field weren’t explicitly stated in the proposal.

Life Remodeled CEO Diallo Smith said in a statement last year that the organization has a strong partnership with DPSCD and they are excited for the students and the residents who will benefit from the new sports complex.

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

Longtime Detroit principal not returning to his school after disciplinary incidents, DPSCD says

2026-05-29T19:08:49+00:00

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A longtime Detroit public school principal who has faced misconduct allegations in the past won’t be returning to his leadership position in the fall.

Jeffery Robinson, principal at Paul Robeson Malcolm X Academy, will no longer lead the K-8 Afrocentric school due to “several disciplinary incidents and performance concerns,” Detroit Public Schools Community District Superintendent Nikolai Vitti confirmed to BridgeDetroit. Robinson is currently serving a 30-day suspension without pay that was approved by the school board earlier this month.

When his suspension is over, Robinson will be reassigned to a different school as a principal on special assignment working under the direction of another principal, Vitti said. The district will decide which school Robinson will be assigned to when his suspension is completed.

Reginald Kirkland, the former principal of Carleton Elementary School, has been selected as the new principal of PRMX and was already introduced to staff and families, Vitti added.

BridgeDetroit reached out to Robinson, who said via text message that he cannot comment on his current status with DPSCD and that any comment made will be done through his attorney.

The attorney, Anthony Adams, said the educator is “reviewing his options” regarding legal action against the district. Adams, of Marine Adams Law PC in Grosse Pointe Farms, wants to help get Robinson’s job back, despite the district already selecting Kirkland as his successor.

Adams added that DPSCD administrators didn’t give Robinson a clear reason why he was suspended.

“We requested a copy of his personnel file, so that we can examine for ourselves what’s in it, and once we get that, then we’ll pursue whatever options we have available.”

Robinson is shocked and disappointed about his involuntary transfer to another school, Adams said.

“We’re talking about a man who’s been leading that school for a long time, who has long-standing relationships with generations of students who have walked through the doors and benefited from his guidance and wisdom as an administrator in the district,” he said. “He’s a man who’s mentored numerous administrators in the district.”

Adams’ and Robinson’s next steps are waiting for the personnel file to be delivered, and the attorney is sending the district a preservation letter to preserve all physical and electronic information pertaining to Robinson.

“We’re looking for information on his employment with the district, memos that have been written by administrators concerning Dr. Robinson, video tape, whatever they have to preserve so that in the event there is a multimillion dollar lawsuit, that information will be available for the public to see,” Adams said.

Robinson has faced disciplinary action before. Last year, the educator was placed on administrative leave for more than a month amid allegations of misconduct. Robinson was under investigation after a staff member saw him drag a female student by her legs down the hallway. The staff member said the student seemed disturbed by the incident, according to a district report detailing the incident.

During his investigatory interview, Robinson admitted to grabbing the student by her legs and dragging her into the hallway, but said it was done in a “playful” way, the report noted. A district representative then asked Robinson what he thought his actions would convey to the school’s staff and students, according to the document. The principal stated that people would see it as “being silly with the seventh-grade girls,” but added that he could see his actions were unprofessional.

Robinson is an expert in African-centered education in DPSCD and one of the original staff members of Malcolm X Academy, the first public African-centered school in the country, according to the school’s website. Robinson taught math and computer science for 18 years and has received several awards, including the Milken Family Foundation’s Milken Educator Award in 2001 and the Wayne County RESA Middle School Teacher of the Year in 2003, according to the school’s website.

Robinson took on the principal’s role after Paul Robeson Academy and Malcolm X Academy, once separate schools with a focus on African-centered education, combined. A former teacher at Malcolm X, Robinson has led the combined school for more than 15 years.

Principal’s absence causes confusion

Tahmyya Johnson, vice president of PRMX’s Parent Teacher Association, said parents have been given few details since Robinson was suspended. She has not received any emails or letters from school administrators or the district about Robinson’s absence or his reassignment.

“We don’t know what’s happening,” Johnson said. “Dr. Vitti or anybody has not provided us any information on why he was removed, nothing.”

She only found out about the school’s new principal last week when a counselor posted in the digital platform Class Dojo that Kirkland was doing a virtual meet-and-greet on May 22. Johnson and some other parents attempted to join the meeting, but said the Zoom link wasn’t working.

“We expressed in the comments that we weren’t able to join, and they (the school) said that an in-person meet-and-greet would be established, but that was it,” Johnson said. “We haven’t heard anything else.”

Johnson became a part of the PRMX community when she enrolled her son in pre-K a few years ago. He is now about to complete his second grade year.

Johnson initially had a tough time choosing a school for her son and had talked to several DPSCD principals. But when she talked to Robinson, he was friendly and personable, she said.

“He wanted to have a one-on-one meeting with me and tell me more about the school, and that stood out to me as a first-time parent trying to navigate public school,” Johnson said. “He didn’t make me feel like he was too busy to talk to me.”

Johnson likes the family-friendly environment of PRMX and said that Robinson has a rapport with the students and knows them by name. She’s unsure if she will bring her son back to the school next year.

“It almost feels as if they (the district) don’t want us there,” Johnson said. “Once the new school is up, they want new children, new teachers, new leadership. That’s exactly what it’s starting to feel like.”

Reginald Kirkland is the new principal

According to the PRMX website, Kirkland has served students in urban communities for more than 28 years as both a teacher and administrator. In addition to Carleton, he was principal at Bates Academy and the now-demolished Hanneman Elementary.

Kirkland also has experience working in higher education, serving as a district and school improvement facilitator at Michigan State University and as director of K-12 relations at Henry Ford College.

He has a bachelor’s degree in political science and a doctorate in educational leadership, both from Eastern Michigan University. In addition, Kirkland has a graduate degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Detroit Mercy.

Principal a topic of discussion at school board meeting

A community member and two PRMX staff members spoke against and in favor of Robinson during the public comment period at a school board meeting earlier this month.

One woman spoke out against Robinson, saying he is responsible for his situation because he “lacks discipline and moral integrity.”

Meanwhile, a teacher who has been at the school for nine years said Robinson has been supportive in her teaching efforts. She talked about PRMX’s move into another location and the challenges it created as a new building is being built on the old school site.

“We have moved from our previous location to a new location, and with the move, there’s always going to be some transition,” the teacher said. “It is my hope that Dr. Robinson is able to lead us back to our old location because we were very successful.”

Attendance agent Kirk Peterson also showed support for the principal, asking the board to look at the academy’s performance under Robinson’s leadership.

“We need to keep Dr. Robinson where he’s at so he can continue to guide our children in the proper direction,” Peterson said.

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

Proposed Detroit district budget prioritizes pay boosts, but Vitti warns of uncertainty ahead

2026-05-22T10:00:00+00:00

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The Detroit school board is on track to approve a budget for the next school year that increases pay for all employees, expands initiatives aimed at reducing chronic absenteeism, hires more counselors, and increases funding for teacher supplies so families aren’t expected to contribute.

Detroit Public Schools Community District board members got a preview of what is proposed in the $1.1 billion budget for the 2026-27 school year. The board will vote on it next month.

The budget anticipates a 1% enrollment increase. Currently there are 49,134 students. The budget was built conservatively with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s budget proposal, plus proposals from the Michigan House and the Michigan Senate, in mind.

“Everything is funded as it was last year,” Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said. “There’s not going to be any major changes.”

Vitti warned of uncertainty beyond the next school year, citing the district’s rising costs and inequitable funding from the state. The $94 million the district received from the settlement of a literacy lawsuit ends after the next fiscal year, leaving questions about how DPSCD can maintain the initiatives that money funded. Also a concern is the district must soon revert to a traditional funding model that relies on operating millage revenue to cover its operating costs. If collection rates falter, that would affect how much money the district receives.

Here are some of the key highlights of the budget proposal. Dollar amounts weren’t included in the budget materials.

While the district is in the middle of negotiations with all of its employee unions, Vitti said the budget will fund salary increases and onetime bonuses for staff.
The district will expand a pilot program that provided yellow school bus transportation beginning this school year for some students at Henry Ford High School and East English Village Preparatory Academy at Finney. Pershing High School and Cody High School will join the program, which seeks to improve attendance, for the 2026-27 school year.
The district would hire seven additional high school counselors, which would mean the district would have a ratio of one counselor for every 250 students. That is the ratio recommended by the American School Counselor Association. Michigan schools had one counselor for every 565 students during the 2024-25 school year.
Middle school students would be included in an attendance incentive program that this year paid high school students $100 a week for each week they had perfect attendance. The middle school students would earn $50 for each perfect attendance week during the program. The program ran from January to March this school year.
The district would increase funding for teacher supplies and materials and establish a minimum supply needed for all schools. The intent is to fully fund supplies and materials. Vitti said the board has made it clear “that families should not be required to give extra supplies to individual teachers or classrooms.”

Board President LaTrice McClendon asked Vitti what it would take to follow the city of Detroit’s lead and establish a minimum wage of $21.45 an hour in the district. Vitti replied that the district had done an analysis and would share the amount with the board, but he noted that it “exceeded what we thought we could afford in the next two years.”

The enrollment projection prompted discussion among board members. McClendon said she’d like to see the district shoot for an enrollment increase of 3% to 4%. Vitti said the 1% goal is consistent with how enrollment is trending statewide.

“We need to think bigger, because we have kids who want to come back, and I don’t think folks realize all that we offer,” McClendon said. “I mean, we’re doing a lot of amazing things. We have work to do. I’m not saying we don’t, but we are making strides.”

Board member Bessie Harris urged the district to promote neighborhood schools.

“We see the Cass and the Renaissance and the Kings and the Southeastern and the Palmer Park, but we don’t see the Thirkells, we don’t see the Spains. We need to brag about our neighborhood schools, not just the application and test-in schools, but get down to the nitty gritty, because in every school is something they can highlight.”

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

Lawmakers push bills that would waive key state rules to give schools freedom to innovate

2026-05-20T22:38:16+00:00

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Michigan school districts would be able to bypass some state requirements to launch innovative programs that would otherwise be impossible to create, under legislation discussed Wednesday in Lansing.

The legislation, House Bill 5983 and House Bill 5984, would allow districts to waive seat-time rules that establish how much time students must spend in school to receive state funding, as well as some graduation requirements.

Such rules can stifle innovation, speakers told lawmakers during a hearing Wednesday of the House Education & Workforce Committee.

“Some of the innovations that we want to try are at risk of going against existing state rules and regulations that can jeopardize our state aid, and none of us can afford to do that,” said Alena Zachery-Ross, superintendent of the Ypsilanti Community Schools. Zachery-Ross is among nearly 90 school district leaders who are part of the Future Learning Council, which meets monthly to discuss innovation.

The legislation was sponsored by Rep. Nancy DeBoer, who chairs the committee and is a Republican from Holland, and Rep. Jimmie Wilson, a Democrat from Ypsilanti who is a vice chair of the committee.

DeBoer said examples of the type of programming the legislation would encourage include career and technical education, work-based learning programs, internships, apprenticeships, job shadows, and competency-based education.

“The legislation would create an incubator type environment for developing and incrementally improving instructional options that are needed for our students’ future and our state’s economy,” she said.

“Our educators want to do this work,” said Dan Behm, executive director of Education Advocates of West Michigan, an organization that represents dozens of school districts in Kent, Ottawa, and Muskegon counties. “They want to innovate, and I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”

But schools are dealing with a student engagement problem, Behm said. Students are excited to learn as young children, but the joy is diminished by the time they reach high school, he said. His organization randomly asked 28 students attending 28 different high schools in Kent, Ottawa, and Muskegon counties to describe high school in one word. Without hearing each other’s answers, he said, 22 of them responded: “Boring.”

To make school less boring and more relevant, schools need to provide the prerequisite knowledge students need and teach skills that will serve students after graduation, he said.

“Schools should be about providing a safe place to learn and practice what it is that adults actually do, and when we provide those opportunities in school, students are highly engaged,” Behm said. “We see this in the fine arts. Why? Because students are actually practicing with the tools that adults use. They’re practicing with the scores and the playbooks and everything that adults use.”

Former Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican, testified in support of the legislation, and DeBoer said former Gov. John Engler, also a Republican, attended the hearing and supported the legislation. In addition to Zachery-Ross, lawmakers heard support from several other superintendents, all of whom discussed their current efforts to innovate to try to meet students’ changing learning needs.

Supporters pointed out that the legislation would provide flexibility to traditional school districts, intermediate school districts, and charter schools that volunteer to implement innovative ideas. Wilson said one of the features that was important to him was that innovation plans would need to be approved by both the local teachers union and school board.

Two Democrats on the committee said that while they support the idea of innovation, they are concerned about equity and whether less-resourced districts, those who struggle to pass bond proposals, and those with heavy turnover of staff would be able to innovate in the same ways as their more well-resourced peers.

“How can that challenge be met when a school district has to deal with those challenges versus a school district that’s on more stable ground?” asked Rep. Matt Koleszar, a Democrat from Plymouth.

The goals are laudable, Koleszar said. But, “I want to make sure we are not accidentally or inadvertently creating groups of haves and have nots.”

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

Report: Michigan’s neediest students lack access to advanced coursework.

2026-05-19T03:59:00+00:00

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Michigan has vast inequities in access to advanced coursework, according to a new report that says students of color, students with disabilities, students from low income homes, and students in rural and urban communities are missing out the most.

The report, released Monday by the Education Trust-Midwest, urges lawmakers and school officials to do more to address the lack of access to Advanced Placement, dual enrollment in college-level courses, and career and technical education classes.

The inequities exist despite evidence that access benefits students, Charlotte Pierce, senior policy analyst at the Royal Oak-based policy and research organization, told Chalkbeat in a recent interview about the report.

“When students are given access to rigorous coursework that leads to increased engagement, fewer absences and suspensions, and higher graduation rates. But we know for too many Michigan students, access is out of reach,” Pierce said.

The research organization’s analysis of available data found that Michigan’s wealthier school districts have, on average, over seven times more AP course options than the highest poverty districts, and that students with the greatest needs also enroll in AP coursework at lower rates than their peers.

“This disparity is troubling, and it comes with consequences: fewer AP opportunities means less competitive college applications and college credit-earning opportunities,” Pierce wrote in the report.

Other findings:

Far fewer Michigan students are enrolled in dual enrollment classes compared to national rates. Also, students of color made up 22% of students enrolled in dual enrollment courses, but they comprised 34% of Michigan’s high school enrollment during the 2021-22 school year, the most recent year data was available for the analysis.
Students of color, English learners, and students with disabilities pass Algebra 1 at lower rates than the state average.

An example of the Algebra 1 finding: Just 64% of Black students passed Algebra 1 by the 10th grade during the 2021-22 school year. The statewide average was 74%.

The Algebra 1 statistic is important because the class is usually taken during the ninth grade “as a gateway to future opportunities” and is directly linked to success in advanced math, Pierce said.

The report offers a number of recommendations for addressing the inequities. One of them suggests schools automatically enroll qualified students in advanced classes, requiring the students to opt out if they want.

“Using an ‘opt-out’ policy rather than ‘opt-in’ process reduces the risk of gatekeeping practices that can inhibit qualified students from enrolling in courses they would succeed in,” Pierce wrote.

Here are a few of the other recommendations:

The state should automatically waive fees for students to take AP, International Baccalaureate, and College-Level Examination Program exams for students enrolled in the highest-poverty school districts in Michigan.
The state should invest resources in expanding dual enrollment capacity in Michigan high schools, especially in districts with the highest concentrations of poverty.
The state should make completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) a graduation requirement.

The organization also calls for the state to increase the school counselor pipeline so districts can hire more of them. Currently, Michigan counselors have caseloads well above the national average.

“The role that school counselors play is vital in shaping post secondary pathways, especially for students with the greatest needs and first generation college-going students. But Michigan schools lack the counseling capacity to adequately serve their students.”

“If we are serious about expanding access to rigorous coursework, we have to start by

investing in the educators and counselors who make that access possible,” Curtis L. Lewis, founder/president of Boldly Moving Education Ahead, an advocacy group that pushes for equitable education. “When teachers are supported and students have consistent guidance, we see stronger engagement, higher achievement, and more young people prepared for what comes next.”

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

DPSCD to close Thurgood Marshall school next year, district confirms

2026-05-15T17:02:10+00:00

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As the Detroit school district prepares to close four schools next month as part of its accelerated phase-out plan, another school in the district will be closing sooner than expected.

Thurgood Marshall Elementary-Middle School on the city’s west side is closing at the end of next school year, Detroit Public Schools Community District Superintendent Nikolai Vitti confirmed to BridgeDetroit on May 8. Those students will transfer to the new Paul Robeson Malcolm X Academy building that is slated to open in the fall of 2027.

There are more than 350 students enrolled at Marshall, according to the school’s website.

Marshall and four other schools – Ann Arbor Trail Magnet School, J.E. Clark Preparatory Academy, Catherine Blackwell Institute, and Greenfield Union Elementary-Middle School – have been on DPSCD’s list of phase-out buildings since 2022 due to low enrollment and high operation costs. The district initially planned to stop enrolling new students at the schools, phasing out grades over time to minimize disruption to families. But during last year’s budget cycle, the district’s board voted to accelerate the closure of Ann Arbor Trail, Blackwell Institute, Clark, and Greenfield Union, as well as Marshall, to save between $10-$19 million.

The four schools are closing at the end of the school year on June 5.

During a school board meeting on Tuesday, Vitti further explained that the plan changed due to budgetary concerns like inflation and the need to increase salaries for district employees. The closing of the schools are part of the district’s $700 million facility master plan.

“We were paying almost $20,000 to $25,000 a student to keep those schools open,” Vitti said. “Meanwhile, we had significant threats from the federal government regarding cuts under the Trump administration, but we also had rising inflationary costs for everything. Whether you’re talking about heating buildings, cleaning buildings, curriculum, technology, buses; everything is going up in cost.”

Vitti gives updates on other school closures

Vitti also gave updates on the phase-out schools that haven’t been discussed in previous meetings, such as the district planning to demolish all five buildings within the next two years to prevent blight.

Yellow bus service will remain for the students affected by the phase-outs, Vitti added. Kids will continue to be picked up from their same bus routes, but instead of going to Ann Arbor Trail, Blackwell, Clark, or Greenfield Union, the buses will transport them to the assigned schools, he said.

During the meeting, board member Ida Short asked about the demolition of Greenfield Union, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.

Vitti said the school would have cost too much to repair, as it would have required a $24 million investment to get Greenfield Union back to the condition it was when it first opened in 1916. While an older building on the campus will be demolished, a newer addition will remain open. DPSCD is looking at using the building as a testing site for its special education department, a site for parent engagement, or for central office staff, Vitti said.

“If we see a rebound in residential rates, then we will preserve the building with people in it, and we can always build a new building on that campus,” he said.

Meanwhile, board secretary Monique Bryant asked if minimal repairs are still being handled for the phase-out schools. Vitti said that repairs would only be addressed if they disrupted day-to-day operations at the schools.

“Let’s say there was a gaping hole in a roof and water was coming down and it was in a classroom that couldn’t be moved. We would just invest in patching up the roof,” he said.

In regard to engagement, board president LaTrice McClendon asked what the district has done recently to notify parents and the school community about the school closures.

When the phase-outs at the five schools began, district officials had meetings with parents and staff members, Vitti said. When the board decided to accelerate the phase-outs around this time last year, the district had meetings with staff members. Families also received letters about the accelerated phase-outs last year and in February, Vitti said.

District spokesperson Chrystal Wilson said families at Marshall were notified about the news around the same time as the other schools.

Students at Ann Arbor Trail, Blackwell Institute, Clark, and Greenfield are assigned to their nearby neighborhood schools for the fall, which are Dixon Educational Learning Academy, Hutchinson Elementary-Middle School at Howe, Hamilton Elementary-Middle School, and Nolan Elementary-Middle School, respectively.

Bryant also asked if students and parents have been given opportunities to visit the assigned schools. DPSCD officials called parents in March to invite them to visit the assigned schools or to talk about sending their children to another DPSCD school, Vitti said.

“And we’re having multiple weekend events at the new boundary schools in June and July so that families can become comfortable, meet the staff, meet other families and students,” he said.

Former state representative and DPSCD board member LaMar Lemmons spoke out against the school closures during public comment.

“The impact of school closings goes far beyond the students, but it impacts the home values, it impacts the quality of life,” he said. “I ask that you reconsider.”

Former DPSCD central office administrator Theodore Jones also opposes the school closures. He said when a school closes, neighborhood safety is put at risk, a community anchor is lost, and the neighborhood is weakened. He asked the board if all alternatives for the schools have been explored, such as public and private partnerships.

“Have we reached out to home-based child care operators in the area and offered them a chance to run a classroom or two that would both bring in new revenue as well as a pathway to rebuild enrollment over the long-term?”

Later in the meeting, Vitti responded to Jones, saying many philanthropic organizations are not interested in funding facilities because they believe that’s the responsibility of districts and local taxpayers.

“Even if those funds were available, the question is, ‘How do we address 72,000 seats with 50,000 children?’ We can hypothetically invest in buildings that are being phased out, but to what end?”

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

Detroit made buses free for students, but getting to and from school is still hard

2026-05-14T20:42:55+00:00

This story was originally published by Outlier Media.

Detroit buses are now free to all of the city’s K-12 students, which means 10th grader Jessica Horton has a free pass to a long wait outside a liquor store after school.

It’d be a quick trip home if her parents could leave work to pick her up. Instead, Horton stands around with dozens of other students outside a liquor-lotto joint on the city’s eastside, hoping a bus will get her home in under an hour.

“We get out of school at 3:20 p.m. but we don’t get a bus until 3:55,” Horton said. “We’d have to get out of class before the bell” to make the 3:27 p.m. bus.

The city’s bus schedules are often woefully misaligned with school schedules. Pair that with a system-wide afternoon on-time rate that hovers near 70%, and it’s clear that Detroit Department of Transportation buses — effectively the primary public transit option for many high schoolers — have serious drawbacks.

Mayor Mary Sheffield took office with a promise to focus on the city’s youngest residents, and her administration quickly applied that lens to public transit. In April, the city launched a pilot program making bus rides free for students. Robert Cramer, executive director of transit for the city, said a conversation with students at Cody High School also pushed the department to improve its bus-tracking system.

Meanwhile, students still face long waits and poorly timed routes.

Consider Southeastern High School, where Horton is a student. The first bus scheduled to arrive at one of the closest stops arrives just minutes after school lets out. Most don’t make it in time, but a handful of students run out of class to catch it. Earlier this month, Outlier Media waited with a group of students for 30 minutes for the next bus.

Two students rush to catch the bus.

Cramer acknowledged the scheduling issues and said many of them could be fixed with simple changes. He hopes improvements will be in place by the time school starts next year.

“It takes a little bit of time … but if these are adjustments that we can make to reflect [the mayor’s] extra emphasis on educational outcomes and supporting students and their families, this should be a slam dunk.”

He said potential changes include schedule tweaks and assigning additional or larger buses to routes frequented by students.

Students are less likely to attend school consistently when they lack reliable transportation, research shows. Chronic absenteeism disrupts student learning.

A recent pilot program that provided yellow bus service to students at two Detroit high schools showed top district officials that better transit options at neighborhood schools would improve attendance rates.

Bus routes don’t match school schedules

Detroit high schoolers, like their peers in many major U.S. cities, have long relied on public transit to get to school.

But taking a bus to school got harder as the city careened toward bankruptcy in the 2010s. As the bus system shrank, Cramer said, routes and schedules that once favored students were left by the wayside.

An Outlier Media review of bus routes found that more than 40% of high schools in the Detroit Public Schools Community District are served by buses that run infrequently or at times that poorly match school schedules. (See more about our methodology at the bottom of the story.)

And timing isn’t the only issue.

In the case of Southeastern students, dozens often crowd together waiting for the bus — more than a single city bus can handle.

“If they see a whole bunch of kids, they won’t stop for the ones that can’t fit,” said Aaron West, a 9th grader at Southeastern.

Problems can multiply when students need to transfer buses, which is common because many Detroit students attend high school far from home.

Transfers are often poorly timed, consigning students to long waits for a second or third bus.

“If they have to transfer, almost half the time they miss it, and then they have to call an Uber if they want to be on time,” said Lindsey Matson, deputy director of youth organizing at 482Forward, an education advocacy group.

“And they don’t have Uber money.”

How we reported this story

The findings in this story came from an Outlier Media analysis comparing Detroit city bus schedules to high school bell schedules in Detroit. Outlier used ChatGPT to generate a Python script for the analysis. See the code here.

The analysis included 23 Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) high schools. To simplify the analysis, charter schools were excluded, along with schools that may offer transportation or that operate on irregular schedules, such as career and technical education schools and the Jerry L. White Center.

We used publicly available location data for schools and city bus stops to calculate the four stops closest to each school. Schools are frequently served by more than one bus route, and each route has one stop for each direction of travel. Most schools had at least four stops within a quarter mile.

We collected bus schedule data through a DDOT API. We gathered bell schedules for each school from the DPSCD website.

We considered bus and school schedules to be misaligned if students had to wait at least 30 minutes before or after school: a conservative measure of inconvenience by public transit standards.

We excluded buses that arrived fewer than six minutes (the typical walk time from stops to schools in our analysis) before the first bell or after the last bell.

At eight of the 23 schools we analyzed, buses were scheduled to arrive 30 minutes or more before the first bell — or just a few minutes before the bell, with a long gap since the earlier bus. At seven other schools, students would have to wait at least 30 minutes after the last bell for the first available bus.The analysis does not account for the fact that DDOT buses are frequently late, which makes getting to school by bus even more of a challenge.

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

Detroit schools are making real gains in reading and math: 4 strategies that are working

2026-05-13T04:01:00+00:00

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With five Detroit first graders peering up at her, Aja Penick repeated one word: “Same.” The students guessed the word’s spelling on mini white boards. One guessed “saym.” Another, “sam.”

Penick focused on Marvin, 7, who had written “sae” on his board.

“You need something else,” she said. A few students tried to whisper their guesses, but Penick trained her attention on the boy dressed in a blue-collared shirt. Marvin added the letter M: “Saem.” That wasn’t it either, Penick said. But he was close. She asked him: What do you know about where ‘e’ should go in a word when ‘e’ is silent?

Marvin erased one more time and wrote the word correctly, victorious.

Students like Marvin can get this kind of attention from interventionists like Penick because of the Detroit students who struggled to read — and didn’t get the help — a decade ago.

Aja Penick, an academic interventionist, works with first graders at Munger Elementary-Middle School on Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Detroit.

Penick is one of 18 academic interventionists at Munger Elementary-Middle School in Detroit. The school district has for three years paid the salaries of reading interventionists like Penick from a $94.4 million legal settlement. Michigan awarded the money to Detroit Public Schools Community District after a group of students sued the state in 2016, claiming they’d been denied the opportunity of a quality education, and the “right to read,” in particular.

The headlines about that lawsuit exposed deplorable conditions in Detroit schools. There were rodents in classrooms, a shortage of textbooks, and unqualified teachers. And students were graduating without basic literacy skills. These conditions had persisted for decades, and were especially acute while the district was under state control for long periods.

Administrators say after years of struggle, the district is finally moving the needle, and the data bears that out. The Education Scorecard, a new analysis from researchers at Harvard, Stanford, and Dartmouth that draws on state and national test scores, shows Detroit students are making faster improvement in reading and math compared with similar districts. Amid what these researchers are calling a “reading recession,” Detroit represents a bright spot, even as the district still has a long way to go.

Proficiency rates in Detroit are still much lower than many urban districts across the country. In reading, 15.4% of students scored proficient or higher in 2025 state tests. In math, 12.3% scored proficient or higher. But district leaders are hopeful those numbers are growing, too. District leaders attribute the success they’ve made so far to a consistent strategy focused on reducing student absenteeism, a reading curriculum attuned to the science of reading, and tracking of academic data.

Students pass between classes at Munger Elementary-Middle School on Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Detroit.

Superintendent Nikolai Vitti believes the district’s improvement should be celebrated and earn commendation, even if it is “incremental.” But Vitti, who has run the district since 2017, said the trend “shouldn’t create complacency.”

And the literacy lawsuit money that has helped fund the district’s efforts to improve will soon dry up.

Below are four strategies Detroit educators say have moved the needle.

1. A focus on literacy — and aides to help

Detroit’s installed both multilingual interventionists and reading interventionists like Penick across its schools — including 267 to work with K-2 students specifically. Their work ramps up during 120-minute literacy blocks instituted in Detroit schools every day.

Greg Burris, a multilingual interventionist at Munger, grew up in southwest Detroit. He comes from a family of Spanish speakers, and speaks Spanish himself. At Munger, 73% of students are English learners, and the neighborhood is largely Latino.

Kids are in a ‘reading recession’ as test scores continue to decline

Burris has been working as an interventionist with the district for more than a year, delivering reading and language help to its Spanish-speaking students like Marvin. Nearly 74% of Munger students showed average or above-average growth on the state’s assessment for English learners in 2025, up from 68% in 2023.

Some of his work involves helping students overcome the fear of messing up when they speak English.

“A lot of these kids, they kind of know the language, but I feel that they kind of had a fear of speaking,” he said.

2. Getting students to show up to school consistently

Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of the school year — has been a persistent struggle for Detroit schools, although it is lower than a few years ago. Last school year, 61% of students were chronically absent, compared with 77% in the 2021-2022 school year.

Detroit’s chronic absenteeism rates are still much higher than statewide rates, but the district has put in a lot of work to change them. High school students can even earn up to $1,000 for perfect attendance in a controversial incentive program that officials say is working.

Samantha Ciaffone works with her first grade class at Munger Elementary-Middle School on Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Detroit.

First grade teacher Samantha Ciaffone has been teaching in Detroit for seven years. A few years ago, right after the pandemic, about seven to eight kids wouldn’t show up every day. Now, Ciaffone usually sees about one to two kids absent every day. When students are in class most days, she can help them make steady progress, instead of splitting her attention, trying to catch kids up.

“It allows us to be better educators to see kids consistently in the seat instead of once or twice a week,” she said. “It makes such a difference.”

Munger, like many Detroit district schools, has an attendance agent who is diligent about making calls to the homes of absent students, even showing up at their door. A parent engagement coordinator also works at Munger to try to encourage parents to show up for after-school events.

A kindergarten student hangs her assignment at Munger Elementary-Middle School.

3. Students take ownership of their academic performance

Detroit still has students who struggle in reading and math. But Lisa VanLandschoot, who teaches seventh grade English at Munger in Detroit, said she’s noticed a key change in students. They seem more confident, she’s noticed, and more eager to learn.

VanLandschoot thinks it’s because they have more ownership over their academic careers. That ownership is posted all over the classrooms in Munger. A first grade classroom’s bulletin board lists the names of students behind and ahead in certain reading skills. In kindergarten, assessment data is posted.

Hayley, 12, is one of the students who VanLandschoot said has made stunning progress this school year. She’s still learning English, after moving to the country from Mexico in 2024. Hayley likes that the teachers make it easy to ask questions when she’s unsure of something.

“We can ask, and Ms. V explains the best she can,” she said.

Educators and school leaders are also taking ownership of data, especially periodic school assessments and state testing results. School administrators set goals around key metrics every school year, and the district monitors for schools not seeing growth, to find out who may need more intervention.

4. Bringing students back to neighborhood schools

Detroit gives families a lot of choices: They can attend schools with more rigorous programs, language immersion schools, and African-centered education. Vitti wants to celebrate choice.

“But with choice comes responsibility,” he said.

And if families choose something other than their neighborhood school, that means they need to still get students to their desks on-time, every day. If not, Vitti said the district is starting to have conversations with parents about returning to neighborhood schools, particularly if a student has missed 45 or more days of school. That signals a student doesn’t have reliable transportation to get to school.

“The greatest improvement that we’ve had … is students going back to their neighborhood schools,” he said. At Munger, a neighborhood school, the slogan is: “We’re not a school house, we’re a school home,” according to Principal Donnell Burroughs.

Detroit school’s progress could be fragile

The end of the legal settlement money isn’t the only factor that could threaten the district’s work. The Munger school community is confronting increased immigration enforcement during President Donald Trump’s second term.

Burroughs said more students have been chronically absent this school year — out of fear, in some cases. Some Munger parents have been detained by immigration enforcement agents on their way to school, Burroughs said.

“I do find that a lot of my students don’t come to school just because their parents are scared about being picked up during the day,” he said.

But he thinks Munger’s staff is doing a good job sharing the message that students are safe.

Vitti knows Detroit has a long way to go to match or even exceed the achievement levels of other districts of its size across the country.

“That’s the next challenge … continuing to motivate, inspire, and change things, tweaking things,” he said. “Not wholesale changes — but to continue to expand proficiency and growth levels, and that’s what keeps me motivated every day.”

Lily Altavena is a national reporter at Chalkbeat. Contact Lily at laltavena@chalkbeat.org.

This story was produced in collaboration with the Associated Press’ Education Reporting Network.

Kids are in a ‘reading recession’ as test scores continue to decline

2026-05-13T04:01:00+00:00

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MODESTO, Calif. – Before every important test, teacher Nancy Barajas dims the lights, turns on a disco ball and blasts music from her playlist. Her sixth graders dance together as a “pre-celebration” to boost their confidence, then take their exam.

Lately, there’s been a lot to celebrate in elementary schools in Modesto, California. Both reading and math scores have increased consistently over the past several years.

But across the country, results are gloomier. Researchers warn that the U.S. is experiencing a reading recession — a slide predating the pandemic’s disruptions in schooling.

Scholars at Harvard, Stanford, and Dartmouth analyzed state test scores from third to eighth grade for over 5,000 school districts in 38 states, allowing comparisons across school districts and states in a national Education Scorecard.

What they found was sobering: Only five states plus the District of Columbia had meaningful growth in reading test scores from 2022 to 2025. Nationally, students remain nearly half a grade level behind pre-pandemic reading scores and only slightly better in math.

While schools have focused on catching kids up since the COVID-19 pandemic upended education, reading test scores have been falling since 2013 for eighth graders and 2015 for fourth graders, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

“The pandemic was the mudslide that had followed seven years of steady erosion in achievement,” said Thomas Kane, a Harvard professor who helped create the Education Scorecard.

Still, some states and school districts are making progress — largely by shifting toward phonics-based instruction and providing extra support for struggling readers.

The picture is also brighter in math.

Sixth graders read a passage and give constructive feedback to their partners during Nancy Barajas' class at Fairview Elementary School on Wednesday, May 6, 2026 in Modesto, California.

Almost every state in the analysis saw improvements in math test scores from 2022 to 2025. Student absenteeism also declined in most states. In over 400 U.S. school districts, including Modesto, reading or math growth outpaced demographically similar districts in the same state.

A shift toward phonics and extra reading support

Researchers are still debating the reading recession’s causes.

One possible factor, researchers say, is the rise of social media on smartphones and corresponding declines in kids’ recreational reading. States have also backed off on strict consequences for schools whose students fail to make progress on standardized tests, Kane said.

But the states that improved reading scores — notably Louisiana, Maryland, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana — all had one thing in common: They ordered schools to teach with a phonics-based approach known as the science of reading.

For years, schools taught reading using approaches that de-emphasized phonics and encouraged strategies such as guessing words based on context clues. As reading scores tumbled over the past decade, parents, scholars, and literacy advocates pushed for teaching methods that align with decades of research about how kids learn to read — largely by sounding out words.

Along with reforming teaching methods, states have also required schools to screen for learning disabilities such as dyslexia and hire coaches to help teachers improve their reading instruction.

That said, science of reading reforms did not guarantee success. Some states, including Florida, Arizona, and Nebraska, changed parts of their reading instruction but still saw test scores fall.

In Modesto, reading instruction was revamped during the pandemic, and math a couple years earlier. The district created a new department to help students who are still learning English. Schools also ramped up teacher training, paying educators $5,000 to complete an extensive science of reading program called LETRS, or Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling.

Aja Penick, an academic interventionist, works with first graders at Munger Elementary-Middle School on Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Detroit.

Modesto’s test scores grew enough to represent an extra 18 weeks of learning in math and 13 weeks in reading. Nevertheless, the district still has a way to go: Overall scores remain far below grade level.

Getting kids ‘consistently in the seat’ helps Detroit

A focus on reading has also improved scores in Detroit — but so have efforts to get kids in school more consistently. For years, the large urban district struggled with deplorable school conditions, leading to a 2016 lawsuit in which students argued they’d been denied the “right to read.”

The lawsuit ended in a settlement of over $94 million, money that helped move the needle. While the district is still far below the national average, student test scores have grown faster than in similar urban districts in Michigan.

“It took a lot to rebuild systems, and now kids are learning at higher levels, but I’m still not satisfied. And I think that’s the next challenge: continuing to motivate, inspire and change things,” said Detroit Superintendent Nikolai Vitti.

Detroit schools are making real gains in reading and math: 4 strategies that are working

The money has helped Munger Elementary-Middle School, located in a largely Latino neighborhood in Detroit, to employ 18 educators who give kids extra support in small groups. An attendance agent also makes calls to the homes of absent students, even showing up at their doors.

Fifth grader Bella Williams does a diagnostic test on her tablet at Oxmoor Valley Elementary School in Birmingham, Alabama, on Wednesday, May 6, 2026.

Just a few years ago, said first grade teacher Samantha Ciaffone, it was normal for about seven or eight kids to be absent from her class every day. Now it’s usually only one or two.

“It allows us to be better educators to see kids consistently in the seat instead of once or twice a week,” said Ciaffone. “It makes such a difference.”

A bright spot in the South

For the last decade, the South has stood out as a region leading the way on education reforms — bucking an established trend of landing at the bottom of education rankings. Southern states were quick to change to research-based teaching methods, and states have paid to train and coach teachers.

It’s paid off. Louisiana and Alabama were the only states where math scores were higher in 2025 than pre-pandemic. Louisiana is also the only state that beat its pre-pandemic average in reading, with 87% of traditional public school students attending a district where scores are higher than in 2019.

“I’ve used my pulpit to preach a back-to-the-basics approach to education,” said Cade Brumley, Louisiana’s superintendent of education. “We’re not trying to chase every new and shiny thing that’s out there that could distract students and teachers.”

Birmingham City Schools Superintendent, Dr. Mark A. Sullivan, takes a call as he enters the library at Oxmoor Valley Elementary School in Birmingham, Alabama, on Wednesday, May 6, 2026.

Alabama had standout gains in reading following the pandemic, driven by a state law requiring every school to use phonics-based instruction. The Legislature modeled math reforms in 2022 off Alabama’s reading successes. The state’s Numeracy Act standardized math instruction, required regular testing, and mandated intervention for kids who lacked adequate math skills.

Oxmoor Valley Elementary in Birmingham hired a full-time math specialist this year to help struggling kids. The school, which made the state’s “failing” list in 2016, has steadily improved math and reading scores, although a majority of kids still test below proficient in both subjects.

“We can provide all of these supports, but at the same time, hold kids to high expectations,” Birmingham Superintendent Mark Sullivan said.

A note from teacher Nancy Barajas encouraging students in her class at Fairview Elementary School on Wednesday, May 6, 2026 in Modesto, California.

Researchers stress such progress is possible across the U.S., because it’s been done before. Starting in the 1990s, the country saw decades of growth in test scores and graduation rates, while racial disparities declined. That progress continued until the mid-2010s.

“We made enormous progress as a country in terms of educational success from over a 30-year period. Test scores went up dramatically,” said Stanford professor Sean Reardon. “And so I think that says, as a country, we can improve education and educational opportunity.”

At Modesto’s Fairview Elementary, where Barajas teaches, students now practice their reading speed and fluency every day. After a dance break, the class reads a one-page text together in unison for one minute, then students split into pairs to read again. Students learning English are paired with native English speakers, and each child gets a turn reading with Barajas.

“Eventually, you get through the word like it’s water,” one boy said. “You just say it smooth.”

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The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Michigan education board opposes Trump’s tax credit scholarship program

2026-05-12T22:46:58+00:00

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Michigan’s State Board of Education voted Tuesday to oppose the federal tax credit scholarship program that allows people to receive tax credits for donations they make to organizations that provide private school scholarships.

Congress approved the program last year as part of the federal budget bill. It provides up to $1,700 in annual tax credits for people who donate money to eligible scholarship-granting organizations that give students money for private school tuition, tutoring, and other educational expenses.

The State Board resolution urges Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to not opt into the federal program.

The eight-member board, which is controlled by Democrats, voted 6-2 to oppose the scholarships, with the two Republicans on the board voting not to oppose. The resolution is only an advisory. Whitmer has the power to opt Michigan into the program.

Around 30 governors, most of them Republicans, have done so already. While several Democratic governors have opted in or said they plan to, Democratic support has been slow. A spokesperson for Whitmer didn’t respond to a question about whether or when she will decide on the program.

Critics of the scholarships have said they are no different than giving parents publicly funded vouchers to send their kids to private school.

“It has been made clear that Michigan voters have already decided this in two votes,” said Pamela Pugh, the board president, referring to statewide votes in 1970 and 2000 that were clear in prohibiting public funds from going toward non-public schools. Michigan’s Constitution includes the prohibition.

“Public resources should strengthen public schools,” Pugh, a Democrat from Saginaw, said Tuesday.

The resolution says that public resources should serve schools “that are open to all children and accountable to the people of Michigan, not toward subsidizing private education systems that are not subject to the same public governance, transparency, admissions obligations, and civil rights protections.”

Supporters including board member Tom McMillin, a Republican from Oakland Township, countered the argument about Michigan’s Constitution prohibitions, saying there are “zero constitutional concerns.”

“We’re not talking about tax dollars,” McMillin said, who called support for the tax-credit scholarships “a no-brainer.”

Here’s what the Michigan Constitution says:

“No public monies or property shall be appropriated or paid or any public credit utilized, by the legislature or any other political subdivision or agency of the state directly or indirectly to aid or maintain any private, denominational or other nonpublic, pre-elementary, elementary, or secondary school.”

It goes on to say that “no payment, credit, tax benefit, exemption or deductions, tuition voucher, subsidy, grant or loan of public monies or property shall be provided, directly or indirectly, to support the attendance of any student or the employment of any person at any such nonpublic school or at any location or institution where instruction is offered in whole or in part to such nonpublic school students.”

Timothy Schmig, executive director of the Michigan Association of Christian Schools, noted that Indiana and Ohio have signed on to the program. If Michigan doesn’t, he said, there is concern that Michigan would “lose students and tax base moving to states that are tax friendly.”

Schmig was one of several people who urged board members to oppose the resolution. The board also heard from Susan Campbell from the Michigan Education Justice Coalition, which is urging Whitmer not to opt in to the program.The coalition is an education advocacy group made up of dozens of organizations across the state.

“Michigan has a long history of folks fighting to protect public education because strong public schools strengthen communities and give everyone, every child, the opportunity to succeed,” Campbell said.

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

If your child’s Detroit school is closing in June, we want to hear from you.

2026-05-06T21:40:52+00:00

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If you have a student at a Detroit school that will be closing soon, we want to hear from you! BridgeDetroit and Chalkbeat Detroit are partnering to document this challenging time for parents, students, and district staff.

Detroit Public Schools Community District is accelerating the timeline for closing J.E. Clark Preparatory Academy, Ann Arbor Trail Magnet School, Catherine Blackwell Institute, and Greenfield Union Elementary-Middle School, to save between $10 million and $19 million. In addition, Barack Obama Leadership Academy — a charter school — will also close if school leaders are unable to find a new authorizer to oversee the school. DPSCD, the current authorizer, has opted not to renew the school’s contract. .

What we need from you: If you have a student going to one of these schools, please take this brief survey and share your information with us so reporters from Chalkbeat or Bridge can reach out to talk to you!

Know someone else who is impacted? Please share the survey with them too!

Chalkbeat Detroit and BridgeDetroit reporters are looking to talk to parents whose children's school is closing in Detroit. Scan the QR Code to access the survey.

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 these four schools to save between $10 million and $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.

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.

The Detroit school board cited concerns over the school’s budget and transparency, as well as its teacher licensure rate. Some board members also commented on the school’s poor academic performance.

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

Lauren Abdel-Razzaq is the executive director at BridgeDetroit. You can reach her at lrazzaq@bridgedetroit.com.

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Special education teacher is the new Michigan Teacher of the Year

2026-05-06T19:34:22+00:00

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A Lake Orion teacher is Michigan’s newest top classroom leader.

Erik Meerschaert, a special education teacher at Lake Orion High School in Oakland County, was surprised Wednesday by state education officials with the announcement that he is the Michigan Teacher of the Year for 2026-27.

Lake Orion High School special education teacher Erik Meerschaert is the 2026-27 Michigan Teacher of the Year.

“I am really without words,” said Meerschaert, according to a news release from the Michigan Department of Education. “I am lucky enough to teach here at Lake Orion ... and be a part of this community where we can have impact that has been truly incredible.”

State Superintendent Glenn Maleyko and several members of the State Board of Education were on hand to make the announcement.

Meerschaert will go on to be Michigan’s candidate for the National Teacher of the Year award for 2027.

“Teachers like Erik Meerschaert care about the foundation of our education system and the heart of our schools,” Maleyko said in a statement. “He ignites curiosity, builds confidence and opens doors of opportunity for every child. His influence goes far beyond the classroom — he helps shape the students to become innovators and leaders who define our future.”

Michigan each year recognizes a top teacher who then goes on to become an advocate for teachers across the state. Meerschaert will do that in part by participating in regular meetings of the State Board of Education, sharing a report each time on issues that are of concern to teachers. He will join the governor’s Educator Advisory Council, a group that advises Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and provides recommendations on education legislation, the MDE news release says.

Ten finalists were selected for the state honor earlier this year. Here are the nine finalists, who represent different regions of the state, according to a February press release.

Sarah Juday, an elementary teacher at Superior Hills Elementary School in Marquette Area Public Schools.
Krista Loeffler, an elementary teacher at Clara B. Bolen Elementary School in Tawas Area Schools.
Erica Gorzen, a visual arts teacher at Portland High School in Portland Public Schools.
Luke Kanine, a Spanish and physical education teacher at E.F. Rittmueller Middle School in Frankenmuth School District.
Angela Jackson, an elementary teacher at Woodland Developmental Center in the St. Clair County Regional Educational Service Agency.
Amanda Bush, an elementary teacher at Dansville Elementary in Dansville Schools.
Julie Herwick, an English teacher at Cassopolis High School in Cassopolis Public Schools.
Carrie Barden, a math and science teacher at Tecumseh Middle School in Tecumseh Public Schools.
Brandis Bean, an elementary teacher at University Preparatory Academy in Detroit.

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

Lawsuit filed on behalf of DPSCD students seeks equitable funding for the district

2026-05-05T21:57:32+00:00

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A new lawsuit makes some familiar and some new claims that the state of Michigan has shortchanged students in the Detroit school district.

The lawsuit, filed in April in state court, seeks to require the state to increase funding to the Detroit Public Schools Community District and to eliminate debt incurred by the city’s school system while it was under state control.

Troy attorney Gerard Mantese filed the lawsuit on behalf of a parent of two DPSCD students and other “similarly situated students.” The lawsuit, which seeks class-action status, names as defendants Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, State Superintendent Glenn Maleyko, and members of the State Board of Education.

The State Board met in closed session Tuesday morning to receive legal guidance about the lawsuit. When members returned to open session, the board voted to direct Pamela Pugh, the board chair, to seek guidance and advice from the Michigan Attorney General’s office.

Some of the claims in the lawsuit are similar to a “right to read” lawsuit filed against the state in 2016 that alleged the state denied Detroit district students an education because of poor building conditions, poor academic conditions, lack of materials, and use of uncertified teachers. The lawsuit was settled with the state in 2020, and the district eventually received $94.4 million from the state to support literacy efforts.

The new lawsuit makes similar claims about building and academic conditions in the district. But it also makes newer arguments that funding for DPSCD is inequitable compared to other districts in the state.

“The State holds out public education as the great equalizer, a mandatory contract between the government and its youngest citizens: attend, and you will be given the tools to succeed,” the lawsuit says. “Yet, for DPSCD students, this is a broken promise. They are forced to rely on a system that the State itself helped to break, that it supervised during the running up of a huge debt, and that it now maintains as a source of ongoing constitutional injury.”

The Detroit district receives $10,050 per student from the state as its base amount of pupil funding. A majority of school districts, as well as charter schools, also receive that amount. But some districts — many of them in wealthier communities — receive more. When the current funding system was created in the mid-1990s those districts were allowed to continue spending at a higher level, with voter approval.

DPSCD’s total revenues do increase substantially with federal funding, but those dollars have less flexibility in how they can be spent.

“DPSCD needs more funding to even have a chance at providing an equal education to students in Detroit public schools,” the lawsuit says.

The state has been targeted in the lawsuits because it had some form of control over Detroit Public Schools — which was the district that educated students until 2016 — from 1999 to 2006 and again from 2006 through 2016. In 2016, because of crushing debt in DPS, a legislative initiative led to the creation of DPSCD to educate students. DPS remains to collect tax revenue to pay off legacy debt.

Mantese’s legal specialty is corporate law, but he has handled civil rights cases. He told Chalkbeat Tuesday that over the years, while providing volunteer legal work in Detroit, he’s heard from many parents who’ve complained about poor school building conditions.

“There’s unacceptably hot conditions, sometimes freezing temperatures, mold issues, bathrooms that don’t work — a whole host of facility issues that just makes it very difficult to have an environment that provides for a good education,” Mantese said.

DPSCD has invested heavily in its facilities in the last decade, dedicating about $700 million of its federal pandemic relief funding as part of its facility master plan. But that only addresses a fraction of the district’s $2.1 billion infrastructure needs.

DPSCD Superintendent Nikolai Vitti has for years pushed for equitable funding and made similar arguments as those cited in the current lawsuit. A spokesperson said Vitti “does support the underlying argument made in the lawsuit.”

“Michigan’s K-12 funding formula continues to fund students unequally,” Chrystal Wilson, spokesperson for the district, said in a statement. “Governor Whitmer and recent legislatures have narrowed the gap over the years to address the inequality, but it still exists. At the same time, little has been done to support lower income districts to address facility issues. This is not fair to our students or staff.”

The lawsuit includes an affidavit from Jeremy Vidito, DPSCD’s chief financial officer, in which he says the inequities in funding “have a direct and substantial impact on the ability of DPSCD to provide safe, modern, and equitable learning environments for its students.”

“They also create long-term structural disadvantages that impair the District’s operational capacity and financial stability,” he wrote.

School districts are barred in state law from using state funding to sue the state. Mantese said district officials played no role in the crafting of the lawsuit, and he reached out to Vitti when a draft of the lawsuit was done. He is not being paid by anyone for his legal services.

LaMar Lemmons, who served on the boards for Detroit Public Schools and DPSCD, has long pushed for the district itself to sue the state. He had not read the lawsuit but described it as “not only necessary but long overdue.”

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

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.

As Michigan lawmakers push their ideas for funding schools, district leaders urge inflationary increases

2026-04-28T21:45:41+00:00

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Michigan superintendents say they’re not asking for much from lawmakers in this year’s state budget.

They would like to see school districts get funding increases that account for inflation. They want lawmakers to stop the years-long practice of diverting money from the state School Aid Fund and using it to fund higher education. And they want lawmakers to approve a state budget by the July 1 deadline to avoid what happened last year when lawmakers weren’t able to compromise on a final budget until October.

“We’re not asking for the moon,” said Steven Tunnicliff, superintendent for the Genesee Intermediate School District.

He and nine other superintendents from intermediate school districts — agencies that provide varied services to local schools within their borders — spoke last week during a virtual media roundtable. Earlier that week, the Michigan House passed its version of the state budget, including how schools would be funded. The Michigan Senate unveiled its K-12 school budget proposal, which cleared an appropriations subcommittee before being moved to the full Senate.

In recent years, lawmakers and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have touted record increases in funding for schools, because the amount allocated has consistently increased. But Angie McArthur, superintendent for the Eastern Upper Peninsula Intermediate School District, said funding increases in the last two years have fallen below the rate of inflation.

“That means that while the number on paper gets a little bigger, the real purchasing power or what schools can actually provide with that money goes down,” she said. “Energy costs have risen, health insurance premiums have gone up, transportation costs have gone up, and supplies cost more. The funding increase doesn’t cover any of that.”

The superintendents argued the School Aid Fund was created to fund K-12 schools. But for years, lawmakers have paid for higher education with money from the fund. They cited a recent poll commissioned by the K-12 Alliance of Michigan, an advocacy group for public schools, that showed a large majority of residents who were polled oppose diverting the money. (The K-12 Alliance hosted Thursday’s media roundtable.)

The budget proposals show lawmakers are far apart on critical issues such as whether districts should receive more funding for some of the most vulnerable students in the state. The Michigan House is controlled by Republicans, while the Michigan Senate is controlled by Democrats.

Below are some highlights of the proposals.

There is agreement on per-pupil funding

Michigan schools would receive a minimum grant of $10,300 per pupil. That’s up from $10,050 for the current fiscal year. The grant is the lowest amount a school district or charter school can receive.

A big debate this budget session: whether to expand weighted funding

Michigan has been moving toward a weighted funding system through a formula called the opportunity index. The index has allowed the state to provide additional funding for school districts for students from low-income families and students who speak little or no English.

The Senate’s proposal would establish that system into law for the next 15 years, giving school districts stability and ensuring there would be annual increases in funding for students from low-income homes and English language learners over that 15-year period. This is how it would work: For the coming school year, a district with the highest proportion of students from low-income families would receive a base amount of $10,300 for all students. For each student identified as economically disadvantaged, a district would receive nearly 27% above that base amount for the 2026-27 school year and 47% above it for the 2040-41 school year.

Whitmer had a similar recommendation in her budget proposal. But the House budget would maintain the current system.

School meals would be available to all again

Both the House and Senate have continued funding to provide free meals for students, regardless of income. Both versions would extend the program to include private schools. Last year, nonpublic schools were included as a one-time expenditure.

The House budget goes further, banning the sale of soda or candy in schools that participate in the universal meals program. It also bans schools from serving food that includes such chemical additives as brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben, titanium dioxide, and multiple food dyes.

Additional money for tutoring, literacy proposed

Both budget proposals include money for tutoring providers to apply for and receive state grants to provide high-impact tutoring for students.

The House budget also includes a new program that would reimburse parents of at-risk students for the costs of private tutoring.

Both budgets invest more in efforts to improve literacy, given the poor academic performance of Michigan students on state and national exams. The House budget also provides $100 million to improve math performance, another area of concern for Michigan students.

School safety and mental health

Lawmakers would increase funding for school safety and mental health. What’s interesting here is that the Senate version strikes some of the controversial language that prompted dozens of school districts to sue the state last year. This happened after the budget approved in October included a new requirement that in order to get the money, district and school leaders had to agree to waive privilege to disclose 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. Both the Michigan Court of Claims and the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled the language did not violate the state Constitution.

The Senate proposal would only require districts to agree to be subject to a comprehensive investigation after a mass casualty event. It removes mention of waiving privilege.

The House version keeps most of the language intact, but it adds wording that says “the waiver of any privilege by a recipient of funds under this section does not waive any privilege or rights held by any individual, including employees of the recipient.”

Meanwhile, the Senate proposal provides funding for community violence intervention programs that prevent youth violence.

House proposal would penalize districts for DEI, curriculum featuring race and gender stereotyping

The House budget seeks to impose financial penalties if a district uses state money to fund diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI, programs; if a district’s curriculum includes race or gender stereotyping, and if a district allows transgender girls to participate in girls’ sports or provides multistall unisex bathrooms for students. Finally, the proposal would require districts to notify parents or legal guardians if a child requests to use a different name or pronoun in school.

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

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.

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.

How this Detroit teacher uses an outdoor garden to turn students on to healthy eating

2026-04-14T18:36:35+00:00

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“I don’t eat that,” are the famous last words teacher Shirley Brezzell hears from her fifth graders when she introduces food the kids think they won’t like, such as pickled beets, pickled onions, eggplant, and oatmeal burgers.

Brezzell teaches science and social studies at Detroit’s Mackenzie Elementary-Middle School in the Detroit Public Schools Community District. But she’s particularly passionate about exposing students to fruits and vegetables through an outdoor school garden she created and manages, and teaching them about healthy eating. She incorporates the work in the garden into her lessons, showing students during a lesson on matter how food changes while being cooked. Consequently, she’s able to turn those “I don’t eat that” comments into appreciation.

“When they see the process from seed to a piece of fruit that they can actually eat, it is mind-blowing. They are in awe,” Brezzell said. “Oh, and then when you taste it, and when it comes off of the vine, and it is all organic, it’s a whole other experience.”

If you walk into the outdoor garden, you’ll see plenty of garden beds where fruits and vegetables grow. You’ll also see Walmart recyclable bags that students use to grow everything from greens and cabbage to tomatoes and potatoes. Parents will create their own bags during an event this month.

Shirley J. Brezzell, the 2026 Elementary School Science Teacher of the year by the Michigan Science Teachers Association, is a science and social studies teacher at Mackenzie Elementary-Middle School.

Brezzell was recently named the 2026 Elementary School Science Teacher of the year by the Michigan Science Teachers Association. The Detroit native, who graduated from Cass Technical High School in 1975, spent much of her career in the banking industry during a 22-year stretch that took her from working as a teller to an operations manager for a bank. When that bank closed, she began homeschooling her children. Soon after, she began substitute teaching in the Detroit district and by 2011, she had become a certified teacher. Brezzell hasn’t for one moment regretted her decision to become a teacher.

“My regret is that I didn’t do it 100 years ago. Absolutely, this is my calling,” Brezzell said.

Her career will likely end soon, as Brezzell considers retirement. But that won’t happen until after this summer, because her garden supplies plants for her students’ families to grow and provides fresh fruits and vegetables to the wider school community during the summer,

“I have to bring the harvest,” Brezzell said.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

My favorite unit to teach is on matter, as it utilizes food as the medium to show the various stages of matter. I love taking the students out to our school’s garden to pick fresh fruits and veggies and then bringing them back inside to cook them together. It’s a perfect hands-on way to show how matter changes — how food transforms with cooking — and it also gives me the opportunity to introduce them to new flavors they might not have tried before. Altogether, it’s a really engaging and memorable way to connect science to everyday life.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your classroom (or your school)?

Mackenzie is in a neighborhood of Detroit that’s considered a food desert. While I officially teach fifth grade science and social studies, I also manage our school garden. Alongside 10 stationary garden beds, I created the “Garden in a Bag” project where students plant and maintain portable gardens, in a Walmart recyclable bag. This way, they can potentially have fresh produce all summer, even if they move. Plus, the veggies from our on-site beds go straight to Mackenzie families, helping everyone enjoy fresh veggies and a healthier lifestyle.

How do you get your students engaged with science?

In my classroom, I set high expectations and we dive into science from every angle. We follow the curriculum, do hands-on projects, work in the garden, and even use those vegetables in cooking as a way to show how matter changes. And through that, I introduce them to fresh fruits and vegetables they might not usually try. That’s truly my passion — giving them a glimpse of a healthier lifestyle while they learn. At the heart of my teaching, I’m passionate about connecting what we learn in class to real-life choices. I want my students to feel empowered not only to understand science concepts, but also to see how these lessons influence a healthier lifestyle. It’s all about giving them the tools to make good decisions about what they eat and how they care for themselves.

Tell us how you came to create an outdoor oasis for your students.

Four years ago, I joined a group of researchers from Michigan State University in a project called Teaching Science Outdoors: The Urban Project, or TSOUP. With encouragement from them and through American Forests, we planted a total of 65 trees over two plantings. Then, a grant from the Whole Kids Foundation helped us refurbish the garden with garden beds and a hoop house, and with a series of mini-grants from TSOUP, we were able to expand even more.

In the past year, the district has added a new shelter and this spring, will finish the cement work under it. They’re also adding eight picnic tables to create a third outdoor classroom on the patio near the middle school side of the building, and the original outdoor classroom is being moved elsewhere on the property for its own cement work.

And finally, we received another grant from the Whole Kids Foundation that allowed us to build an irrigation station, solving our watering problem with a 450-gallon water capacity. This station will also have cement work and create a comfortable place for students and teachers to sit, cool off, and relax.

How do you approach news events in your classroom? Please provide an example.

I tell them the truth. For instance, we really dove into the pause in governmental food benefits. That was a genuine challenge many families faced, and having those real, honest conversations allowed us to lay a foundation where we can have meaningful discussions about the news and how it impacts their daily lives. This pause also gave me another opportunity to talk about eating healthfully even on a budget, whether that was making oatmeal burgers or finding creative ways to put together a whole meal from basic kitchen staples.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

I’m a product of Detroit Public Schools, graduating from Cass Tech in January of 1975. My parents and teachers instilled in me the importance of education and how it could afford me many opportunities. To that end, I work tirelessly to help my students see the importance of their education and their potential to become whatever they want to be. To that end, I am a demanding teacher. I have high expectations for my kids and most rise to the occasion. My goal is to make sure that when my students, after a year with me, move to the next grade, they are better than when I first met them. They will be tired, but they will KNOW the material.

How do you take care of yourself when you’re not at work?

Lol! What a notion! Like all of us, I wear many hats. Wife, mom, sister, aunt, church member, and the list goes on. This year I am learning to at least try to put Shirley first. What does this look like? I have a bedtime. I am taking my vitamins regularly. I am promising myself to exercise daily. I am drinking WATER and have mostly eliminated sugar from my diet. But above all, I am learning to take time for just me.

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

Free bus fare for students prompts discussion on whether Detroit has enough welcoming spaces for youth

2026-04-08T18:47:19+00:00

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Detroit City Council members are advocating for more inclusive spaces for youth in the city’s core in the wake of a new program offering broad access to free bus rides.

The need for more welcoming spaces was raised Monday by City Council Member Gabriela Santiago-Romero after a series of public commenters shared concerns for and about youth during the council’s Public Health and Safety subcommittee meeting.

The city this month launched the “Ride to Rise” program, offering Detroit students ages 5 to 18 at public, private, or charter schools free Detroit Department of Transportation — or DDOT — bus rides seven days a week, at any time. All they have to do is show their school ID. The initiative is expected to help students get to school more consistently and to access after-school activities.

In recent days, Detroit saw an influx of visitors for the Detroit Tigers’ opening day as well as a surge of young people downtown, which resulted in some being detained by officers.

Santiago-Romero said she was concerned that youth were “overpoliced downtown” over the weekend and she’s eager to talk with Mayor Mary Sheffield’s administration about how officials and law enforcement can better support and engage with youth.

“Because, let’s be honest, downtown does become a place for adults to come and drink but we need to have a welcoming place and inviting space for youth as well,” she said.

She also said discussions on wraparound services for young people as well as “deescalation training” are necessary, “not just for young people but for all of us.”

“This is going to be another cultural shift that we need to do in embracing our young people downtown,” she said. “After budget (deliberations) we will invite the administration’s dedicated person for youth to share with us some plans they have for the summer. We know for the summer people are outside and we want to make sure that people are safe.”

Santiago-Romero suggested that the city consider using Hart Plaza as an organized gathering space for young people.

“That usually is not a space that is as active as I believe it could be,” she said.

Campus Martius, Santiago-Romero said, is essentially roped off and not welcoming for individuals under 21.

“We need a space where you’re not roped off for being young,” she said. “We have a lot of space and we have a lot of downtown. I think we can do this.”

Detroit transit ambassador Michael Cunningham praised Sheffield for the “awesome” free bus offering for students, but he doesn’t expect the rollout to be without challenges.

Cunningham said it will be important to have a surplus of volunteers on hand, restrictions on days and times for the bus travel and signage for folks who need to report any problems that might arise, especially in the summertime and later at night.

“I’m not saying our youth are bad, but … some of them have no respect for elders at all like we did,” he said.

Transit unit to address safety concerns for kids

DDOT Executive Director of Transit Robert Cramer told BridgeDetroit on Monday, following a press conference about the Ride to Rise program, that the Detroit Police Department has a transit unit with officers who can be deployed.

“If we hear, ‘Hey, there’s a certain bus at a certain time where it seems like there’s more trouble or kids are feeling less safe,’ then we could have more random boardings come onto those buses,” he said.

The longer-term idea, however, is to develop an “ambassador program” — adults who would ride buses to help students feel more secure — and potentially collaborate with Community Violence Intervention, social service groups, crossing guards, or DDOT staff.

Students were able to access the free DDOT rides on April 1, during spring break. The more formal launch was April 6, when the school session resumed, according to the city.

Councilman Denzel McCampbell on Monday echoed Santiago-Romero’s concern for embracing youth who visit downtown, noting that unlike the malls, arcades and skate parks of the past, there aren’t enough places for young folks to gather and have fun today.

“We need to increase more opportunities for young people and the other aspect is how we react to young people as they gather,” said McCampbell, pointing to the importance of Community Violence Intervention groups, peer educators, and others. “We need more of these folks to say, ‘Hey, do you need anything?’”

McCampbell said he too is looking forward to conversations with the administration on what can be done to give young people more to do and to ensure “we’re not penalizing them for also wanting to be a part of what we all have been taking part in downtown.”

An inquiry to the Detroit Police Department about detainments and tickets for youth over the weekend was not immediately returned.

Council Member Mary Waters, who also serves on the Public Health and Safety Committee, said the downtown was “electric” over the weekend, and that she hopes that tickets weren’t given out to young people.

“The young people were everywhere. The city felt alive. I am not anti having young people out,” she said. “I hope this is something we can figure out … so they can feel they are a part of this downtown and this Detroit. We’ve got to make it happen for them. Otherwise, they go to other cities and we lose them.”

Reporter Nushrat Rahman contributed.

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

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.

Detroit students to be able to ride city buses for free starting Wednesday

2026-04-08T15:30:36+00:00

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Students across Detroit will be able to ride city buses for free in a new program the city council approved Tuesday.

The Ride to Rise program is being launched Wednesday in part to address high rates of chronic absenteeism of Detroit students attending schools in the Detroit Public Schools Community District and charter schools.

In her proposal to the council last week, Mayor Mary Sheffield said the free bus passes will also expand access to safe and reliable transportation, extracurricular activities, employment opportunities, and supportive services.

Sheffield, during her State of the City address Tuesday night, described the program as a “show your ID, ride for free” program.

It’s unclear how much it will cost.

“This is an opportunity for us, under Mayor Sheffield’s leadership, to learn more about how transit and DDOT in particular can work more effectively for students and their families,” Detroit Department of Transportation Director Robert Cramer said during the council meeting on Tuesday. Cramer said DDOT will also seek feedback about bus routes, schedules, bus stop changes, and amenities.

Cramer said they’ll present the feedback to the council and possibly submit an ordinance amendment to change the fare system and create a longer-term program in September or October when students return to school.

DPSCD doesn’t provide yellow school bus transportation for high school students, though exceptions are made, including for students with disabilities and those experiencing homelessness. The district does pay for bus passes for high school students who want them.

The district won’t have to pay for the city bus passes during the pilot. DPSCD “is working on plans to reinvest that funding in strategies that expand our work in improving student attendance and enrollment,” Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said.

Sheffield was more specific during her Tuesday evening speech, saying the city “reached an agreement in principle with the board and the superintendent so that the money currently spent on bus fare for students will now go towards much-needed after-school programs.”

Vitti said in an emailed statement that the district supports the city’s effort “to empower youth to use citywide transportation without cost or barriers.”

“This investment by the City will create greater awareness and access to citywide transportation,” Vitti said. “We believe this will support the District’s efforts in promoting stronger student attendance citywide.”

Transportation has long been a challenge for Detroiters, and it’s particularly so for families trying to navigate a range of options: yellow school buses, city buses, ride share services, their own transportation, or relying on others to get their children to school. Those challenges have made it difficult for many children to get to school regularly.

About one-third of families in Detroit don’t own a car, and 30% don’t have a reliable way to get their children to school every day, according to a report on transportation from Detroit Partnership for Education Equity & Research, or Detroit PEER, at Wayne State University. Researchers there have done extensive research on chronic absenteeism and its causes.

Half of the school-age children in Detroit attend DPSCD schools. The rest attend charter schools or suburban schools. While many of the city charter schools provide some form of transportation, parents often have to get their kids to a preset location for them to hop on a bus.

“Transportation is one of, if not the most important issue for student attendance in Detroit,” said Jeremy Singer, assistant professor of educational leadership and policy at the University of Michigan-Flint and research affiliate at Detroit PEER.

Singer said the mayor’s initiative is an admirable way to tackle a challenge that schools can’t solve. He hopes the city goes further by addressing safety issues on city buses and at bus stops, as well as the frequency and reliability of bus service.

In a survey Detroit PEER completed in 2022, 40% of parents said free DDOT rides would be at least somewhat helpful. High school parents were more likely to say it would be helpful.

Among the transportation recommendations Detroit PEER made in its report last year:

The city should work with Detroit schools to coordinate public transit schedules and stops with public school schedules and locations.
DDOT should collect better data on public school students who ride public transportation to better understand their schedules and needs.
The city should work with local schools to increase safety, lighting, and complete sidewalks so more children can walk or bike to school when they live close enough.

Few students now are taking DDOT buses daily to get to school, Singer said.

Results from the 2022 survey showed that just 10% of parents said their children rode DDOT to get to and from school. Broken down by grade level, 18% of parents of high school-aged children said their kids sometimes took DDOT, compared to 6% for parents of K-8 children, Singer said.

For parents of high school-aged students, 8% said their children rode DDOT daily, 4% said they rode DDOT weekly or monthly, and 6% said they rode DDOT infrequently, Singer said.

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

Editor’s note, April 8, 2026: This story was updated to reflect a slight change in the name of the program since the city council approved it last week.

U.S. Education Secretary McMahon says Michigan should join Trump’s school tax-credit plan

2026-03-27T22:46:27+00:00

This story was originally published by Bridge Michigan, a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization. To get regular coverage from Bridge Michigan, sign up for a free newsletter here.

HAMTRAMCK — U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon urged Michigan to “unleash educational excellence for every child” by participating in a new federal school choice program.

On Friday, McMahon called on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to opt the state into a program that would give donors tax credits for contributing to scholarship funds for K-12 students, including those attending public schools, religious schools, other private schools and home-schools.

Students could use the money for tuition or other educational expenses. Whitmer has previously said the program is a “high-level talking point” and that she needs more information before making a decision.

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“The Education Freedom Tax Credit isn’t some distant idea, it’s a homegrown solution that puts Michigan families in charge,” McMahon said at Hamtramck Academy, a charter school that enrolls about 550 students.

Under the program approved by Congress last year, people can donate to scholarship-granting organizations and receive up to $1,700 in tax credits. There’s no cap on how much scholarship money a student can receive, according to a fact sheet from the federal Treasury and Education departments. The scholarship organization will determine the amount “based on the mission” of the organization, the fact sheet states.

The tax credit is available starting in 2027. Proponents of the program emphasize that if Michigan does not join, donations from Michigan taxpayers would go toward students in other states.

Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall, a Republican from Richland Township, and state Rep. Tim Kelly, a Republican from Saginaw, also spoke. Hall said he is working with Whitmer on efforts to improve literacy, and the federal program is another way to improve student achievement.

“If they’re in a failing school, this could be the lifeline for their family with these scholarships to go into another school that will help unlock their potential,” Hall said. “So this is another tool that Michigan needs, and I’m very hopeful that Gov. Whitmer will see that, to see what other governors have seen and opt us in.”

Shortly before she spoke, McMahon posted on social media urging the state to act and linking to a Detroit Free Press opinion piece she wrote about why the state should join.

Republican state Reps. Matt Maddock, of Milford, Alicia St. Germaine of Harrison Township, Joseph Pavlov of Kimball, and Mike Harris of Clarkston also attended McMahon’s event.

Kelly said the only reason to not opt into the program would be “spite.”

Previously, Whitmer has vetoed similar state efforts to pass a tax-credit scholarship program.

A Whitmer spokesperson said Friday she had nothing to add from Whitmer’s previous comments about the program. State Superintendent Glenn Maleyko did not directly answer whether he wants the state to opt in.

“My priority is adequate and equitable funding for public schools in Michigan,” Maleyko said in a statement to Bridge Friday. “I believe federal resources should be devoted to those priorities.”

School choice in Michigan

Critics liken the federal program to school vouchers.

Katherine Nitz, media relations coordinator for the Michigan Education Justice Coalition, told Bridge the program would “weaken public schools” and “sets the stage for privatization.”

“This would wind up gutting public school funding, which is already tenuous in Michigan,” Nitz said.

The Michigan Constitution prohibits using public funds for private school attendance.

So far, 27 states have opted in, McMahon said Friday.

Support for the program has largely been from Republicans. Only two Democratic governors — in Colorado and North Carolina — have said their states will likely join, according to Chalkbeat.

There are income restrictions for which children could benefit from the program.“Students eligible to enroll in a public elementary or secondary school and from a household with income not greater than 300% of the area’s median gross income qualify for a scholarship through the Education Freedom Tax Credit,” the fact sheet says.

While Michigan does not have a state private school choice program, roughly 1 in 4 Michigan public K-12 students attend a charter school or use the state’s choice program to attend a school outside their local district, according to a previous Bridge analysis.

Michigan families are also allowed to home-school their children and do not have to notify the local district or state about this choice. Last September, McMahon visited public charter schools in Detroit and nearby Redford, Renaissance High School in Detroit, and Hillsdale College, a private college that does not accept federal funding. That evening, she touted the benefits of the tax-credit scholarship program at an event hosted by the Midland County Republican Party.

Isabel Lohman is a reporter for Bridge Michigan. You can reach her at ilohman@bridgemi.com.

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.

Michigan lawmakers take aim at fixing the state’s K-12 school literacy crisis

2026-03-18T21:11:48+00:00

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Lawmakers in Lansing are moving aggressively to address Michigan’s K-12 literacy crisis with multiple pieces of legislation that target training for teachers, retention for struggling third graders, and consequences for teacher preparation programs.

The legislative action comes as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has made addressing literacy a priority for 2026, her last year in office. During her State of the State address last month, Whitmer detailed steps already underway to improve literacy and recommendations in her budget proposal for the coming fiscal year. Among them is additional money she wants to invest in high-impact literacy tutoring, high-quality curriculum, literacy training for teachers, and hiring of literacy coaches.

“This is a serious problem,” Whitmer said in the address. “Our kids deserve better.”

Just 38.9% of third graders were proficient on the English language arts portion of the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress last year. It was the lowest performance of third graders in the exam’s 11-year history, Chalkbeat and Bridge Michigan reported.

On the national front, just 24% of Michigan fourth graders were proficient in 2024 on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, an exam known as the “nation’s report card.” That compares to 30% being proficient nationally. Michigan students’ performance has been stagnant and declining even as other states that have invested heavily in early literacy have improved. Michigan now ranks 44th in the nation for fourth-grade reading on the NAEP.

This isn’t the first time Michigan lawmakers have taken aim at the state’s challenges with literacy. In 2016, fueled by similarly troubling test results in reading, lawmakers passed a Read by Grade 3 law that required early intervention, the hiring of literacy coaches, and the retention of third graders struggling to reade. The retention rule has since been rescinded. Ten years since that broad effort, Michigan’s student literacy problem continues.

Here are the literacy initiatives being considered in Michigan

House Bill 5697 would require that by the 2031-32 school year, all K-5 educators who provide, support, or oversee instruction, including in literacy, must have been trained in the science of reading, which refers to a body of knowledge that emphasizes phonics along with building vocabulary and background knowledge. The bill doesn’t specify a specific training program, but a legislative analysis by the House Fiscal Agency says the current training being encouraged for Michigan teachers — Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling, or LETRS — meets the requirements of the legislation.

House Bill 5646 would require that, beginning Sept. 30, 2027, an individual seeking a teaching certificate in Michigan must have completed a teacher preparation program that included training in the science of reading.

House Bill 5520 would bring back the third-grade retention policy Michigan previously had in place. The bill would require struggling third graders, who would be identified based on their state test scores, repeat the grade. There would be some “good cause” exemptions, such as for students with disabilities whose educational plan team leader exempts them from the requirement. Michigan’s previous third-grade retention law, which went into effect during the 2020-21 school year, was rescinded in 2023 when Democrats controlled the legislature and the governor’s office. They argued the law was punitive and wasn’t working.

During a Wednesday hearing of the House Education and Workforce committee, Rep. Nancy DeBoer, a Republican from Holland who chairs the committee, said reading gives children the independence to pick up a book and go anywhere.

“Unless you’re in the state of Michigan and you’re three-quarters of the students in eighth grade who can’t read or do math in a competent manner,” she said. “That is a tragedy we are responsible for.”

DeBoer introduced the bipartisan bill that would make training in the science of reading a requirement for K-5 teachers.

The state has funded LETRS training, but thus far hasn’t made it a requirement. In September, the State Board of Education urged that it become a mandate for all K-5 teachers, saying the lack of one “has led to inconsistent participation of Michigan educators and inconsistent access to instruction based on the science of reading for Michigan’s students.”

The science of reading also figures prominently in a bipartisan bill introduced by Rep. Tim Kelly, a Republican from Saginaw Township. He described the bill as “a long overdue rescue mission for the next generation of Michigan’s workers, citizens, and leaders.”

Kelly said Wednesday that teacher preparation programs that don’t equip teachers with the tools needed to teach children to read have forfeited their right to operate in Michigan.

“We must stop subsidizing failure,” Kelly said.

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

Here’s what DPSCD parents need to know about the new visitor check-in policy in district schools

2026-03-17T10:00:00+00:00

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Visitors to Detroit Public Schools Community District buildings are being met with a new check-in policy as the district builds upon efforts to prioritize the safety of its students and staff.

Superintendent Nikolai Vitti alerted families of the change with robocalls and emails and posted a message on the district website and social media channels stressing that keeping students, staff, and school communities safe remains DPSCD’s highest priority. Schools also have worked to inform families through local communications and signage.

“We realize this is a new process and may be frustrating for some visitors,” Vitti noted in the announcement, “but please keep in mind that this is another safety strategy we are implementing to keep everyone safe and accountable.”

Under the process, visitors including parents and legal guardians must present a photo ID and have their picture taken via the new digital platform, called Visitor Aware.

The system, up and working in all schools, has facial recognition capabilities to verify that the person presenting the ID is the person pictured. But Vitti told BridgeDetroit “we are not using this feature.” The district is also not running visitors’ information against government and sex offender lists — another capability of Visitor Aware that the district will not be using — said DPSCD spokesperson Chrystal Wilson.

Vitti said in an email that the program will act as a replacement for paper sign-in sheets and be used to cross reference with a list from principals of individuals who should not be in the school building.

DPSCD’s security ramp-up follows two classroom incidents involving students with weapons. The district in October promised 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. Vitti told BridgeDetroit that the changes to visitor check-ins were being developed prior to those incidents.

Beyond the check-in measures, the district is spending $4.3 million to hire 38 additional security guards for the rest of the school year and recently began a security screening pilot at 10 schools. Vitti has said that the pilot will last for the remainder of the school year. If the process is faster and more efficient at detecting weapons, the district will consider adding it to more schools next school year.

Visitor Aware was piloted last spring in Detroit schools, according to a FAQ on the DPSCD website that was later taken down. When the pilot was complete, the district installed the equipment needed for the digital platform, trained staff over the summer and at the beginning of the school year, and integrated the system with existing safety protocols.

The program is overseen by the district’s Technology Division, Public Safety and Office of Schools departments.

How does the check-in platform work?

All visitors need to bring a photo ID or some form of identification, like a state ID or an utility bill, Vitti said in an email to BridgeDetroit. Once a visitor checks in, the front desk will take their photo and provide them with a visitor badge. If a visitor forgets their ID or a form of identification, a photo will still be taken for their temporary visitor badge, and additional paperwork is required.

“We use the program to know who is in the building (a replacement of paper sign-in sheets) and to flag who should not be in the building based on a list provided by the principal,” Vitti said in an email. “Names are used to cross reference this list.”

Visitor Aware is among the notification software platforms used in colleges and universities, government and healthcare settings, manufacturing sectors, as well as for businesses. The software was developed by Madison, Wisconsin-based Singlewire.

Visitor Aware is used in 300 schools and districts nationwide, Singlewire Communications Director Chris Swietlik said in an email. Some of those places include the Madison Metropolitan School District, Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District and Wausau School District in Wisconsin; Maricopa Unified School District in Arizona; and the Sioux Falls School District in South Dakota. Locally, Bloomfield Hills Schools began using the app on March 3.

Vitti said that the changes are the result of concerns raised by principals and staff regarding negative experiences with school visitors and parents, as well as the need to ensure the safety of students and staff.

“Many institutions, especially government-run buildings, require a check-in and ID process to ensure safety,” he said.

Keeping the school community safe

Erica Thompson, a parent to two daughters who attend Marcus Garvey Academy on Detroit’s East Side, said she hadn’t been inside the building since the new rule went into effect but doesn’t have a problem with it.

“Anything to keep the kids safe because you never know what could happen out here. I commend it,” she said.

Fellow Marcus Garvey parent Ashley Jones said that she recently encountered the new process and was a little surprised.

“It’s a little invasion of my privacy, but it’s a necessary protocol,” Jones said.

Special education advocate Sharon Kelso has raised concerns over the optics of the policy and has questions about how personal information is being protected.

Kelso, who visits DPSCD schools to assist families who want her guidance for talking to teachers and administrators, said she experienced the new check-in process during a visit to Renaissance High School on Feb. 2, a week before Vitti’s announcement went out to parents.

Kelso explained that she and a parent went to the school to meet with a building administrator to discuss a child’s Individualized Education Program. When Kelso and the parent were walking to the building, she noticed that the parent took out her driver’s license.

“I’m looking at her, and I said, ‘We have to have our driver’s license now?’” Kelso said. “She said, ‘Yeah, they do this for us to come into the building.’”

A security guard put Kelso’s ID through a scanner and instructed her to step back so he could take a photo, she said.

“I said, ‘Now, what do you need a picture of me for when you just scanned my license?’” Kelso said.

Kelso said she believes that the policy is “too much” and worries that it “will have parents and visitors feeling like criminals.”

“Who wants to be subjected to that? We want our schools to be safe, but I think we can be proactive and have people monitor our halls more, rather than doing all those restrictive things,” she said.

Kelso also wants to know how security measures are being implemented for teachers and staff members and whether the personal information and photos of visitors are being retained, and how, after they leave a school building.

“Where’s the data going? People need to know that if you’re going to take their information, then you have to be open with what you’re doing with it,” she said. “It’s like an invasion of privacy to a certain extent.”

Vitti said that the visitor badges are returned or discarded when a person leaves, and people’s photos remain at the school buildings and in an encrypted file by Visitor Aware. DPSCD has set a three-year retention period from a person’s most recent visit. If the visitor does not return within three years, their profile, including photo and visit history, is deleted.

Like Kelso, DPSCD board member Ida Short is concerned about the storage of people’s personal information. But said that she supports the policy overall, with issues like human trafficking targeting children, she said, school safety and security are tantamount.

“We have a lot of stuff that’s going on in this country, in this city, and so, to help our students, staff and parents be safe is important and we have to do all that we can,” Short said.

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

DPSCD operating tax proposal set to appear on August ballot

2026-03-12T21:49:38+00:00

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Detroit voters in August will have the chance to weigh in on a new operating millage for the Detroit school district.

The Detroit Public Schools Community District Board of Education, during its Tuesday night meeting, approved a resolution for the millage as well as a $1.4 million contract with public affairs firm Compass Strategies for a voter education campaign on the millage through June 30, 2027.

DPSCD will ask voters to support its collection of an 18-mill levy, which has been collected by Detroit Public Schools and last renewed by voters in 2024. The millage will not affect homeowners, but the tax would be for non-homestead properties, such as businesses and people who own rental properties, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said Tuesday.

“This isn’t a new tax or a higher tax. It’s just basically switching the current DPS millage to a DPSCD millage, which now runs our district,” Vitti said at Tuesday’s meeting.

If the millage fails in August, then the proposal will appear on November’s 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. Vitti said at a meeting last month that DPSCD must get voter approval to collect the operating millage by July 1, 2027. If voters reject the millage by that date, then DPSCD will go into a $120 million deficit.

Vitti explained at Tuesday’s meeting that in order for a district to receive state aid, it has to tax 18 mills, which is mainly a tax on businesses, he said. If the revenue is less than the minimum per pupil amount — $10,050 per student — then the state makes up the difference, which is the case for the Detroit school district.

“Districts like Birmingham, Southfield, and Bloomfield Hills generate more than $10,050 per student, and they keep that money,” Vitti said. “That money is flexible and you can apply it to school buildings, teacher salaries, and at-risk programs.”

In 1994, voters approved a new system for funding schools known as Proposal A. It led to three key changes, including eliminating the use of local property taxes as a source of school funding and creating a new state education tax. School districts began to get per-pupil payments from the state called the foundation allowance.

The three suburban districts Vitti mentioned are considered hold harmless districts, where local taxpayers contributed more than $6,500 per pupil prior to Proposal A’s passage, reported Bridge Michigan. These districts tend to be wealthier and are allowed to continue to pay additional local property taxes for their schools’ operations, exceeding the maximum foundation allowance.

State 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.

The district is appealing the Court of Claims’ decision and is waiting for a decision while it begins the process of putting the operating millage on the ballot.

Detroit school district’s history with tax revenue

In 2016, lawmakers created a new district to resolve a debt crisis in DPS. The new district, now known as 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, 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 the 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 have 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 December 2024.

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.

The final order also said DPS will remain intact to continue to collect debt millages to pay off the remaining loans by around 2040.

At Tuesday’s board meeting, Vitti said the operating debt should be paid off at the end of the year.

“This means that DPSCD will now function normally from a revenue point of view like every other district in Michigan,” he said.

What are others saying about the millage?

Vitti’s Tuesday presentation on the millage did not prompt much discussion from the board, but member Ida Short asked what the average homeowner will have to pay annually for the millage.

Vitti said only homeowners who rent out their property would have to contribute, and that he will work with the city to find out how many homeowners would be affected and the amount they will have to pay.

Additionally, Short told BridgeDetroit that while she understands why the district needs a millage, business owners shouldn’t have to pay off a debt that exponentially grew when DPS was under state-appointed emergency management.

In 2016, a report from the Citizens Research Council of Michigan showed that the district’s total debt topped $3.5 billion. DPS repeatedly took out short-term loans but through refinancing, converted them into long-term liabilities that became a financial burden. Most of that was done by the five emergency managers that ran the district from 2009 to 2015.

“We’re being squeezed by the state, and we’re squeezed because we’ve got to help the community and students with their education,” Short said. “We’re in a pickle, more or less. We have to have the money. But my point is, this money we should not have to pay. The state should eat the debt that they created.”

Aliya Moore, a DPSCD parent, said she plans to vote “no” on the millage until the district has conversations on a new literacy plan and consolidating schools. During public comment, Moore claimed that the district is not mentioning its phase-out plan for 19 DPSCD schools due to low enrollment. She believes that DPSCD is giving off the illusion of a thriving school district

“We keep voting ‘yes’ and yet, our district is at the bottom in the state,” she said.

Detroit activist and former Detroit library commissioner Russ Bellant said he supports what Vitti and the district are doing to reduce long-term costs and pay off its debt. From watching the state takeover of DPS in 1999, to the dismantling of the district in 2016, he wants to see the district thrive. Bellant said he wants big business to pay its share of property taxes for the millage.

“We need some reconciliation from those who’ve benefited (from tax captures) to pay back, and helping the school district pay off that debt is just common sense,” he said.

Chalkbeat Detroit reporter Hannah Dellinger contributed to this report.

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

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.

Republican effort to stop school lessons around gender identity rejected by state education board

2026-03-10T21:48:39+00:00

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Democrats on Michigan’s State Board of Education rejected a GOP effort Tuesday that was aimed at ending the teaching of gender identity in schools.

Nikki Snyder, a Republican from Goodrich, proposed adding an agenda item for the board’s monthly meeting that would have members vote on a resolution she said would not only end the teaching of gender identity but also end gender “transitioning in Michigan schools.”

The effort failed when the Democratic majority on the board voted against placing the proposal on the agenda. It was the latest attempt by the Republicans on the board to push back against the updated sex and health education standards.

Citing recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions, Snyder and Tom McMillin, a Republican from Oakland Township, alleged that the Michigan Department of Education is violating federal laws with updated sex and health education guidance the State Board approved in November, a claim another board member said was misleading and incorrect. The elected State Board oversees the Michigan Department of Education. Democrats control the eight-member State Board with six seats.

They also cited controversial training materials that came to light in 2022 in which a trainer suggested that teachers can talk with parents about a student expressing suicidal thoughts without having to reveal that gender identity or sexual orientation is a cause of their distress.

During debates in 2016 over State Board guidance to schools on addressing the needs of LGBTQ students, advocates argued that in a small number of cases, revealing to parents that their child is transitioning could put the student in danger. Several Democratic board members argued Tuesday that the language in the 2022 video was acknowledging that reality and wasn’t intended as a blanket suggestion that teachers withhold information from parents.

The attempt comes amid intense national debate about whether schools should teach about gender identity, parents’ rights to opt their children out of such lessons, and parents’ right to know about the gender identity their child uses at school.

In November, the State Board faced backlash for voting to approve updated standards for sex and health education that recommend students be taught to define gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation. In Michigan, local school districts aren’t required to align their curriculum to the state standards, though for subjects that are tested on annual exams, most do. Sex and health education are not tested. State law requires that parents be allowed to opt their children out of sex education lessons.

Last week, lawmakers in the Republican-controlled Michigan House passed a bill inspired by the debate over the updated standards that would require legislative approval of standards adopted by the State Board. The legislation isn’t expected to succeed in the Democrat-controlled Senate.

In February, the U.S. Justice Department announced it was investigating three Michigan school districts — Detroit Public Schools Community District, Lansing School District, and Godfrey-Lee Public Schools — to determine whether they had 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.

Letters sent to the districts cited the November vote to update sex and health education standards, with the DOJ saying those updates may violate Title IX rules. Snyder said during Tuesday’s meeting that she wrote a letter to the DOJ asking the department to investigate Michigan but didn’t mention specific schools.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last week in a California case that parents have a right to know about their child’s gender identity at school. The ruling in the Mirabelli v. Bonta case overturns a California law that required teachers to use students’ preferred names and pronouns at school and barred them from disclosing students’ gender identity to parents without the students’ consent.

Last year, the Supreme Court ruled in the Mahmoud v. Taylor case in Maryland that parents have the right to opt their children out of lessons that violate their religious beliefs.

McMillin urged the board to take up the proposed resolution in part because local districts should know that they “could be obstructing justice” if they withhold gender identity information from parents.

Ellen Cogen Lipton, a Democrat from Huntington Woods, noted that the Mirabelli v. Bonta ruling was an emergency ruling on the so-called shadow docket. Lipton, an attorney, said the shadow docket is for cases that are not intended to make broad-based policy decisions.

Lipton said that to describe the ruling in the Mirabelli v. Bonta as making policies or recommendations in other states as unconstitutional “is legally incorrect.”

“But it’s coming,” Snyder responded.

GOP and Democrat members accuse each other of politicizing education

State Superintendent Glenn Maleyko said he sought guidance on the California ruling from the Michigan attorney general’s office. He said there are differences between the California law and Michigan’s recommendations, including the fact that Michigan allows districts to choose whether to adopt the recommendations and for parents to opt their children out of lessons they object to.

“We don’t have a policy or protocol that mandates the implementation of those training materials or standards,” Maleyko said.

The resolution Snyder proposed called on the State Board to remove the health education guidelines adopted in November and notify all districts of that removal. The proposed resolution also noted that it would be “the first step in notifying the Michigan Department of Education that the continuous effort to politicize public education in our state will end and to receive this declaration as the repeated call to return to a model of education that teaches children how to think and not what to think.”

Board President Pamela Pugh said the resolution is an example of politicizing education that spreads confusion and misinformation.

“Our responsibility is to provide safe supportive respectful learning environments for all children,” Pugh said. “This resolution really is another attempt to rehash what the board has debated.”

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

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.)

“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.

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