Lori Higgins

Lori Higgins

Bureau Chief, Chalkbeat Detroit

Lori Higgins is the Bureau Chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. Previously, she covered K-12 education for nearly two decades as a reporter for the Detroit Free Press, was a reporter and editor at the Green Bay Press Gazette, and a reporter at the Manhattan Mercury. She is a native of Chicago and product of Chicago Public Schools.

More than 3,000 students in the Detroit school district have been identified as homeless. The actual number is likely much higher.

State Superintendent Michael Rice said he doesn’t expect the effort to abolish the U.S. Department of Education to succeed. But he worries that the Trump administration will attempt to make big cuts to education programs.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s budget proposal would increase per-pupil funding by nearly $400 per student.

The DPSCD lawsuit against the state Treasury Department remains alive, with the judge likely next taking up the state’s motion to dismiss the case

At one school in the Detroit Public Schools Community District, just 7% of the students attended class Monday.

The Detroit Public Schools Community District will begin training key staff next week on what to do if immigration officials show up at schools.

The Detroit district and Michigan NAEP scores show students haven’t fully rebounded from the pandemic, a trend that was consistent across the nation.

Whitmer has also signed legislation that requires charter schools to publicly post teacher salary information and all public schools to allow indigenous students to wear traditional regalia to graduation ceremonies.

The Detroit school board on Tuesday elected Corletta Vaughn as its new president. She says the board is looking to improve virtual meetings.

The $70 million will provide a one-time infusion of funding for the district that could be used for a number of efforts, including facilities and mental health support.