Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) is Michigan’s largest public education system.
Superintendent Nikolai Vitti’s contract was renewed earlier this year. Vitti took control in 2017 following years of financial hardship and state-appointed emergency managers. In the years since local control was reinstated, the district benefited from consistent management and is in a healthy financial position.
DPSCD replaced Detroit Public Schools in 2016; the former district exists only to collect taxes in order to pay off its legacy debt. Today, DPSCD has increased teacher pay, channeled funds into a needed facility upgrade plan and refocused on putting students first.
Here’s a breakdown on everything parents should know about Detroit Public Schools Community District.
This story was updated by Metro Parent’s Audience Development Manager, Katina Beniaris. Her update involved adding in freelance writer Amanda Rahn’s research on the latest updates for Detroit Public Schools. Questions? Email katina@metroparent.com.
1. Overview of Detroit Public Schools Community District
- Phone number: 313-240-4377
- Number of schools: 106
- Number of students: 48,476
- Pupil to teacher ratio: 23:1
- PPE (Per Pupil Expenditures): $21,836
- Quick links: School calendar, enrollment information
- Claim to fame: The state’s largest public education system focuses on preparing all students to be college and career ready. While the district has faced financial hardship in the past, current school leaders have maintained a balanced budget. The district champions a whole-child approach that merges academics, social-emotional learning, extracurricular activities and health.
2. Facility Master Plan
The Detroit Public Schools Community District has created a new 20 year, $2.1 billion investment strategy for improving district-owned facilities. The Facility Master Plan will continue in different phases.
The district recommendation for full funding is set at $2.1 billion, but immediate work on the most urgently needed upgrades will begin using $700 million of the district’s funds combined with an anchor investment of $132 million.
Some of the highlights of the plan include five new buildings, five additions to existing buildings, expanded Pre-K facilities, more health centers, updated wifi, upgrades to playgrounds and much more.
3. New measures to combat chronic absenteeism
One of the district’s priorities is combating chronic absenteeism. Detroit school leaders see chronic absenteeism as one of the main issues preventing the district from better serving its students.
The district has been listening to community feedback and has identified the need for laundry facilities in schools in order to combat chronic absenteeism. Every school in the district is set to receive a washer and dryer by the end of the year. Many schools have other resources for students and their families as well, including food pantries with essential hygiene items.
4. Teacher pay updates
When the Detroit district switched back to local control, teacher shortages were a pressing concern–the district needed to fill 300 positions. One of the first priorities for the new leadership was attracting new teachers and retaining the teachers they had.
As reported by Bridge Detroit in 2021, DPSCD hiked starting salaries by 33 percent in 2017 and offered $15,000 annual recurring bonuses for roles like special education teachers as well as bonuses during the pandemic.
This summer, the Detroit school board approved a new contract for teachers that will continue its historic pay increases. From the time the district returned to local control in 2017 to 2026 (the year the new contract expires) teacher salaries will have increased every year, reports Chalkbeat Detroit.
Thanks to the new contract, starting salaries for new teachers have increased from $51,071 to $55,000. While other schools in the state have struggled to hire and keep teachers, the Detroit district has succeeded in keeping its classrooms staffed.
5. Paying students to increase literacy
A novel new method for increasing literacy will soon be implemented in Detroit high schools.
Any high school student in the district is eligible to earn $2,000 in exchange for attending literacy tutoring sessions. Sessions last for one hour after the school day and run four times a week.
Students will receive tutoring either one-on-one or in small groups from trained district employees.
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