Detroit Public Schools Community District, Michigan

Detroit Public Schools Community District
Detroit, Michigan
District details
Superintendent: Nikolai Vitti
# of school board members: 11
Website: Link

Detroit Public Schools Community District is a school district in Wayne County, Michigan. On July 1, 2016, Detroit's public school system was split into two entities. Detroit Public Schools, which oversaw city schools, was changed into a revenue-collection entity to pay down the system's debt by 2025. A new district called the Detroit Public Schools Community District was created to oversee schools. Learn more about the reorganization of Detroit's public schools here. Detroit Public Schools was the largest school district in the state in the 2013–2014 school year and served 49,043 students.

From 2009 to 2017, the state of Michigan oversaw the school district through an appointed emergency manager. In January 2015, Gov. Rick Snyder (R) appointed Darnell Earley to the position of emergency manager, succeeding Jack Martin. Earley resigned from office in February 2016 due to public protests over school conditions. Former U.S. bankruptcy judge Steven Rhodes was appointed to the position in February 2016. Rhodes served until 2017, when the emergency manager gave way to a newly elected school board working with the state-appointed Detroit Financial Review Commission.

About the district

Detroit Public Schools Community District is located in Wayne County, Mich.

Detroit Public Schools Community District is located in southeastern Michigan in Wayne County, Michigan. The county seat is Detroit. Wayne County was home to an estimated 1,759,335 residents in 2015, according to the United States Census Bureau.

Demographics

Wayne County underperformed in comparison to Michigan as a whole in terms of higher education achievement from 2010 to 2014. The United States Census Bureau found that 21.6 percent of county residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree during this period, compared to 29.3 percent of state residents. The median household income in the county was $41,421, compared to $53,482 for the state. The poverty rate in Wayne County was 24.1 percent, compared to 14.8 percent statewide.

Racial Demographics, 2015
Race	Wayne County (%)	Michigan (%)
White	54.8	77.1
Black or African American	39.1	13.3
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.5	1.2
Asian	3.2	5.6
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0.0	0.2
Two or More Races	2.4	2.6
Hispanic or Latino	5.7	17.6

Presidential Voting Pattern, Wayne County
Year	Democratic Vote	Republican Vote
2012	595,846	213,814
2008	660,085	219,582
2004	600,047	257,750
2000	530,414	223,021

Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Superintendent

This information is updated as we become aware of changes. Please contact us with any updates.

Nikolai Vitti is the superintendent of Detroit Public Schools Community District. He took office on May 23, 2017, roughly one month before initially expected. Before becoming superintendent of Detroit Public Schools Community District, Vitti served as superintendent of Duval County Public Schools in Florida for four years. A Michigan native, Vitti received a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from Wake Forest University, and a master's degree and doctorate from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Vitti's five-year contract was unanimously approved by the school board on May 12, 2017, and by the Detroit Financial Review Commission on May 22, 2017. The Detroit Free Press reported that his contract provides a salary of $295,000 during his first two years, and the possibility of earning $303,000 in his third year, $312,000 in his fourth, and up to $322,000 in the fifth and final year of the contract. According to the newspaper, Vitti also received an annual car allowance, moving expenses, and an annuity. His predecessor, Alycia Meriweather, served as an advisor to Vitti until her contract was up on July 1, 2017.

Past superintendents

Alycia Meriweather

Alycia Meriweather served as the interim superintendent of Detroit Public Schools Community District from 2016 to 2017. She was appointed to the position by Emergency Manager Steven Rhodes in March 2016. Meriweather first joined the district as a teacher in 1995 and served as the executive director of the Office of Curriculum prior to her appointment as superintendent. She received her bachelor's degree in education from the University of Michigan and her M.Ed. from Wayne State University.

Beginning May 23, 2017, Meriweather was replaced by Nikolai Vitti.

Karen Ridgeway

Karen Ridgeway served as the superintendent from 2011 to 2015. Prior to her appointment, Ridgeway spent more than 30 years employed by Detroit Public Schools as an educator, administrator, and assistant superintendent of the Office of Research, Evaluation, Assessment and Accountability. She earned her B.S., M.Ed., and Ed.S. degrees from Wayne State University.

School board elections

The Detroit Public Schools Board of Education was composed of 11 members elected to four-year terms. Four board members were elected at large and seven members were elected by district. Each member of the board received a $30 stipend for each meeting. This board was disbanded on July 1, 2016, with the creation of the Detroit Public Schools Community District. A new seven-member board took office in January 2017 following the November 2016 general election.

The Detroit Board of Education repeatedly came into conflict with each of the emergency managers appointed from 2009 to 2017. After the veto referendum on emergency managers was defeated in 2012, Governor Rick Snyder signed Public Act 436 of 2012 to strengthen the powers of emergency managers, including the one overseeing Detroit Public Schools. The division of power left the board with control of academic matters and the emergency manager with control of district finances.

Detroit Board of Education
Member	Assumed office	Term ends
Angelique Nicole Peterson-Mayberry	2017	2022
Georgia Lemmons	2017	2022
Iris Taylor	2017	2020
Misha Stallworth	2017	2020
Sonya Mays	2017	2020
Deborah Hunter-Harvill	2017	2018
LaMar Lemmons	2017	2018

This officeholder information was last updated on July 3, 2018. Please contact us with any updates.

Election dates

See also: 2014 election overview, 2016 election overview, and 2018 election overview

Four seats on the Detroit Board of Education were up for election on November 4, 2014, and seven seats were up for election on November 8, 2016. The November 2016 election was the first election for a seven-member board authorized by a June 2016 state law reorganizing district operations. The next election was held on November 6, 2018.

No school board elections were held in 2013 due to a legal dispute. State Attorney General Bill Schuette filed a lawsuit in 2012 to remove the seven board members who were elected by geographic electoral districts instead of at-large. According to state law, school board members may only be elected by geographic electoral districts instead of at-large as long as district enrollment remains over 100,000 students. Enrollment in the district had not reached 100,000 students since 2008. The school board's attorney, George Washington, denounced the lawsuit as racist and suggested that the state sued in order to allow its emergency manager complete control over Detroit Public Schools.

Public participation in board meetings

The Detroit Board of Education maintained the following policy on public testimony during board meetings:

“

The public is invited to attend Board meetings and will be given time to express viewpoints subject to reasonable controls over the length of presentations and the particular time when members of the public will be heard of. In all instances, the speaker will identify himself or herself before speaking. The Board will hear members of the public in accordance with the policies below. Hearings Persons who desire a hearing before the Board will present their request in writing to the General Superintendent or Board president. The General Superintendent will confer with the petitioner and president of the Board and schedule the hearing at the earliest possible mutually convenient date. A written statement of the matter to be discussed will be sent to Board members before the meeting. Speaking to Agenda Items Members of the public may speak to agenda items when recognized by the president. The following rules will apply: 1. Persons will be allowed to speak one time per agenda item. 2. If many individuals wish to speak on an agenda item, each speaker will be limited to two minutes. 3. If few citizens wish to speak on an agenda item, each speaker will be limited to four minutes. 4. The Board president will exercise equitable, reasonable judgment in determining time limits in relation to the number of persons to speak on an agenda item. 5. On volatile issues, cards will be distributed to indicate numerical order of speakers. Open Forum During an open period at the end of a Board meeting, members of the public may speak within time limitations on matters of immediate concern within the jurisdiction of the Board. The open forum period will be listed on the agenda. Authority of President The president is responsible for the orderly conduct of the meeting and will rule on such matters as time limits and pertinence of the topic to Board affairs. If an immediate response to a question raised by a member of the public is possible, the president may reply or ask the General Superintendent or a committee chairman to do so. Otherwise questions will be referred to the General Superintendent and/or the appropriate Board committee for investigation and later response.

”

Budget

From 1993 to 2013, the Detroit school district had an average of $1,370,847,000 in revenue and $1,477,182,429 in expenditures, according to the United States Census Bureau's survey of school system finances. The district had a yearly average of $1,291,993,619 in outstanding debt. The district retired $45,816,238 of its debt and issued $173,392,571 in new debt each year on average.

Revenue

The table below separates the district's revenue into the three sources identified by the agency: local, state, and federal.

Revenue by Source
Fiscal Year	Local		State		Federal		Revenue Total
	Total	% of Revenue	Total	% of Revenue	Total	% of Revenue

Click [show] on the right to display the revenue data for prior years.
1993	$291,529,000	25.71%	$713,594,000	62.92%	$128,998,000	11.37%	$1,134,121,000
1994	$301,334,000	24.72%	$778,021,000	63.83%	$139,622,000	11.45%	$1,218,977,000
1995	$156,198,000	12.38%	$997,451,000	79.08%	$107,607,000	8.53%	$1,261,256,000
1996	$169,582,000	12.75%	$1,044,677,000	78.56%	$115,529,000	8.69%	$1,329,788,000
1997	$187,184,000	13.42%	$1,059,768,000	75.96%	$148,252,000	10.63%	$1,395,204,000
1998	$178,285,000	12.55%	$1,094,806,000	77.09%	$147,128,000	10.36%	$1,420,219,000
1999	$195,157,000	13.19%	$1,111,083,000	75.09%	$173,472,000	11.72%	$1,479,712,000
2000	$208,102,000	13.83%	$1,130,732,000	75.16%	$165,691,000	11.01%	$1,504,525,000
2001	$198,030,000	12.89%	$1,150,709,000	74.92%	$187,226,000	12.19%	$1,535,965,000
2002	$236,230,000	14.13%	$1,200,905,000	71.83%	$234,843,000	14.05%	$1,671,978,000
2003	$246,284,000	14.84%	$1,176,357,000	70.90%	$236,429,000	14.25%	$1,659,070,000
2004	$267,288,000	16.27%	$1,122,410,000	68.34%	$252,704,000	15.39%	$1,642,402,000
2005	$278,668,000	17.78%	$1,027,480,000	65.57%	$260,915,000	16.65%	$1,567,063,000
2006	$290,555,000	19.02%	$984,243,000	64.44%	$252,659,000	16.54%	$1,527,457,000
2007	$320,482,000	21.25%	$918,069,000	60.87%	$269,588,000	17.88%	$1,508,139,000
2008	$334,981,000	25.43%	$814,536,000	61.82%	$168,009,000	12.75%	$1,317,526,000
2009	$313,482,000	24.22%	$731,678,000	56.53%	$249,063,000	19.24%	$1,294,223,000

2010	$279,723,000	23.66%	$615,158,000	52.03%	$287,377,000	24.31%	$1,182,258,000
2011	$237,594,000	18.99%	$561,782,000	44.91%	$451,471,000	36.09%	$1,250,847,000
2012	$263,715,000	25.48%	$499,995,000	48.31%	$271,358,000	26.22%	$1,035,068,000
2013	$234,510,000	27.53%	$389,089,000	45.67%	$228,390,000	26.81%	$851,989,000
Avg.	$247,091,095	18.57%	$910,597,286	65.42%	$213,158,619	16.01%	$1,370,847,000

Expenditures

The table below separates the district's expenditures into five categories identified by the agency:

• Instruction: operation expenditures, state payments on behalf of the district for instruction and benefits, and retirement system transfers
• Support Services: support services, food services, and retirement system transfers for support service staff
• Capital Spending: capital outlay expenditures (i.e., construction, land or facilities purchases, and equipment purchases)
• Debt & Gov. Payments: payments to state and local governments and interest on school system debt
• Other: all other non-K-12 programs, except food services

Expenditures by Category
Fiscal Year	Instruction		Support Services		Capital Spending		Debt & Gov. Payments		Other		Budget Total
	Total	% of Budget	Total	% of Budget	Total	% of Budget	Total	% of Budget	Total	% of Budget

Click [show] on the right to display the expenditure data for prior years.
1993	$586,247,000	51.99%	$459,192,000	40.72%	$33,025,000	2.93%	$21,357,000	1.89%	$27,752,000	2.46%	$1,127,573,000
1994	$635,172,000	52.18%	$505,667,000	41.54%	$20,501,000	1.68%	$19,271,000	1.58%	$36,610,000	3.01%	$1,217,221,000
1995	$794,609,000	62.25%	$390,025,000	30.55%	$21,597,000	1.69%	$18,829,000	1.48%	$51,445,000	4.03%	$1,276,505,000
1996	$786,115,000	57.18%	$503,841,000	36.65%	$22,968,000	1.67%	$17,398,000	1.27%	$44,381,000	3.23%	$1,374,703,000
1997	$785,636,000	59.15%	$478,463,000	36.02%	$20,837,000	1.57%	$21,463,000	1.62%	$21,909,000	1.65%	$1,328,308,000
1998	$784,638,000	58.32%	$495,504,000	36.83%	$26,582,000	1.98%	$19,918,000	1.48%	$18,719,000	1.39%	$1,345,361,000
1999	$820,909,000	55.41%	$543,570,000	36.69%	$73,915,000	4.99%	$21,081,000	1.42%	$21,958,000	1.48%	$1,481,433,000
2000	$905,457,000	57.32%	$514,051,000	32.54%	$116,358,000	7.37%	$23,488,000	1.49%	$20,189,000	1.28%	$1,579,543,000
2001	$957,304,000	58.92%	$513,606,000	31.61%	$111,261,000	6.85%	$24,286,000	1.49%	$18,348,000	1.13%	$1,624,805,000
2002	$850,662,000	44.31%	$667,478,000	34.77%	$333,885,000	17.39%	$37,442,000	1.95%	$30,320,000	1.58%	$1,919,787,000
2003	$884,202,000	44.08%	$690,364,000	34.42%	$363,583,000	18.13%	$54,200,000	2.70%	$13,560,000	0.68%	$2,005,909,000
2004	$935,103,000	46.27%	$711,064,000	35.18%	$280,767,000	13.89%	$81,455,000	4.03%	$12,734,000	0.63%	$2,021,123,000
2005	$877,068,000	45.83%	$694,833,000	36.31%	$250,955,000	13.11%	$81,076,000	4.24%	$9,939,000	0.52%	$1,913,871,000
2006	$755,205,000	46.22%	$654,112,000	40.03%	$126,854,000	7.76%	$72,564,000	4.44%	$25,266,000	1.55%	$1,634,001,000
2007	$764,780,000	49.77%	$634,297,000	41.28%	$33,523,000	2.18%	$83,274,000	5.42%	$20,827,000	1.36%	$1,536,701,000
2008	$703,557,000	49.12%	$592,679,000	41.38%	$17,595,000	1.23%	$89,156,000	6.22%	$29,469,000	2.06%	$1,432,456,000
2009	$689,064,000	51.94%	$520,217,000	39.21%	$19,880,000	1.50%	$86,639,000	6.53%	$10,838,000	0.82%	$1,326,638,000

2010	$651,102,000	49.34%	$507,335,000	38.44%	$40,648,000	3.08%	$110,036,000	8.34%	$10,622,000	0.80%	$1,319,743,000
2011	$557,814,000	38.71%	$485,363,000	33.68%	$255,458,000	17.73%	$131,754,000	9.14%	$10,693,000	0.74%	$1,441,082,000
2012	$515,473,000	41.86%	$378,493,000	30.74%	$213,384,000	17.33%	$116,464,000	9.46%	$7,561,000	0.61%	$1,231,375,000
2013	$359,121,000	40.68%	$342,976,000	38.86%	$59,253,000	6.71%	$112,938,000	12.79%	$8,405,000	0.95%	$882,693,000
Avg.	$742,820,857	50.52%	$537,291,905	36.55%	$116,325,190	7.18%	$59,242,333	4.24%	$21,502,143	1.52%	$1,477,182,429

Debt

The table below shows the amount of debt retired, issued, and outstanding in the district for each year.

Debt
Fiscal Year	Retired	Issued	Outstanding

Click [show] on the right to display the debt data for prior years.
1993	$31,987,000	$33,000,000	$274,465,000
1994	$29,301,000	$38,120,000	$283,284,000
1995	$27,194,000	$0	$256,090,000
1996	$28,477,000	$0	$227,613,000
1997	$35,026,000	$0	$336,808,000
1998	$38,615,000	$0	$302,943,000
1999	$45,508,000	$295,565,000	$550,750,000
2000	$32,699,000	$9,055,000	$811,730,000
2001	$22,236,000	$0	$854,493,000
2002	$27,276,000	$414,800,000	$1,237,569,000
2003	$58,265,000	$731,900,000	$1,809,391,000
2004	$40,336,000	$51,635,000	$1,765,834,000
2005	$42,887,000	$213,246,000	$2,152,009,000
2006	$47,810,000	$554,093,000	$3,938,769,000
2007	$58,060,000	$0	$947,905,000
2008	$66,739,000	$0	$878,061,000
2009	$53,970,000	$1,000,000	$970,091,000

2010	$47,700,000	$290,000,000	$1,989,985,000
2011	$63,899,000	$258,972,000	$2,576,677,000
2012	$73,785,000	$749,858,000	$2,948,513,000
2013	$90,371,000	$0	$2,018,886,000
Avg.	$45,816,238	$173,392,571	$1,291,993,619

Teacher salaries

Detroit Public Schools employed 2,324 K-12 teachers during the 2012-2013 school year. Teacher salaries are categorized based on higher education achievement, professional development and years of service. A teacher with a bachelor's degree can earn higher salaries by pursuing graduate courses. The salary schedule also accounts for graduate degrees by providing higher starting salaries and greater potential salaries. The following table details the salary schedule negotiated between the district and the Detroit Federation of Teachers for 2013-2014:

Salary structure
Degree level	Minimum salary ($)	Maximum salary ($)
B.A.	35,682	56,099
M.A.	37,383	65,264
M.A. + 30	37,653	65,894
Ph.D.	37,923	66,164

Schools in Detroit Public Schools

Enrollment

Detroit Public Schools served 51,979 students during the 2012-2013 school year. Detroit Public Schools did not publicly archive enrollment data.

District schools

Detroit Public Schools operated 104 schools during the 2013-2014 school year. These schools are listed below in alphabetical order:

Detroit Public Schools
School Name
Academy of the Americas
Adult Ed Center - East
Adult Ed Center - West
Ann Arbor Trail Magnet School
Bagley Elementary School
Banks, Diann Williamson Center
Bates Academy
Beard Elementary School
Bennett Elementary School
Blackwell Institute
Bow Elementary-Middle School
Breithaupt Career and Technical Center
Brewer Academy
Brown, Ronald Academy
Bunche Preparatory Academy
Burton International Academy
Carleton Elementary School
Carson, Benjamin High School for Science and Medicine
Carstens Elementary-Middle School at Remus Robinson
Carver STEM Academy
Cass Technical High School
Chrysler Elementary School
Clark, J.E. Preparatory Academy
Clemente, Roberto Academy
Clippert Academy
Cody - Academy of Public Leadership
Cody - Detroit Institute of Technology College Prep High School
Cody - Medicine and Community Health Academy
Communication & Media Arts HS
Cooke Elementary School
Crockett Career and Technical Center
Davis Aerospace High School
Davison Elementary-Middle School
Detroit Collegiate Preparatory High School at Northwestern
Detroit International Academy for Young Women
Detroit Lions Alternative Education
Detroit School of Arts
Dixon Educational Learning Academy
Dossin Elementary-Middle School
Douglass Academy for Young Men
DPS Foundation for Early Learners @ Edmonson
DPS Foundation for Early Learners @ Glazer
DPS Foundation for Early Learners @ Loving
DPS Foundation for Early Learners PK @ Rutherford
DPS Foundation for Early Learners PK @ White
Drew Transition Center
Durfee Elementary-Middle School
Earhart Elementary-Middle School
East English Village Preparatory Academy
Edison Elementary School
Ellington Elementary-Middle School at Beckham
Emerson Elementary-Middle School
Field, Moses
Fisher Magnet Lower Academy
Fisher Magnet Upper Academy
Fleming Early Childhood
Foreign Language Immersion and Cultural Studies
Gardner Elementary School
Garvey Academy
Golightly Career and Technical Center
Golightly Education Center
Gompers Elementary-Middle School
Greenfield Union Elementary-Middle School
Harms Elementary School
Henderson Academy
Holmes, A.L. Elementary-Middle School
Hutchinson Elementary-Middle School
Keidan Special Education Center
King High School
King, John R. Academic and Performing Arts Academy
Ludington Magnet Middle School
Mackenzie Elementary-Middle School
Mann Elementary School
Marquette Elementary-Middle School
Marshall, Thurgood Elementary School
Mason Elementary-Middle School
Maybury Elementary School
Munger Elementary-Middle School
Neinas Elementary School
Nichols Elementary-Middle School
Noble Elementary-Middle School
Osborn College Preparatory Academy
Osborn Collegiate Academy of Mathematics, Science and Technology
Osborn Evergreen Academy of Design and Alternative Energy
Palmer Park Preparatory Academy
Pasteur Elementary School
Priest Elementary-Middle School
Pulaski Elementary-Middle School
Randolph Career and Technical Center
Renaissance High School
Robeson/Malcolm X Academy
Sampson-Webber Leadership Academy
Schulze Elementary-Middle School
Spain Elementary-Middle School
Thirkell Elementary School
Turning Point Academy
Twain School for Literary Scholars
Vernor Elementary School
Wayne Elementary School
West Side Academy Alt. Ed
Western International High School
White, Jerry L. Center High School
Wright, Charles School
Young, Coleman A. Elementary

Academic performance

The Michigan Merit Exam is a standardized test conducted to measure student progress toward the state's academic benchmarks. Students in grade 11 and eligible students in grade 12 are tested on the following five subjects: reading, writing, social studies, mathematics, and science. Students can score as Not Proficient, Partially Proficient, Proficient and Advanced in each subject.

The Michigan Merit Exam was introduced in 2007 and fully implemented in 2008 as a replacement for the Michigan Educational Assessment Program standardized test for high school students. It incorporates both the ACT college readiness assessment and the WorkKeys career readiness assessment. It is also used to measure Adequate Yearly Progress under the No Child Left Behind Act.

Reading MME Performance
	Not Proficient		Partially Proficient		Proficient		Advanced		Total Proficient
Year	District	State	District	State	District	State	District	State	District	State
2012-2013	28%	17%	37%	30%	32%	39%	<10%	14%	35%	54%

Writing MME Performance
	Not Proficient		Partially Proficient		Proficient		Advanced		Total Proficient
Year	District	State	District	State	District	State	District	State	District	State
2012-2013	16%	<10%	56%	43%	27%	44%	<10%	<10%	28%	49%

Social Studies MME Performance
	Not Proficient		Partially Proficient		Proficient		Advanced		Total Proficient
Year	District	State	District	State	District	State	District	State	District	State
2012-2013	27%	12%	61%	49%	11%	28%	<10%	10%	12%	39%

Mathematics MME Performance
	Not Proficient		Partially Proficient		Proficient		Advanced		Total Proficient
Year	District	State	District	State	District	State	District	State	District	State
2012-2013	62%	33%	30%	38%	<10%	23%	<10%	<10%	<10%	29%

Science MME Performance
	Not Proficient		Partially Proficient		Proficient		Advanced		Total Proficient
Year	District	State	District	State	District	State	District	State	District	State
2012-2013	77%	46%	19%	29%	<10%	17%	<10%	<10%	<10%	26%

Issues

Restructuring of Detroit Public Schools

On June 21, 2016, Gov. Rick Snyder (R) signed a bill authorizing the division of Detroit Public Schools into two entities effective July 1, 2016. The restructuring plan will maintain Detroit Public Schools as a revenue-collecting entity that will pay down the district's debts by 2025. The second district will operate schools using $617 million in state funding. The new school district will be governed by a seven-member board elected in November 2016 with finances reviewed by a state-appointed commission. Snyder issued a statement suggesting that the bill will keep the district on strong financial footing and implement accountability measures for schools.

The bill drew rebukes from Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and state legislators from Detroit. Duggan argued that a mayoral commission, which was removed from the bill by House Republicans, should oversee school finances rather than a state-appointed board. State Rep. Sherry Gay-Dagnogo (D) stated that the bill would not resolve racial disparities in public schools.

Teacher protests and school closures

On January 20, 2016, 88 of the district's 100 schools were closed due to a large number of teachers calling in sick to protest class sizes and classroom conditions. District teachers began protesting by calling in sick on January 11, 2016, with enough absences to close 62 district schools for the day. Detroit Public Schools responded the day of the January 20 closures by seeking a restraining order and injunction against participating teachers. The district named a group of participating teachers and the Detroit Federation of Teachers (DFT) in the suit, which claims that 31,000 students (67.4 percent of all students in the district) missed one day of school due to the protests. A Detroit judge declined to issue the restraining order on January 25, 2016, stating there was no indisputable proof that the union or individual teachers were involved with the protests. In August 2016, Judge Cynthia Stephens ruled in favor of teachers Nicole Conaway and Steve Conn, who were sued by the district over their roles in the sick-outs. The district argued that the sick-outs constituted an illegal strike, while Conaway and Conn argued that they were engaging in protected free speech.

Teachers and school administrators attracted national media attention to adverse conditions in district schools prior to the protests. A CBS News report on January 13, 2016, highlighted water leaks, mold and students wearing winter coats in classrooms at Spain Elementary School. The Washington Post cited crumbling ceilings at Ron Brown Academy, damaged ceilings at Osborn College Preparatory Academy and cockroaches at Ellington Conservatory of Music & Art.

Gov. Rick Snyder (R)

The protests coincided with a visit on January 20 by President Barack Obama to the Detroit Auto Show, as well as Gov. Rick Snyder's State of the State address on January 19. The DFT asked members to pass out leaflets outside of the event highlighting mold, lack of heating and other conditions in public schools. In his January 19 address, Snyder sought approval from the Michigan State Legislature for district reforms that would avoid further difficulties. Snyder proposed and State Sen. Goeff Hansen (R) sponsored an education bill in late 2015 that would split DPS into two districts. The existing DPS would wind down $500 million in debt through an 18-mill tax and a new district called the Detroit Community School District would oversee schools with funding from the Michigan School Aid Fund. The Citizens Research Council of Michigan released a report in January 2016 concluding that the district's debt exceeded $3.5 billion, leading district officials to suggest that funding for schools would run out by April 2016.

Reactions

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan

Local officials offered mixed reactions to the protests. The DFT told media outlets that they were not organizing the teacher absences, which were credited to former union president Steve Conn. Mayor Mike Duggan lamented the closures and asked teachers to return to work, but acknowledged that the protesters were bringing up legitimate issues. Darnell Earley, the emergency manager for DPS, previously indicated that the district lacked the money to make all of the repairs required to address teacher concerns.

Snyder's proposal to split DPS drew criticism from Democratic and Republican legislators. State Rep. Tim Kelly (R) told the Detroit Free Press that the district's debts should be repaid, but no additional funding should go to the district. State Rep. Sherry Gay-Dagnogo (D) expressed concern that the proposal would create an appointed school board for the new district rather than an elected body.

Emergency manager

On March 2, 2009, then-Governor Jennifer Granholm appointed Robert Bobb to the position of Detroit Public Schools' emergency manager under Public Act 72 of 1990. He was initially appointed to serve a one-year term in order to address the district's legacy budget deficit, which was projected to reach $305.8 million in June 2009. As the emergency manager, Bobb created an internal audit department, led an enrollment drive, and advocated for a successful $500.5 million bond issue to build and modernize 18 schools in the district. However, the projected deficit in 2011 was still $327 million.

In May 2011, Governor Rick Snyder appointed Roy Roberts to the position of emergency manager after Bobb's contract expired. During his time as the emergency manager, Roberts enforced two consecutive balanced budgets and reduced the size of the legacy deficit from $327 million to $72 million, partially through selling more than $200 million in bonds. Enrollment fell sharply from approximately 74,000 students in 2011 to 51,979 students in 2013, although a significant portion of this decline could be attributed to the removal of 15 district schools and nearly 10,000 students to a state reform district created in 2012.

Governor Snyder appointed Jack Martin to the position of emergency manager on July 15, 2013, after Roy Roberts chose to leave the position once his contract expired. Prior to serving in this position, Martin spent more than 40 years as a Certified Public Accountant and served as the emergency manager for Highland Park City Schools in 2012 and as the chief financial officer of the city of Detroit. Roy Roberts expressed support for Martin's appointment, and Martin stated that he would pursue a similar deficit reduction path to the one laid out by Roberts. In November 2013, the Michigan Department of Education removed the federal High Risk status from Detroit Public Schools, thereby granting the district "an incremental level of independence in its financial and administrative functions."

Darnell Earley served as emergency manager from January 2015 to February 2016. He was replaced by Steven Rhodes in February 2016.

2014 EM removal lawsuit

The Detroit Board of Education sought the removal of the state-imposed emergency manager for a third time in September 2014. The struggle between the board, the emergency manager, and the state lasted for years, including a lawsuit by Attorney General Bill Schuette to remove the entire board from office. While that effort failed in early 2013, better relations between the board and emergency manager did not develop.

The school board challenged the legal basis for emergency managers on several occasions but failed to achieve removal. In September 2014, a majority of the board believed they finally had the power to vote out then-emergency manager Jack Martin. According to the emergency manager law that provided for the position, Public Act 436, a governing body can remove the emergency manager by a two-thirds vote after the manager has served for 18 months. In the resolution passed by the board to remove Martin, the board accused the state of putting the district into a deficit through poor financial decisions and by refusing to let the board take action against those decisions.

The board then filed a lawsuit asking a judge to allow them to remove Martin immediately, while Martin's lawyers argued that he not be removed until January 2015, which would be 18 months after his appointment. The school board calculated the 18 months from when PA 436 was passed. The judge gave a summary ruling and dismissed the school board's case. The board stated at the time that they would turn their focus to a federal court lawsuit challenging the emergency manager law on constitutional grounds. Martin ultimately left the position in January 2015 and the emergency manager role was filled by Darnell Earley.

Contact information

Detroit Public Schools Community District
3031 W. Grand Boulevard
Detroit, MI 48202
Phone: 313-873-3111

See also

Michigan	School Board Elections	News and Analysis
List of school districts in Michigan School board elections in Michigan Public education in Michigan	Detroit Public Schools 2016 • 2014	School board election data analysis, 2025 United States school shootings, 1990-present

External links

Suggest a link

• Detroit Public Schools Community District
• Detroit Federation of Teachers
• Detroit, Michigan
• Wayne County, Michigan
• Michigan Department of Education
• MI School Data
• Michigan Association of School Boards

Footnotes