Detroit Public Schools Community District, Michigan

Detroit Public Schools Community District

Detroit, Michigan
District details
Superintendent: Nikolai Vitti
# of school board members: 7
Website: Link

Detroit Public Schools Community District is a school district in 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.

Click on the links below to learn more about the school district's...

* Superintendent
* School board
* Elections
* Budget
* Teacher salaries
* Academic performance
* Student enrollment
* Demographics
* Contact information

## Contents

* 1 Superintendent
* 1.1 Past superintendents
* 2 School board elections
* 2.1 Detroit Public Schools Board of Education
* 2.2 Election dates
* 2.3 Public participation in board meetings
* 3 Budget
* 3.1 Revenue
* 3.2 Expenditures
* 3.3 Debt
* 4 Teacher salaries
* 5 Academic performance
* 5.1 Proficiency assessments
* 5.1.1 Mathematics
* 5.1.2 Reading/language arts
* 5.2 Graduation rates
* 6 Student enrollment
* 7 About the district
* 8 Noteworthy events
* 8.1 2009-2017: Emergency managers appointed to oversee school district
* 8.1.1 2014: Emergency manager removal lawsuit
* 8.1.2 2013: Lawsuit to remove board members dismissed
* 8.1.3 2012: District schools removed
* 8.2 2016: Restructuring of Detroit Public Schools
* 8.3 2016: Teacher protests and school closures
* 8.3.1 Reactions to protests
* 9 Contact information
* 10 See also
* 11 External links
* 12 Footnotes

## Superintendent[edit]

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

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Nikolai Vitti is the superintendent of the Detroit Public Schools Community District. Vitti was appointed as superintendent on May 23, 2017. Vitti's previous career experience includes working as a superintendent of Duval County Public Schools in Florida, as a chief academic officer of Miami-Dade County Public Schools in Florida, and as a deputy chancellor of the Florida Department of Education.[1]

### Past superintendents[edit]

* Alycia Meriweather was the interim superintendent of the Detroit Public Schools Community District from 2016 to 2017. Meriweather's previous career experience included working as a teacher and the executive director of the Office of Curriculum in the district.[2][3]
* Karen Ridgeway was the superintendent of the Detroit Public Schools Community District from 2011 to 2015. Ridgeway's previous career experience included working as an educator, administrator, and assistant superintendent.[4][5]

## School board elections[edit]

The Detroit Public Schools Community District Board of Education consists of seven members elected to four-year terms. Board members are elected at-large.[6]

Office

| Name | Date assumed office

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Detroit Public Schools Board of Education At-large | Sherry Gay-Dagnogo | January 1, 2021 | Detroit Public Schools Board of Education At-large | Deborah Hunter-Harvill | 2017 | Detroit Public Schools Board of Education At-large | Georgia Lemmons | 2017 | Detroit Public Schools Board of Education At-large | Sonya Mays | 2017 | Detroit Public Schools Board of Education At-large | Angelique Nicole Peterson-Mayberry | 2017 | Detroit Public Schools Board of Education At-large | Misha Stallworth | 2017 | Detroit Public Schools Board of Education At-large | Corletta Vaughn | 2019

|  This officeholder information was last updated on April 15, 2021. Please contact us with any updates. |

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### Detroit Public Schools Board of Education[edit]

The Detroit Public Schools Board of Education was composed of 11 members elected to four-year terms. Four board members were elected at largeAll registered voters can vote for seats on the ballot in an at-large election. This is the alternative to a "by district" election, in which only the registered voters of a particular geographic area may vote for a particular seat up for election. and seven members were elected by districtOnly the registered voters of a particular area may vote for a particular seat in a by-district election. This is opposed to an "at-large" election, in which all registered voters can vote for seats on the ballot regardless of geographic location..[7] 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.

### Election dates[edit]

See also: Detroit Public Schools Community District elections in 2018 and 2020

A general election was scheduled for November 3, 2020.

The November 2016 election was the first election for a seven-member board authorized by a June 2016 state law reorganizing district operations.[8]

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 rather than being elected 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.[9][10]

### Public participation in board meetings[edit]

The Detroit Public Schools Community District school board maintains the following policy on public testimony during board meetings:[11]

“  | The Board of Education recognizes the value of public comment on educational issues and the importance of allowing members of the public to express themselves on District matters.

To permit fair and orderly public expression, the Board shall provide a period for public participation at public meetings of the Board. The Board hereby adopts and publish rules to govern such participation in Board meetings and in Board committee meetings, including, but not limited to, setting time limits for participants, providing for the designation of spokespersons for a group, and maintaining order and decorum during the public comment period. The rules shall be administered and enforced by the presiding officer of the meeting.
The presiding officer shall be guided by the following rules:

A. Public participation shall be permitted as indicated on the agenda. Anyone with concerns related to the operation of the schools or to matters within the authority of the Board may participate during the public portion of a meeting.
B. The presiding officer may limit the scope of public comment based on the specific circumstances of the meeting and potential time constraints (i.e. the number of individuals requesting to speak is so large that to allow them all to speak at the meeting would disrupt the meeting).
C. Meeting attendees who do not register within the allotted time frame will not be recognized by the presiding officer and permitted to participate during the public portion of a meeting.
D. The presiding officer will make an announcement during the meeting when the period to register has expired.
E. There will be an agenda item where the presiding officer announces during the meeting that the time to turn in registration cards for participation in the public comment portion of the meeting has ended.
F. In-Person Meetings:

1. Members of the Public Who Physically Attend An In-Person Meeting:
1. Members of the public who physically attend an in-person meeting must register to participate in the public comment portion of the meeting. Registration will close when announced by the presiding officer and new public comment registrations will not be accepted after the announcement.
2. When a participant registers, s/he will be asked to write his/her name on a registration card. If the individual chooses not to provide his/her name, then s/he will be asked to write a number on the card.
3. The presiding officer, using the participant's name or number written on the card, will call members of the public up to the microphone to provide their comments.
4. The presiding officer will call several participants at a time to the microphone to speak. For example, the presiding officer will state, "persons A, B and C, please line up at the microphone to speak.
5. Participants must be recognized by the presiding officer and will be requested to preface their comments by an announcement of their name; address and group affiliation, if and when appropriate, although not required.
2. Members of the Public Who Virtually Attend An In-Person Meeting:
1. Subject to availability and functionality of District technology, members of the public who virtually attend an in-person meeting may also be allowed to provide public comment. They must register to participate in the public comment portion of the meeting. Registration will close when announced by the presiding officer and new public comment registrations will not be accepted after the announcement.
2. In order to participate in public comment, a member of the public must register using the functionality of the Zoom webinar or other digital platform. For example, in a Zoom webinar a public comment participant must “raise their hand” via their computer or telephone and will be registered for public comment and will be identified by the name or telephone number that is digitally displayed. Participants must “raise their hand” to register prior to the presiding officer’s announcement during the meeting that the period to register for public comment has expired.
3. Such participants will be called on to speak after persons physically attending the meeting have offered public comment.

G. Virtual Meetings:

1. When meetings are held virtually via a digital platform (i.e., Zoom, etc.), members of the public must also register to participate in the public comment portion of the meeting.
2. In order to participate in public comment, a member of the public must register using the functionality of the Zoom webinar or other digital platform. For example, in a Zoom meeting a public comment participant must “raise their hand” via their computer or telephone and will be registered for public comment and will be identified by the name or telephone number that is digitally displayed. Participants must “raise their hand” to register prior to the presiding officer’s announcement during the meeting that the period to register for public comment has expired.

H. Each statement made by a participant at Board meetings, including committee meetings, shall be limited to three (3) minutes duration.
I. No participant may speak more than once at the same meeting.
J. Participants shall direct all comments to the Board and not to staff or other participants. Comments may not be directed to the audience.
K. All statements shall be directed to the presiding officer; no person may address or question Board members individually.
L. Groups must identify their membership and designate one (1) representative to speak. This representative may speak for up to six (6) minutes and no additional, individual comments from members affiliated with or directly related to the group ﻿will be accepted from the group thereafter. Determination of affiliation is at the discretion of the presiding officer.
M. The presiding officer may:

a. prohibit public comments which are frivolous, repetitive, or harassing;
b. interrupt, warn, or terminate a participant's statement when the statement is too lengthy, personally directed, abusive, obscene, or irrelevant;
c. request any individual to leave the meeting when that person behaves in a manner that is disruptive of the orderly conduct of the meeting;
d. request the assistance of law enforcement officers in the removal of a disorderly person when that person's conduct interferes with the orderly progress of the meeting;
e. call for a recess or an adjournment to another time when the lack of public decorum so interferes with the orderly conduct of the meeting as to warrant such action;
f. waive these rules with the approval of the Board when necessary for the protection of privacy or the administration of the Board's business;
N. The portion of the meeting during which the participation of the public is invited shall be limited to one (1) hour, unless extended by a vote of the Board.

Parliamentary rules, as specified by Robert's Rules of Order, do not permit cross discussion between members of the audience and the Board. The Board shall reserve the right to limit discussion so that everyone desiring to speak may be heard.
Tape or video recordings are permitted subject to the following conditions:

A. No obstructions are created between the Board and the audience.
B. No interviews are conducted in the meeting room while the Board is in session.
C. No commentary, adjustment of equipment, or positioning of operators is made that would distract either the Board or members of the audience while the Board is in session.

The person operating the recorder should contact the Superintendent prior to the Board meeting to review possible placement of the equipment.[12]

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## Budget[edit]

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.[13]

### Revenue[edit]

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

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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[edit]

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

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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

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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

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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[edit]

The following salary information was pulled from the district's teacher salary schedule. A salary schedule is a list of expected compensations based on variables such as position, years employed, and education level. It may not reflect actual teacher salaries in the district.

Year  |  Minimum  |  Maximum

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2019-2020[14] |  $38,500  |  $74,000

## Academic performance[edit]

### Proficiency assessments[edit]

Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements.[15]

#### Mathematics[edit]

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:[16]

School year  |  All (%)  |  Asian/Pacific
Islander (%)  |  Black (%)  |  Hispanic (%)  |  Native
American (%)  |  Two or More
Races (%)  |  White (%)

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2018-2019 |  12 |  32  |  10  |  16  |  21-39  |  15-19  |  17
2017-2018 |  8 |  18  |  7  |  10  |  20-29  |  6-9  |  11
2016-2017 |  10 |  36  |  9  |  10  |  20-29  |  6-9  |  13

#### Reading/language arts[edit]

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:[16]

School year  |  All (%)  |  Asian/Pacific
Islander (%)  |  Black (%)  |  Hispanic (%)  |  Native
American (%)  |  Two or More
Races (%)  |  White (%)

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2018-2019 |  18 |  40  |  17  |  22  |  21-39  |  20-24  |  21
2017-2018 |  13 |  22  |  12  |  16  |  11-19  |  15-19  |  15
2016-2017 |  18 |  42  |  17  |  18  |  20-29  |  10-14  |  19

### Graduation rates[edit]

The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:[16][17]

School year  |  All (%)  |  Asian/Pacific
Islander (%)  |  Black (%)  |  Hispanic (%)  |  Native
American (%)  |  Two or More
Races (%)  |  White (%)

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2017-2018 |  77 |  GE95  |  78  |  70  |  GE50  |  PS  |  70-79
2016-2017 |  78 |  85-89  |  78  |  80  |  PS  |  |  70-79

## Student enrollment[edit]

Year[18] |  Enrollment  |  Year-to-year change (%)

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2018-2019  |  49,534  |  -0.6
2017-2018  |  49,810  |  11.6
2016-2017  |  44,616  |  \-

## About the district[edit]

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

Detroit Public Schools Community District is located in Wayne County, Michigan. It is classified as a large city school district by the National Center for Education Statistics. The district served 49,534 students during the 2018-2019 school year and comprised 108 schools.[19]

During the 2018-2019 school year, 86.1% of the district's students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, 12.5% were English language learners, and 15.6% of students had an Individual Education Plan (IEP)An IEP is a specific education plan that is tailored to the needs of a student with a disability. It describes how the student learns most effectively, formulates goals for the student and considers their ability in relation to general curriculum..[20]

Racial Demographics, 2018-2019

Race  |  Detroit Public Schools Community District (%)  |  MICHIGAN K-12 students (%)
American Indian/Alaska Native  |  0.1  |  0.6
Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander  |  1.6  |  3.4
Black  |  82.0  |  17.9
Hispanic  |  13.5  |  8.1
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander  |  0.1  |  0.1
Two or More Races  |  0.3  |  4.2
White  |  2.4  |  65.8

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.

## Noteworthy events[edit]

### 2009-2017: Emergency managers appointed to oversee school district[edit]

From 2009 to 2017, the state of Michigan oversaw the school district through an appointed emergency manager.[21]

On March 2, 2009, Governor Jennifer Granholm (D) 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.[21] In 2011, the projected deficit was $327 million.[22]

In May 2011, Governor Rick Snyder (R) appointed Roy Roberts to the position of emergency manager after Bobb's contract expired.[23] 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.[24]

On July 15, 2013, Governor Snyder appointed Jack Martin as emergency manager after Roy Roberts left the position following the expiration of his contract. Prior to serving as emergency manager, Martin spent more than 40 years as a Certified Public Accountant, served as the emergency manager for Highland Park City Schools in 2012, and served as the chief financial officer of the city of Detroit. Roy Roberts expressed support for Martin's appointment. Martin stated that he would pursue a similar deficit-reduction path to the one laid out by Roberts.[25][26]

In November 2013, the Michigan Department of Education removed the federal High Risk status from Detroit Public Schools. According to the school district press release on the matter, "With this action, the district will gain an incremental level of independence in its financial and administrative functions."[27]

In January 2015, Gov. Snyder appointed Darnell Earley as the emergency manager, succeeding Jack Martin.[26] Earley resigned from office in February 2016.[28]

In February 2016, former U.S. bankruptcy judge Steven Rhodes was appointed to the position.[29] Rhodes served until 2017 when the newly elected school board was instated. The board worked with the state-appointed Detroit Financial Review Commission.

#### 2014: Emergency manager removal lawsuit[edit]

In September 2014, a majority of the board believed they were authorized to vote out then-emergency manager Jack Martin. According to 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.[30] The board filed a lawsuit asking a judge to allow Martin's immediate removal. Martin's lawyers argued that he not be removed until January 2015, 18 months after his appointment. The school board calculated the 18 months from when PA 436 was passed. The judge granted summary judgmentRefers to a judgment granted on a claim about which there is no genuine issue of fact and to which the party moving for judgment prevails as a matter of law. to Martin and dismissed the case. Following the outcome of the lawsuit, the board stated that they would focus on its federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the emergency manager law. Martin left the position in January 2015 and Darnell Earley was appointed as the next emergency manager.[31]

#### 2013: Lawsuit to remove board members dismissed[edit]

The Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette had filed a lawsuit in order to seven out of the 11 school board members from office, claiming they were holding office illegally because they were elected while the district did not meet the student enrollment requirements allowing school board elections as outlined by state law. The suit was dismissed in 2013. In a statement, the judge said that the state law did not address what should happen in a district where student enrollment had declined, as it had in Detroit.[32]

#### 2012: District schools removed[edit]

In 2012, the state created a reform district. In 2013, enrollment in the Detroit school district fell from approximately 74,000 students in 2011 to 51,979 students. Fifteen district schools and nearly 10,000 students were removed to the state reform district.[33]

### 2016: Restructuring of Detroit Public Schools[edit]

In his January 19, 2016 address, Gov. Rick Snyder (R) sought approval from the Michigan State Legislature for district reforms. Snyder proposed and State Sen. Goeff Hansen (R) sponsored an education bill in late 2015 that would split DPS into two districts.[34]

In response to the proposal, 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.[34]

On June 21, 2016, Snyder signed a bill authorizing the division of Detroit Public Schools into two entities effective July 1, 2016. The restructuring plan would maintain Detroit Public Schools as a revenue-collecting entity to pay down the district's debts by 2025. The second district would operate schools using $617 million in state funding. The new school district would be governed by a seven-member board elected in November 2016 with finances reviewed by a state-appointed commission.[34]

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan stated that a mayoral commission, which was removed from the bill by House Republicans, should oversee school finances rather than a state-appointed board.[34] State Rep. Sherry Gay-Dagnogo (D) stated that the bill would not resolve racial disparities in public schools.[35]

### 2016: Teacher protests and school closures[edit]

In January 2016, district school teachers protested class sizes and classroom conditions by calling in sick. On January 20, 88 of the district's 100 schools were closed as a result of the absences. On the same day, the school district sought a restraining order and injunction against the teachers participating in the protests. The district named a group of participating teachers and the Detroit Federation of Teachers (DFT) in the suit, which claimed that 31,000 students (67.4 percent of all students in the district) missed one day of school due to the protests.[36][37]

On January 25, a Detroit judge declined to issue the restraining order, stating there was no indisputable proof that the union or individual teachers were involved with the protests.[38][39]

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.[40]

#### Reactions to protests[edit]

Mayor Mike Duggan asked teachers to return to work and acknowledged that the protesters were bringing up legitimate issues. Darnell Earley, the emergency manager for the school district at that time, had indicated that the district lacked the funding to make all of the repairs required in order to address teacher concerns.[37]

Prior to the protests, classroom conditions in the school district were the subject of a CBS News report and of reporting from The Washington Post.[41][42]

## Contact information[edit]

Detroit Public Schools Community District
3011 W. Grand Boulevard
Detroit, MI 48202
Phone: 313-240-4377

## See also[edit]

Michigan | School Board Elections | News and Analysis

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|

* List of school districts in Michigan
* Public education in Michigan

* Michigan school board elections, 2021

* Analysis of spending in America's largest school districts
* United States school shootings, 1990-present

## External links[edit]

* Search Google News for this topic
* Detroit Public Schools Community District
* Michigan Association of School Boards
* Michigan Department of Education

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ Detroit Public Schools Community District, "About Dr. Vitti," accessed April 6, 2021
2. ↑ The Detroit News, "Vitti to take over Detroit schools Tuesday," May 22, 2017
3. ↑ Detroit Public Schools, "DPS Transition Manager Judge Steven Rhodes Promotes from Within to Fill Key Transition Team Role; Names Alycia Meriweather Interim Superintendent," March 7, 2016
4. ↑ Detroit Public Schools, "Karen P. Ridgeway's Bio," archived October 27, 2011
5. ↑ Detroit Free Press, "Heads of academics, operations out at DPS," May 27, 2015
6. ↑ Detroit Public Schools Community District, "Policy Manual, 0000 Bylaws, TERM," adopted January 9, 2019
7. ↑ Detroit Public Schools, "Detroit Board of Education Frequently Asked Questions," archived September 23, 2010
8. ↑ Detroit Free Press, "July 26 deadline to file to run for Detroit school board," June 30, 2016
9. ↑ Detroit Free Press, "Judge adjourns lawsuit to dismiss most of Detroit school board," November 14, 2012
10. ↑ Detroit Free Press, "For now, DPS elected school board stays," November 15, 2012
11. ↑ Detroit Public Schools Community District, "0167.3 - PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT BOARD AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS," last revised December 8, 2020
12. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
13. ↑ United States Census Bureau, "Public School System Finances: Historical Data," accessed December 1, 2015
14. ↑ Detroit Public Schools Community District, "DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS COMMUNITY DISTRICT," accessed April 7, 2021
15. ↑ U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2018-19 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 To protect student privacy, percentages were reported as ranges for groups of 300 students or fewer. If five (5) or fewer students were included in a data set, the data was replaced by "PS."
17. ↑ U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "Four-Year Adjusted-Cohort Graduation Rates - School Year 2017-18 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
18. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ElSi tableGenerator," accessed March 8, 2021
19. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Search for Public School Districts," accessed March 8, 2021
20. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Public Elementary/Secondary School Universe Survey," accessed March 8, 2021
21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Detroit Public Schools, "Office of the Emergency Manager," archived October 27, 2011
22. ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "Detroit Plan Makes Big Charter School Bet," March 14, 2011
23. ↑ Crain's Detroit Business, "Former GM exec Roy Roberts to succeed Robert Bobb as Detroit schools' financial manager," May 4, 2011
24. ↑ Detroit Public Schools, "Roy Roberts Biography," archived August 23, 2013
25. ↑ Detroit Free Press, "Gov. Snyder names Jack Martin to replace Roy Roberts as DPS emergency manager," July 15, 2013
26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Detroit Public Schools, "Office of the Emergency Manager," archived March 21, 2015
27. ↑ Detroit Public Schools, "Michigan Department of Education Removes High Risk Designation from Detroit Schools," November 18, 2013
28. ↑ Michigan.org, "Gov. Rick Snyder: Detroit Public Schools Emergency Manager Darnell Earley to leave," February 2, 2016
29. ↑ Detroit Free Press, "Retired Detroit bankruptcy judge to steer reforms at DPS," February 12, 2016
30. ↑ Detroit Free Press, "DPS board votes to get rid of emergency manager," September 29, 2014
31. ↑ Detroit Free Press, "DPS board loses court battle over emergency manager," October 1, 2014
32. ↑ Michigan Radio, "Michigan AG loses a bid to remove Detroit school board members," February 7, 2013
33. ↑ Detroit Free Press, "Detroit schools' progress cited as emergency manager Roy Roberts announces his exit," May 2, 2013
34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 34.3 Detroit Free Press, "Snyder's plan to overhaul DPS could cost $715M," October 19, 2015 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; name "split" defined multiple times with different content
35. ↑ Michigan Radio, "Officials pledge "seamless" transition to new Detroit school district, but many still nervous," June 23, 2016
36. ↑ The Detroit News, "DPS seeks restraining order against teachers," January 20, 2016
37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 The Wall Street Journal, "Most Detroit Public Schools Closed as Teacher Protests Ramp Up," January 20, 2016
38. ↑ Education Week,' "Detroit Judge Declines to Force Protesting Teachers Back to Classrooms," January 26, 2016
39. ↑ Boston Globe, "Judge denies order to stop Detroit teacher ‘sick-outs’," January 25, 2016
40. ↑ WOODTV, "Judge rules against Detroit schools in teacher sick-out suit," August 19, 2016
41. ↑ CBS News, "Detroit teachers fed up with shoddy school conditions," January 13, 2016
42. ↑ The Washington Post, "Rats, roaches, mold – poor conditions leads to teacher sickout, closure of most Detroit schools," January 20, 2016

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List of the largest school districts in Michigan

Ann Arbor Public Schools • Chippewa Valley Schools • Dearborn Public Schools • Detroit Public Schools • Farmington Public School District • Forest Hills Public Schools • Grand Rapids Public Schools • Huron Valley Schools • Kalamazoo Public School District • L'Anse Creuse Public Schools • Lansing School District • Livonia Public Schools • Plymouth-Canton Community Schools • Port Huron Area School District • Rochester Community School District • Traverse City Area Public Schools • Troy School District • Utica Community Schools • Walled Lake Consolidated Schools • Warren Consolidated Schools • Waterford School District • Wayne-Westland Community School District

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