Here’s what DPSCD board candidates would do to replace literacy money that’s about to run out
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Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) faces an impending budget crisis as the $94.4 million settlement that funded literacy initiatives expires at the end of the current school year. This settlement, the result of a 2016 lawsuit alleging poor learning conditions, allocated funds for hiring academic interventionists, reducing class sizes, providing tutoring, and offering merit pay for teachers in high-need schools.
Since its implementation, steady improvements in state exam scores have been observed. The election of five new board members on November 3 will determine how DPSCD addresses this financial gap and maintains the effectiveness of these programs. Superintendent Nikolai Vitti has expressed a desire to prioritize keeping the interventionists, but this option could prove expensive and the sources of replacement funding remain uncertain.
Among the 34 candidates running for the board, nineteen have offered their perspectives on how the district should proceed. While specifics of their proposals will become clearer as the election draws nearer, their views will play a crucial role in shaping the future of DPSCD's literacy programs.
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