Detroit Public Schools Community District schools (DPSCD) are back in session for the fall semester with fully staffed teachers and new expectations for the return of this school year, which is one week earlier, FOX 2 Detroit reported.
“We’ve eliminated the social distancing in the hallways and lunchroom, we will reinstate the masks if the health department requires us, and you can test through a nurse through a rapid test, but we won’t be doing weekly testing,” said Dr. Nikolai Vitti, the school superintendent in the article.
Vitti also said that the school district was able to fill its open staffing positions, which is described as an anomaly during this school season with high turnover rates, teachers leaving in droves and more.
There are two phone numbers the Detroit Public Schools are asking that students and parents know of: including one for transportation and one for mental health.
The Office of Student Transportation sent postcards to families about potential issues of kids going to class. Transportation options are offered to students under four guidelines:
- Regular education students in grades K-8 who reside more than three-quarters of a mile from their neighborhood school
- Students in grades 9-12 can get a 31-day DDOT pass each month from the office at their home school. Students can use this DDOT pass to ride DDOT free of charge but must show their DPSCD student-issued ID to the bus operator
- Exceptional education students according to their IEP
- Career and Technical Center Students between their high school and respective Career and Technical Center
To learn more, call (313) 945-8600.
Mental health support is also being encouraged for students by asking families to conduct behavioral health assessments for all students in grades 3-12. A mental health tipline is also available 24 hours a day at (800) 241-4949.
DPSCD has expanded its Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) that serves students who are 4 years old, by adding 1,200 Pre-K seats over the next five years. The Pre-K expansion is part of the district’s 20-year Facility Master Plan (FMP) that invests more than $700M in federal funding to improve and upgrade DPSCD’s facilities. For the upcoming 2022-23 school year, DPSCD will add 17 new classrooms and seats are still available.
“This expansion will improve kindergarten readiness and naturally boost enrollment over time,” said Dr. Nikolai Vitti, Superintendent of Detroit Public Schools Community District. “Our Pre-K curriculum is evidence-based and builds a strong foundation for a child’s academic and social emotional development. We know high-quality early learning is a catalyst for social and academic growth for children.”
New Pre-K classrooms will be added this fall across the district at the following schools: Mann, Vernor, Bagley, Marquette, Bow, Pasteur, A.L. Holmes, Erma Henderson, Mason, Marion Law Academy, Foreign Language Immersion and Cultural School (FLICS) and Carleton. Families interested in securing a seat, click here to get more information on the Pre-K expansion.
In addition, we are also expanding classes at The School at Marygrove, in partnership with Starfish, the campus will welcome its first class of Kindergarten – 2nd grade students to the P-20 campus this fall.
While recognizing the short-term, DPSCD is also envisioning longer term benefits with the Pre-K expansion. Over the next five years, the District expects that this initiative will increase DPSCD’s overall enrollment by more than 3,000 students. As important, it will increase facility utilization by an additional four percent, helping to maximize the use of DPSCD’s school buildings to serve our students and families.
Read the full story here.