This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters.
By Hannah Dellinger
Chalkbeat Detroit
(Sylvia Jarrus for Chalkbeat )
Nearly 500 more students were in attendance on Count Day in the Detroit school district this year compared to last, according to early data.
The numbers are crucial for determining how much state funding the Detroit Public Schools Community District will receive. The early data suggest that the district’s efforts to ramp up enrollment and reduce chronic absenteeism have paid off with incremental gains.
On Wednesday, 45,388 students attended school in the district compared to 44,893 last school year, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti told Chalkbeat.
The numbers are preliminary, as districts are able to add some students who attend school within a certain period after Count Day.
Monique Bryant, a school board member, told Chalkbeat the increase in Count Day attendance this year is a move in the “right direction.”
Bryant said she and Vice Chair LaTrice McClendon made an effort this year to ensure parents’ questions about the enrollment process were answered and that logistical issues were resolved promptly by staff members. The two board members answered calls and emails themselves and worked with Vitti and administrative staff to make sure each concern was addressed.
“This is a direct reflection of the work we have done,” Bryant said of the numbers.
Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news organization covering public education.
