Detroit’s next mayor must focus on revamping beleaguered public-school system, analysts say

As Detroit mayoral candidates prepare to face off in the November election, public-school issues are playing a prominent role in the race, a recent analysis concludes.

“Community leaders like Angelique Power, the president and CEO of the Skillman Foundation, see this election as a ‘liminal moment’ for Detroit public education, because along with a new mayor, the city will elect new city council members,” explains Lori Higgins for Chalkbeat Detroit.

“High absenteeism rates, youth fearing for their safety, and a fragmented education scene with dozens of governing bodies overseeing 185 public schools mean Detroit’s next mayor will have their hands full if they want to improve outcomes for young people.”

Both mayoral primary winners Mary Sheffield and the Rev. Solomon Kinloch are hoping to replace Mayor Mike Duggan, who will be running for governor as an independent in the 2026 election. Duggan has been the city’s mayor for 12 years.

Sheffield, the city council’s president, had campaigned on the premise to bolster public transit and affordable housing not only in downtown areas, but also the city’s struggling neighborhoods, according to the Detroit Free Press. 

“We want safe neighborhoods, we want affordable housing, we want access to quality education,” she said. “But I do believe that our neighborhoods need more investment. … And we’re going to elevate those issues.” 

‘Fight for the future and the soul of Detroit’ 

The city’s fragmented school system means the next mayor will need to exert “political will” over its many administrative factions, according to Power. 

“There’s no cohesive vision or strategy that crosses over the different types of public schools that we have here.”

For example, the Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) board oversees more than 100 schools compared to 56 school boards managing the city’s charter schools, Chalkbeat notes. 

“Meanwhile, city leadership must take into account the nearly 30,000 school-age children who live in Detroit but leave the city every day to attend suburban schools.” 

DPSCD enrollment has dwindled from around 160,000 to about 49,000 today, according to Chalkbeat – with more than 60% of students chronically absent during the last school year. 

“Many of the big reasons why kids miss so much school in Detroit have little to do with the schools themselves and have much more to do with the conditions in which they’re living, with their access to transportation, with their housing and neighborhood situations,” said Sarah Lenhoff, director of the Detroit Partnership for Education Equity and Research. 

By improving public transportation and housing conditions, the next mayor can help alleviate the educational issues for students, Lenhoff said. 

“Just because (mayors) don’t have direct authority over the schools doesn’t mean they don’t have a lot of influence over how well the schools are doing, how well students are doing in the city. It’s overdue, and I’m hopeful that whoever becomes mayor will carry that through into action while they’re in office.” 

Power agreed with Lenhoff. 

“This is sort of a fight for the future,” she said, “and the soul of Detroit.”