School closures accelerate in Detroit as population dwindles, expenses rise

Rising costs paired with falling enrollment are forcing the Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) to shutter schools faster than originally planned.

“During last year’s budget cycle, the district’s board voted to accelerate the closure of (J.E. Clark Preparatory Academy) – along with Ann Arbor Trail Magnet School, Catherine Blackwell Institute, and Greenfield Union Elementary-Middle School – to save $10 million-$19 million,” Chalkbeat Detroit reported.

More than 200 school buildings have closed since 2000, according to the article.

“The under-utilized buildings cost the district more money to operate than the revenue each brings in, officials said. The threat of federal funding cuts, demands for higher teacher pay, and inflation were all considered when district officials recommended closing the schools earlier.”

The closures affect approximately 330 out of the 49,400 students enrolled at the start of the 2025-26 academic year, the outlet noted.

“Nearly 25% of school-age children in Detroit attend a charter in the city, according to DPSCD data based on 5-Year American Community Survey estimates from 2023. Another 17% go to charters outside of Detroit and 10.6% are in traditional school districts in the suburbs. More than 39% attend DPSCD.”

‘Fragmented education scene’

As previously reported by The Lion, Detroit’s public education system is likely to play a key role in the November mayoral election.

“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,” observed Chalkbeat Detroit’s Lori Higgins.

Challenges involve multiple administrative factions as well as difficulties with public transit and housing, according to the article.

“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.

Meanwhile, homeschool advocates such as Bernita Bradley are encouraging Detroiters to consider educational alternatives outside the system entirely.

“The worst thing that schools keep telling us is give them time,” said the founder of Engaged Detroit. “They’ve been telling us give them time since my daughter was in fourth or fifth grade, and my daughter’s now 21 years old, so if I gave them all that time, my daughter would have been part of their failed statistic.”