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Weeks of campaigning will come to an end Tuesday for candidates for the Detroit school board who are running for three seats in what could be a pivotal race for the district.
It’s one of several crucial education-related elections Chalkbeat is covering in Michigan. The others are a citywide school millage, a countywide school millage, and the State Board of Education race.
There is a lot at stake in each of these elections. For the Detroit school board, new faces on the board — depending on who gets elected — could affect the district’s turnaround efforts and Superintendent Nikolai Vitti’s vision.
The district, the state’s largest, has seen improvements in attendance and academic achievement, but its challenges are immense. Even with the gains, student performance on state exams is extremely low and well below state averages. Meanwhile, nearly 66% of district students were chronically absent during the last school year, meaning they missed 18 or more days.
By 11 a.m., about 180 people had voted at the precinct at Mark Twain School for Scholars in Southwest Detroit, according to an election worker.
One of those voters was Martel Peguese. The 56-year-old Detroiter voted for Kamala Harris, saying she is the right fit for president due to her law background. But he found it hard to choose DPSCD board candidates due to the broad field.
He said some of the topics the school board should focus on when the new candidates are in office are school safety, funding and having new school facilities.
“Kids shouldn’t be afraid to go to school or go to school hungry,” Peguese said. “They (the board) gotta paint kids a brighter future.”
Sherice Ward, 59, a Detroit social worker , also had a “very tough” time choosing DPSCD school board candidates.
“A lot of them probably can bring a lot to the table,” Ward said.
She believes the current board is doing a good job, but would like to see improved services for students with disabilities. She said schools are behind in evaluating students with disabilities for services “truly needed for them to further their education, to grow and to become great citizens.”
She said that DPSCD needs more funding and services, and that the district is understaffed when it comes to dealing with the behavioral issues affecting many schools.
“It’s really a wait and see what happens,” she said. “It’s hard when a parent can’t get their kid in school because there’s not enough programs or efficient staffing, it’s very difficult.”
One Detroiter left the DPSCD portion of the ballot blank. Sinatra Thomas, 62, said he didn’t see or hear anything about the candidates.
However, Thomas did vote in favor of Proposal S, which would allow Detroit Public Schools — which exists solely to collect tax revenue and pay off debt — to levy the full 18 mills on non-homestead property.
“I’m for supporting our school system even if I don’t support the board,” he said.
Vitti has had strong support from the board since he was hired in 2017. Earlier this year, the board extended Vitti’s contract until 2028, which would make him one of the longest serving superintendents in the district — a rare tenure for an urban district.
He told Chalkbeat in July that the ability to “sustain and accelerate the improvement the District has experienced over the past seven years rests heavily” with the school board and future school board elections.
The board will have two new faces because Sonya Mays and Misha Stallworth opted not to join Sherry Gay-Dagnogo in running for re-election.
Here’s a closer look at the other races and ballot initiatives Chalkbeat is following:
State Board of Education: Eight people are running for two seats on the board, which makes policy recommendations to lawmakers and oversees the state superintendent.
Proposal S: The millage would allow Detroit Public Schools to levy the full 18 mills on non-homestead property in the district. Revenue from the levy currently goes toward paying off the district’s debt. The sooner that debt is paid off, the sooner that revenue could benefit students in DPSCD.
Wayne County Enhancement Millage: Voters are being asked to renew for six years a millage that has provided additional funding for public schools across the county.
This story will be updated as results come in this evening.
Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.
