June 6 marks the deadline for parents to enroll their children in DPSCD’s 2025 Summer Learning Experience—a program that has grown into more than just a seasonal offering. With school doors closing on June 10 and summer instruction beginning June 23, the district is putting pressure on itself and its community to make the summer count, especially for students who are already being left behind in classrooms across the city.
Superintendent Nikolai Vitti is pushing to enroll more than the 12,800 students who participated last year. That’s a fraction of the nearly 50,000 enrolled during the academic year. For families already familiar with the data, this moment hits hard. DPSCD still ranks at the bottom of large-city districts nationally when it comes to the National Assessment of Educational Progress. That’s not a footnote—that’s a warning. And Detroit’s parents, many of whom are fighting through economic uncertainty, housing instability, and inconsistent transit options, know exactly what’s on the line.
The district is moving with urgency, but also intention. Summer school is being used not just to plug gaps but to help rebuild trust in public education—especially for Black students who’ve carried the burden of inequity for generations. There’s no federal magic wand fixing these disparities. DPSCD is relying on partnerships and internal funds to keep this program running. The Ballmer Group, a philanthropic organization known for investing in systemic change, is covering the cost of K-8 summer programming. High school credit recovery is being paid for through the district’s general fund.
This year’s programming spans nearly 30 locations for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. These schools include Academy of the Americas (elementary), Bates, Barton, Bennett, Bethune, Brenda Scott, Charles Wright, John R. King, Davison, Duke Ellington, Durfee, Earhart, Edmonson, Emerson, Fisher, Golightly Education Center, Gompers, Greenfield Union, Henderson, Hutchinson, Mackenzie, Marion Law, Marquette, Munger, Noble, Priest, Roberto Clemente, Ronald Brown, and Schulze. Each building is designated to serve specific feeder schools. Families are encouraged to check the district’s website for exact placement details.
The daily schedule for K-8 students is designed to reflect both structure and care. Depending on the school, classes will run from either 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. or 8:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. The morning hours will focus on core academics—foundational skills in reading, writing, and math. The afternoons are designed to lift student engagement through enrichment activities: performing and visual arts, physical fitness, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) programming. It’s a model rooted in the idea that academic success is directly tied to emotional and cultural engagement—something families across Detroit have been saying for years.
High school students will have a different structure, one that speaks directly to credit recovery needs. Students in grades 9 through 12 will attend virtual summer school sessions from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The goal is clear: help young people make up for lost time and lost credits, and get them back on track to graduate. For students who lack access to internet, devices, or need in-person academic support, five schools will serve as hubs: Academy of the Americas (high school), Cass Technical High School, East English Village Preparatory Academy at Finney, Detroit Lions Academy, and Mumford High School.
Meals are a part of this summer plan—breakfast and lunch will be provided for all students participating. For K-8 students, bus transportation will be available but limited. Families are encouraged to call 313-945-8600 to confirm if their student qualifies for yellow bus service. High school students attending in person will receive city bus passes. For many Detroit families, this transportation support is a necessary piece of the puzzle—without it, the opportunity doesn’t land.
There are also targeted programs built to address key transition points in a child’s education journey. DPSCD will offer a boot camp for children entering kindergarten. There will also be a 9th grade bridge program, aimed at helping students move from middle to high school with the skills and support they need to adjust. For students with disabilities who have Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) that require extended school year services, the district will continue programming throughout the summer to ensure legal and educational obligations are fully met.
In a city that has long struggled with equitable access to arts education, one piece of this summer’s programming stands out. A fine arts program for middle and high school students will run from Saturday, July 19 to Saturday, August 2 at the Detroit School of Arts. For many families, the opportunity to enroll in a program focused on creativity and cultural expression is about more than summer fun. It’s about exposure, opportunity, and restoration. Detroit has always been an epicenter for creativity. Investing in the artistic growth of its students is an investment in its cultural legacy.
There’s a reality behind these numbers and programs that cannot be ignored. Detroit’s public school students—many of whom are Black, economically disenfranchised, and systemically overlooked—continue to show up in classrooms that weren’t designed for them to thrive. Summer school in this district is not about enrichment alone. It’s about recovery. It’s about resisting the normalization of low expectations. And it’s about answering the question that sits heavy on many parents’ minds: what happens to our children when no one is watching?
This is where leadership matters. This is where strategy matters. DPSCD’s summer programming is a test of both. From funding logistics to transportation coordination to site assignments, the district has laid out a plan that aims to meet students where they are—physically, academically, and emotionally. But the weight of execution doesn’t fall on the district alone. It requires families to trust, to act, and to advocate for what their children need now—not after test scores drop or report cards land.
The work to close the achievement gap doesn’t pause for the summer. For Black students in Detroit, these weeks of programming represent critical time. Time to build confidence. Time to recover credits. Time to access meals that might not be guaranteed elsewhere. Time to create art, explore STEM, or simply learn in a classroom where they’re not fighting against the clock or the system.
Families are being asked to act by June 6. That date carries a weight that goes beyond scheduling. It speaks to a larger truth: access doesn’t matter unless people can use it. And for that to happen, Detroit’s families need information, trust, and transportation. They need schools that listen and systems that work.
This summer school enrollment deadline is more than logistics. It’s a pulse check on the state of public education in the city. It’s a mirror reflecting back what is being offered—and what’s still being withheld.
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