About Detroit Public Schools

Detroit Public Schools is creating Centers of Excellence in every school in every neighborhood to ensure all students perform at high academic levels. DPS offers educational advantages to students throughout the district’s schools, including expanded time for reading and mathematics under a common core curriculum, pre-algebra for 7th graders, 9 different languages and robust ESL programs, Advanced Placement courses at every high school, Fine Arts programs with instrumental music, vocal music and dance, 3 new state-of-the-art school buildings opening this fall along with millions of dollars in school building improvements districtwide, extended day opportunities, business partners for every school to help raise student achievement and safety and security enhancements.

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Over 300 Students with 3.5 GPAs or Higher Honored at 28th Annual Excellence Awards Banquet

Posted on May 15, 2012

Ten students with perfect 4.0 GPAs were honored. Event showcased the top 3% of DPS graduating seniors whose college choices range from Morehouse, Spelman, Harvard, Yale, Stanford, University of Southern California, Wayne State, University of Michigan and more.

Detroit Public Schools hosted the 28th Annual Excellence Awards Banquet showcasing the top 3% of the district’s graduating seniors Tuesday, May 15, 2012 at 6 p.m.

The event was held in the Cobo Center Riverview Ballroom.

More than 300 DPS students who have held a 3.5 GPA or higher during their high school careers were honored. The event honored 10 all “A” students who received the Excellence Awards Scholarship.

View the CBS news story “DPS to Honor High-Achieving Students, 10 with Perfect GPA” at: http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/05/15/dps-to-honor-high-achieving-students-10-with-perfect-gpa/.

Emergency Manager Roy Roberts delivered the keynote address. Karen Ridgeway, Superintendent of Academics, also addressed students.

About the Annual Excellence Awards Banquet

The end of the school year signifies a great number of ceremonies, but none is more prestigious than the annual Excellence Awards Banquet for Detroit Public Schools’ seniors with cumulative grade point averages of 3.5 or higher.

The Excellence Awards Banquet is designed to showcase the top three percent of the district’s graduating seniors. Virtually all of these students will enter college or another post-secondary education institution after high school.

Their college choices range from local universities including Wayne State University and the University of Michigan, to historical black colleges and universities including Morehouse and Spelman, to Ivy League schools such as Harvard, Yale, West Coast Stanford, University of Southern California and more.

The Excellence Awards program began in 1985. To date, 8,915 students have been honored since the program originated.

The event is sponsored by the Detroit Public Schools Foundation, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishers, Pearson Publishers, SVS Vision, Target Corp, and Spike Lawrence.


Logan, O.W. Holmes schools join volunteers to plant 300 trees in Southwest Detroit for beautification project on their new Munger PreK to 8 campus

Posted on May 12, 2012

Volunteers from Detroit Public Schools joined Greening of Detroit to plant 300 trees in four hours for a beautification project on the campus of the new $22.3 million Munger PreK to 8 School in Southwest Detroit.

Students, parents and community members from the Logan and O.W. Holmes elementary/middle schools’ neighborhoods assisted conservation experts from Greening of Detroit to create a small orchard-like environment on the new school’s campus. The two schools will merge in the fall at the new Munger school.
Earlier this week, students from two other schools consolidating into the new $21.8 million Mackenzie PreK to 8 School, several miles away, held joint parades to their new Fall 2012 school and released 1,000 blue and white balloons.

The planting project at the new Munger school is part of an overall initiative through Greening of Detroit to establish small growth forests in the city. The maturing tree canopies will produce oxygen, cool the surrounding neighborhoods, reduce air particulates and contaminants, infiltrate storm water to reduce river and beach contamination, reestablish natural habitat and provide aesthetic benefits.

Funding for the Munger tree project is provided through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative New Growth Forest Project. The Greening of Detroit is partnering with DPS for this project as one of five projects to be completed during the Spring 2012 planting season.

MUNGER SCHOOL DETAILS

Demolition began in January 2011 on the former Munger/Chadsey complex to make way for the new $22.3 million Munger PreK to 8 School. The school is scheduled to open in the fall 2012 in a thriving section of Southwest Detroit. The school will include an elementary and middle school wing connected by a two-story student arcade that will function as a dining court, student center and school square. The school is designed to accommodate 850 students.

Munger PreK to 8 School is a part of the $500.5 million DPS Capital Improvement Program, which is building and renovating 18 DPS facilities. Munger is one of the final four schools under construction totaling $150 million in voter-approved investments that will provide some 4,600 students with brand new learning environments that are replacing older facilities.

Nearly 700 Students Showcase Talent in 43rd Annual Evening of Fine Arts at Fox Theatre

Posted on May 11, 2012

Approximately 680 Detroit Public Schools students were featured in the 43rd Annual Evening of Fine Arts event held Thursday, May 10 at the Fox Theatre.

Detroit Public Schools, SODEXO and the DPS Office of Fine Arts collaborated to present the event showcasing the work of elementary, middle, and high school students.

Click here to download the 2012 Evening of Fine Arts DVD Order Form.

Click here to view a full Program Listing for the 2012 Evening of Fine Arts.

The SOLD-OUT event, titled “An Evening of Elegance and the Arts,” featured instrumental, vocal, visual and performing arts students in performances including Detroit School of Arts Jazz Vocals-“Baroque Samba,” by Darmon Meader; Law Academy Glee Club-“Blue Skies,” by Irving Berlin; Renaissance High School Symphony Orchestra-“Duke Ellington-A Medley for Orchestra”; John R. King Academy Angelic Choral- “Hine Ma Tov”; Cass Technical High School Drama Troupe-Grand Finale-“The Color Purple Excerpts” and many more!

The event opened at 6:00 p.m. with special performances in the lobby and a beautiful student Art Gallery.

WRCJ 90.9FM, served as the Official Media Sponsor for the 2012 Evening of Fine Arts.

More than 1,000 marched in Mackenzie PreK to 8 School parades to celebrate upcoming grand opening of the new $21.8 million DPS school

Posted on May 8, 2012

More than 1,000 Detroit Public Schools students, parents, staff and community members of Parker Elementary Middle School and Barton Elementary School marched in parades today to celebrate the upcoming grand opening of the new $21.8 million Mackenzie PreK to 8 School, located at 9275 Wyoming Street.

Parade marchers departed from Parker Elementary Middle School, 12744 Elmira Street and Barton Elementary School, 8530 Joy Road and converged for a rally at the new Mackenzie school where they released 1,000 blue and white balloons that will become the new school’s colors. The elementary and middle school students were led by Mumford and Cass Tech high school marching bands and carried DPS banners and signs showing support and enthusiasm for the opening of the new Mackenzie and the merging of the two schools.

Students attending Parker and Barton schools will merge into the Mackenzie PreK to 8 School when it opens this fall. The facility is designed to accommodate 850 students and features a two-story “student arcade” that will be used as a dining court, student center and school square.

“I had the opportunity to meet the community leadership in this neighborhood just a few weekends ago and was very impressed with the level of involvement and cooperation here,” said Emergency Manager Roy Roberts.

“Today’s event, which we know was inspired by the parents of both schools, is a perfect example of that cooperation,” he said. “It’s a testament to their support of this merger and their eagerness for their children to be housed in a 21st century learning environment that meets the needs of today’s students.”

Roberts also announced that the adjacent Mackenzie High School, a 224,000 square foot structure closed in 2007, will be demolished by the district this summer.

Mackenzie is designed to be environmentally-responsible and to maximize safety for students. The school adheres to national standards set by the CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).

“Just as we are working to increase the number of quality seats for Detroit’s children through our 2012-13 Action Plans, which include new models of self-governance, citywide accountability, a reorganization of central administration and further deficit reduction strategies, we also aim to provide our students with the tools they need to be successful through the best possible learning environments,” Roberts said.

The opening of the new Mackenzie PreK-8 will mean the consolidation of two outdated buildings into one state of the art facility.

Mackenzie PreK to 8 School is a part of the $500.5 million DPS Capital Improvement Program, which is building and renovating 18 DPS facilities and will provide students with a new or upgraded learning environment.

 

 

News & Press Releases

Upcoming Events

75th Annual Detroit Public Schools Exhibit at the DIA
4/28/2012 1:00 pm – 6/3/2012 2:00 pm

Detroit Public School League Girls' Softball Championship
5/18/2012 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm

Detroit School of Arts presents "And Still We Rise" Spring Gala
5/18/2012 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Inside DPS
5/20/2012 7:00 pm – 7:30 pm

DC Prep is hosting the Parenting with a Purpose Workshop in collaboration with Detroit Parent Network
5/22/2012 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Detroit Public School League Baseball Championships
5/23/2012 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm

Detroit Public School League Baseball Championships
5/23/2012 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

No School
5/28/2012

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