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Friday, June 9, 2006
Child safety for the District’s most vulnerable students will get a boost when the Detroit Public Schools SafetyNet Center opens with considerable fanfare at the District’s Eastside Bus Terminal on Saturday, June 10.
The SafetyNet Center serves as a safe haven for students who are not picked up on time at the end of the school day, cannot be dropped off at home because no adults are there or have no place to go while their parents are guardians are not around. Most of these students range in age from six to 26 and are typically students with special needs. Many of these students do not get picked up on time due to parental emergencies such as car accidents. If contact with the parents or guardians cannot be established by 6:30 p.m. on a school day, the Detroit Police Department is notified.
The center, which is administered by the District’s Office of Student Transportation, provides a loving environment for the students. It is staffed by dedicated employees who are committed to the safety of children.
“The opening of this center highlights our commitment to the welfare of our children not only when they are in school, but also when they are in transit to and from home,” said William F. Coleman III, superintendent of the Detroit Public Schools. “This demonstrates that the safety of our students continues to be our top priority.”
The District introduced the SafetyNet Center concept in 2001 with the opening of a location on the city’s Westside. The new center will primarily serve DPS students on the eastside.
The eastside center will open formally at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Among the dignitaries expected to attend are Superintendent William F. Coleman III and Councilwoman Martha Reeves, a legendary crooner from Motown’s halcyon days. Reeves will perform with the Southeastern High School Choir Ensemble.
There will be health screenings, clowns, a magic show, an inflatable bouncer, an information resource for the community, and a fire truck exhibition. Several bicycles and hundreds of toys will be given away. There will also be free food and drinks.
About the Detroit Public Schools
The Detroit Public Schools, founded in 1842, is one of the nation’s largest public school systems. Detroit Public Schools is a school district of choice and is open to children who live outside the city. The District offers numerous competitive academic and career technical programs.
Among these world-class programs are the Foreign Language Immersion and Cultural School, Michigan’s only public school of its kind; Davis Aerospace, one of few college prep high schools in the country where students can obtain a pilot’s license; the Detroit School of the Arts, a multiple award winning performing arts high school; and Crockett Technical High School, a digital technology high school. For more information about the District, visit our website at www.detroitk12.org.
