Make yourselves count on Count Day

Friday, September 22, 2006

Detroit Public Schools Superintendent William F. Coleman III today issued the following statement concerning the District’s enrollment figures and Count Day:

“After discussions with leaders of the state legislature last week, we were informed that there is not enough time to amend the School Aid Act to permit an extension of Count Day.  We had asked legislative leaders for a two-week extension on Count Day in light of the recent teachers’ strike.

But we don’t have that option at this time. To this end, I am making a fervent appeal to all parents and guardians to ensure that their children are in school on Wednesday, September 27. Count Day has never been as important to this District as it is now.

I call on all adults in this city to help us encourage all school age children they encounter – be they neighbors, relatives, church members or acquaintances – to be in school next Wednesday.  I call on those of you who left us during the strike for charter schools, private schools or neighboring school systems to come back home to DPS. No other school system in this state offers the wide variety of academic and extra-curricular programs that we offer.

In some schools we are busting at the seams and in other schools our numbers are very low. Enrollment continues to grow every day.

Finally, I ask those of you in neighboring communities who’ve always been curious about our world-class programs in the fine and performing arts, in aviation, in the sciences and the career and technical arena to give us a second look.  We are a school district of choice, which means we can accept students from anywhere in the seven-county metro area. Our students are also free to attend any non-examination schools within the District.

This is our school district. It belongs to the people of Detroit. Let’s continue to support it. Parents may continue to enroll children at all of our schools on Friday even though classes are not in session. DPS enrollment staff will also be available at the Welcome Center, located a 3031 W. Grand Blvd., on Saturday from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.”