You can download Dr. Vitti's letter by clicking here.

Dear Detroit Public Schools Community District Family,

I hope this letter finds you and your families well. Based upon many conversations with our families and greater community, I know we are all facing a range of large and small hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a district, we did everything we could to support your children and the greater community during the height of the COVID-19 impact on the city by serving over 1 million meals to distributing nearly 40,000 academic packets to our teachers providing online learning. As we now direct our focus to the next school year we are as focused as ever to reengage your child academically, socially, emotionally, and athletically/artistically.

The 2020-21 school year begins by ensuring that every DPSCD student receives a free learning device with free internet access. If you were unable to pick up your child’s device this summer, then they will be given to your child during Count Week in the fall. With legitimate concerns continuing to loom regarding COVID-19, the district developed, vetted, and is implementing a best-in-class reopening plan to ensure your child’s safety and our employees. Due to COVID-19’s impact on our city, we know that our reopening plan needs to be stronger than other districts in the area and throughout the state. This plan includes required COVID-19 testing for employees, free masks, daily temperature and COVID-19 symptom checks, smaller class sizes, sanitation centers throughout the school, and the daily deep cleaning of every classroom. DPSCD will be a leading district and organization in the safety and health of students as we return to school in the fall. Nothing is more important to us than your child’s health and safety.

Despite the likelihood of state budget cuts across Michigan, we have already balanced our budget and will ensure that all employees keep their positions and salaries/wages and more importantly, no student programming will be cut. We want to empower you as a parent this fall, we will provide you with the opportunity to select face-to-face instruction or online learning for your child. We want to serve you and meet you where you are at regarding COVID-19 concerns or your home situation regarding working hours, childcare, and your comfort supporting your child at home through online learning. We will be sending you information via robo call, text, and mail to allow you to select an online or face to face option when school starts after Labor Day.

Prior to the pandemic, we were well on our way to showing another year of academic improvement. Our students were moving in the direction to improving their grade level performance in literacy and math and being more college ready on the PSAT and SAT. COVID-19 will not stop our progress. This school year we will have fully staffed schools, smaller class sizes, more technology for your child, expanded art and music programs, more sport programs, and additional programming for careers and college credit at the high school level. We are also expanding our literacy support as we did at the K-8 level last year in high schools with more small group and one-to-one support for students who are below grade level. In addition, we are continuing to invest in more counselors and social workers to support your children to overcome any social-emotional challenges that all of our children experience from time to time, especially during these unprecedented COVID-19 times. 

We are looking forward to seeing you again in the fall and if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to me, your Principal or our district team.

Sincerely,

Dr. Nikolai P. Vitti

Superintendent

Detroit Public Schools Community District