DETROIT, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Detroit Public Schools Community District is projecting to spend as much as $5.5 million on expanding its newcomer program which serves migrant students.
The district documents project the district could spend between $2.7 million and $5.5 million on the expansion, and has already spent $572,736. Detroit schools would also spend up to another $5.8 million on hiring “Multilingual Learner Academic Interventionist” to work with the increasing number of students who have difficulty understanding English. The district has already spent $1.4 million hiring 56 multilingual support interventionists through Jan. 10, 2025.
Detroit Public Schools Community District is also projected to spend another $1.2 million offering free English as a Second Language certification for its educators. The district also paid its bilingual educators a retention bonus this year.
The number of students in Detroit’s public school district who are defined as “English Learners” has increased significantly.
English Learners are defined as students whose native language is not English and who have difficulties in understanding English.
The Detroit Public School Community District had 7,403 students defined as English Learners in 2024-25, or 15.1% of the district’s enrollment. That’s up from 7.57% in 2009-10.
“The increase of newcomers requires that we reimagine a districtwide newcomer program that addresses the whole child and ensures that school staff are equipped with the necessary knowledge and tools to create a welcoming environment, provide students and families with connections to added resources, and build their capacity to deliver high-quality culturally-responsive instruction,” the district stated on its website.