New school year brings heat, enthusiasm, and new challenges for Michigan schools

At Riverside Middle School in Dearborn Heights, the fifth grade hallway was punctuated with quiet whistles and “hellos!” of the new students on the first day of school.

Amid it all, Sophia Nasser, 10, sat quietly against the lockers with her legs bent, in a pale pink dress and a necklace with a pink gem to match that she chose carefully for her first day of fifth grade.

Sitting there, Sophia’s nerves began to wane as she got help locating her schedule and teachers.

Monday marked the first day of the 2024-25 school year at this school in the Crestwood School District, Detroit Public Schools Community School District, and many other districts and charter schools in the region. And it was going to be a hot one, with temperatures expected in the 90s. The Crestwood district had already scheduled a half day for Monday. DPSCD announced Sunday that it would release students three hours early because of the heat.

The school year will be marked by a number of changes, new initiatives, and new challenges.

After several years of funding to help students recover from the pandemic, federal relief money officially expires this month . The money allowed districts to boost tutoring and mental health services, among other things. That money is running out at the same time state lawmakers cut funding for mental health and school security grants and didn’t increase the state’s per-pupil funding allocation for schools. Educators criticized the budget, predicting some districts would struggle financially . But state officials say retirement savings built into this year’s state budget would make up for the funding cut and lack of an overall increase.

This school year marks the first time students in grades 6-12 must receive age-appropriate material that explains what constitutes sexual assault and harassment, as well as explanations of consent. High school freshmen will become the first students required to complete a half credit in personal finance. And the state will begin collecting more detailed information about Native American and indigenous students. Meanwhile, districts are increasingly having debates about cellphone bans , dress code issues , and school safety.

None of that was front and center Monday at Davis Aerospace Technical High School, where staff and community members cheered and clapped as students entered the school. One of them was LaNetra Kellar, a former DPSCD teacher, who said it was important to support and encourage students on their first day.

“I wanted to show them as a member of the community that there are people rooting for you,” she said. “That’s what I’m here for is to support the students.”

Navigating first-day jitters and loss

Soulful electronic music greeted students arriving at University Prep Science and Math High School, a Detroit charter school, on Monday morning. The sounds were coming from Principal Jerry Lawrence’s portable JBL speaker.

Lawrence says he’s working to make UPSM a place where kids really enjoy going to school. That means leveling the power dynamic between him and his students — he goes by his first name and dresses like his students. Today it was a baseball cap, long-sleeved T-shirt, jeans, and Nike Air Jordans.

And he plays DJ for the 500 students who attend UPSM High School every morning, not just on the first day. But he was mindful that today, students were navigating other emotions in addition to first-day jitters.

Last week, some of those students attended a funeral for Kayel Davis, an incoming senior who died of sickle cell anemia.

Lawrence described her as “a real light in our building.”

She was a member of the cheer team and spent a lot of time helping underclassmen.

Senior Marty Davis said she was the reason he found himself at school for the first day of class. He had been contemplating dropping out, but she convinced him to finish. Davis said her death wiped away any remaining hesitations he had about not graduating.

“I’m here today for her,” he said.

Starting the year fresh with help from older peers

At Riverside, about 250 children scaled three flights of stairs to the middle school’s fifth grade hallway for the first time Monday. They sat against banks of lockers in front of their classrooms, in anticipation of the beginning of the day. Eighth graders wearing tie-dyed green shirts were appointed to help mentor the newest and youngest students as a part of Crestwood’s WEB program, which stands for “Where Everybody Belongs.”

“I just like helping fifth graders get into middle school, start their year fresh,” said Nour Nasser, an eighth grade mentor. She remembers her own bewilderment starting at Riverside, saying: “It was kind of scary, but I got used to it. I made friends.”

Fifth grade is a little early to start middle school, Principal Scott Casebolt said. It’s why part of a $121 million school bond the district has asked voters to approve in November includes funding to add classrooms to district elementary schools, so fifth graders can stay in elementary for another year, which would also help with crowding issues at Riverside.

“The age difference between fifth and eighth is immense,” Casebolt said.

Air-conditioning is another upgrade the district plans to make if the bond passes — by 8:30 a.m., several adults in the building were already sweating from climbing stairs and milling around the gymnasium, a noisy room compared with the fifth grade hallway, where seventh and eighth graders waited to pick up their schedules.

Another ongoing challenge for some students and staff members at Riverside, which serves many Arab American students, is the Israel-Hamas war. Since October 2023, when the conflict began, Casebolt said he’s seen anguish in students and staff members, some of whom have lost family in the Middle East. The principal is mindful that students might be struggling, with counselors and social workers around to help.

“We want this to be the best eight hours of their day, if that’s what it has to be,” he said.

Still, there were the usual markers of the first day of school: brand-new shoes and backpacks (New Balance sneakers and butterfly prints seemed favored this year), undamaged water bottles (Owala bottles in pale pastel colors are particularly popular), and glowing cellphones. Students can have their phones to access their schedule on the first day, Casebolt said. But by Tuesday, phones will be completely banned during the school day and must stay in student lockers. Phones have been banned for a few years, which has led to a lot fewer distractions and less bullying among students, the principal said.

But some sixth and seventh graders standing outside before 8 a.m. said they wished the policy were a little more lax, allowing them to use their phones during lunch and breaks, in case of emergency, or just for fun.

“So we can take pictures with our friends,” seventh grader Afya Almaamar, 12, said.

Meanwhile, DPSCD has no plans to ban cellphones at school, Vitti said. The district’s code of conduct allows teachers and staff to confiscate phones if they’re used inappropriately during class time, but he does not want to get rid of them completely. The superintendent believes a ban would cause a battle between students, teachers, and administrators.

“When we talk about 2024 and we talk about cellphones, I think it’s part of our lives and it’s a way for students to stay connected with their families,” Vitti said. “It’s just unrealistic to think that students aren’t going to have access to a phone during the school day.”

Starting day one with an aim toward excellence

Davis Aerospace Principal Michelle Davis said this is the fourth year she has called upon her friends and community members to take part in early morning clap-ins, welcoming students back to the building for the new school year.

“It’s a beautiful commitment that people will give their time and come and make sure that the kids feel excited and welcome and that the kids know that people in the community care about them,” she said.

Davis said the goal for the school year at Davis is to create an institution of excellence that is fueled by love and academic achievement and to create an environment where students can thrive. Every student is participating in dual enrollment, earning college credit at Wayne County Community College District. Davis is also looking forward to the return this year of the school’s flight training program, where students will learn to fly aircraft at the Coleman A. Young International Airport.

Mental health is also on the principal’s mind. She has created a small outdoor courtyard where students working through anxiety or depression can take a breather during the school day.

“A lot of our students, they’ve suffered trauma. This is a space for them to be able to come and sit and get centered before it’s time for them to go back to school, because sometimes you just need a minute of relief, a minute of rest,” she said.

Superintendent Nikolai Vitti and DPSCD School Board President Angelique Peterson-Mayberry were also in attendance. Peterson-Mayberry broke out her dance moves with Davis and gave a short speech, saying the district is “roaring back into the school year.”

“These are our babies and we love you,” Peterson-Mayberry said. “Some of you took off work, some of you just got out of bed, some of you just got off work. We appreciate you for prioritizing our students.”

Vitti said when it comes to mental health support, the district is just about fully staffed for school counselors and social workers. DPSCD relies on contracted services for mental health support that will be secured by leftover funds from previous years, Vitti said.

“We will continue to do our child survey for grades 3-12 and then, based on the survey and the needs identified, we work with a parent to get a consent form and then they’re provided one-on-one or small group therapy sessions during the school day at no cost,” he said.

Friends Eric Williams and Kiron Royster were ready Monday for the first day of their senior year. Both are interested in the school’s culinary arts program and were on their way to their first cooking class.

Williams is striving to get a 4.0 this year, while Royster wants to improve his attendance rate. The teens said they felt welcomed and appreciated coming into school.

“It felt good to see people out there greeting us,” Williams said.

A new year in a new building

At Paul Robeson Malcolm X Academy in Detroit, teachers, students, and administrators were learning the ins and outs of a new building, at least one that’s new to them.

The temporary space on Mansfield Street was once home to the Communication and Media Arts High School, a Detroit magnet school. It’s now the site of PRMX for the next few years while Detroit Public Schools Community District builds a new school for PRMX with COVID relief money.

Assistant Principal Eukila Robinson was walking the hallways, welcoming young students and giving them hugs. “It’s spacious — we’re still getting acclimated, of course. But I think it’s going to be a great move,” she said of the school’s eighth time relocating.

Alexis Jackson started her daughter Ava in the first grade today.

Jackson wanted Ava to attend school with her nieces and nephews at PRMX, but she was also drawn to the school for its Afrocentric programming. She says this focus empowers Black students and builds confidence.

“She’s in her class and she’s excited,” Jackson said.

Lily Altavena is a reporter covering educational equity for the Detroit Free Press. You can reach her at laltavena@freepress.com .

Micah Walker is a reporter covering arts and culture and education for BridgeDetroit. You can reach her at mwalker@bridgedetroit.com .

Robyn Vincent is a reporter for Chalkbeat Detroit, covering Detroit schools and Michigan education policy. You can reach her at rvincent@chalkbeat.org .