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The Detroit school district is considering a new strategy when it comes to authorizing new city charter schools: limiting how many of its students the schools can enroll.
The idea comes from a proposal to authorize a new charter, called Sound Mind Sound Body Preparatory Academy, which would serve students in grades 4-8. The new charter would agree to enroll no more than 20% of its students from the Detroit Public Schools Community District and to require its students to apply to district high schools. District administrators said no such agreements have ever been included in previous charter contracts.
Board members discussed the potential shift in strategy around charter authorization last week during a board committee meeting.
Superintendent Nikolai Vitti signaled that his philosophy on charters has changed since he took the helm of the district nine years ago. At the time, he recommended that DPSCD get out of the business of charter authorization and instead focus on improving its traditional public schools.
He said he is considering now how the district can partner with K-8 charters that cater to specific student needs to feed into district high schools instead of those in the suburbs.
“Over time, I’ve come to accept that charter schools are not going anywhere,” he said, adding that his views have also been affected by the new mayor’s approach to taking a citywide outlook to help youth in Detroit.
“I think if she is going to promote a more agnostic approach to … how we share resources as a city to help Detroit youth, I think there is an opportunity for DPSCD to step up as a stronger authorizer to improve quality,” he said.
Board members said during the meeting that they are hesitant to approve the contract for Sound Mind Sound Body before they develop an overall approach and goals for charter authorization in the district.
“We don’t need a one-off,” said Board President LaTrice McClendon. “We need to be in, or we need to be out.”
School districts and other entities, like community colleges and universities, can authorize charters through an application process. Authorizers monitor charters’ compliance with state and federal education laws, and in exchange, can take up to 3% of their state funding.
Anyone can operate charters, or public school academies, in Michigan. The operator handles key functions, such as hiring teachers and managing payroll. Many Michigan charters hire for-profit companies to fill the role.
When Vitti became superintendent in 2017, the district authorized 13 charters. It currently authorizes seven charters, with one more set to open in the fall.
More than half of Detroit’s school-age children attend charter schools. There are 62 city charters, according to state data compiled in May. There are 24 high school charters in Detroit and 17 in the suburbs where Detroit students make up more than half of enrollment. Many Detroit kids also attend traditional public schools in the suburbs.
As the number of charters in metro Detroit has increased over the last three decades, enrollment in the Detroit district has declined.
A charter for young student athletes
The Sound Mind Sound Body Foundation, whose founders applied for the charter contract, is a nonprofit that runs out-of-school programming geared toward athletics, social emotional learning, and mentoring. The new charter would develop student athletes, according to the proposal.
DPSCD currently contracts with the nonprofit to provide student enrichment programs.
The nonprofit was founded in 2004 by four Detroit Public Schools alumni.
The charter’s plan is to incorporate athletics into its daily schedule and curriculum. It will offer sports leadership, arts and creative expression programs. It will also have college and career exposure, out-of-school activities, mentoring, and an innovation hub for science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.
Deputy Superintendent Alycia Meriweather said during last week’s meeting the agreement would allow coaches and program leaders from DPSCD high schools to visit the charter and work with its students.
The charter proposes opening in the 2026-27 school year with 50 fourth graders. The next year, there could be up to 100 students in grades four and five, then 200 students in grades 4-6 in 2028-29, followed by 400 in grades 4-7 in 2029-30, and 500 in 4-8 in 2030-31.
For 2026-27, DPSCD would collect a 3% authorizer fee, estimated to be around $81,000.
The charter plans to open at 11433 Beaconsfield St. on the east side of the city, near King High School.
The district’s proposed contract is for three years of operation and requires the board’s approval in order to move forward.
A potential shift in thinking around charters
Vitti said there are some charters that would not be interested in partnering with DPSCD for fear of losing their autonomy but others would be interested. He said the board needs to have a broader conversation about a potential shift in strategy.
“It’s not something that I think is top of my priority list, but I do think it’s an opportunity moving forward,” he added.
Vitti said the district supported Purpose Charter Academy – which the board voted to authorize last year to serve students experiencing homelessness, chronic absenteeism, and interactions with the criminal justice system – and Sound Mind Sound Body because they are tailored to meet specific student needs that may go unmet in DPSCD.
McClendon said the district needs to do its due diligence to ensure the charters it authorizes will be sustainable, pointing out the recent closure of Detroit Lions Academy.
“We know that charter schools close left and right and leave our kids hanging,” she said.
The board president said she is not comfortable moving forward in approving Sound Mind Sound Body’s contract until the board has developed a clear charter strategy. She added the board will likely soon hold a study session on the topic.
Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.