The Detroit School Board race might be the most important race in the midterm elections.
Five of seven seats on the Detroit School Board are up for election this November. That means Detroit voters are choosing a new majority.
Why does that matter? Because the school board has real power. It helps set district policy, oversees the budget and can hire or fire the superintendent.
And the next board will take office at a consequential moment for Detroit schools. The district has made academic and financial progress, but students still lag behind statewide averages, and parents are demanding more progress on literacy, attendance, facilities and transparency.
The new board will help shape the district’s next four-year strategic plan. It will face decisions about school buildings, academic programs, school safety, chronic absenteeism and what happens when funding from Detroit’s literacy lawsuit runs out.
These decisions affect thousands of Detroit students and families — and the future of public education in the city.
There are 31 candidates seeking a full term on the board and another three who are running for a partial term. We know that’s a lot of people to research. So we’ve done the work for you, and we will continue adding information to this page.
Don’t skip this race. Learn who’s running, understand what the school board does and make your voice heard this November.
- Hear from the candidates: Where they stand on the issues (Q&A and on video)
- What’s at stake: Why this race is so impactful to Detroiters
- BAMN slate: Self-described “militant,” “anti-fascist” activist group seeks to oust Vitti
- Don’t spoil your ballot: Why there are two school board races on the ballot
- Q&A: How DPSCD board candidates would keep key interventions
- Q&A: How Detroit school board candidates would address chronic absenteeism
- Q&A: Candidates on parental accountability and chronic absenteeism
More election resources
- Election page: All of BridgeDetroit’s election-related coverage in one place
- Complete voter guide: How to register, vote absentee, vote early, vote in person, learn about candidates and more
- Print voter guide: Take it to the polls with you
- What’s on the ballot: Everything you need to know about statewide races (from Votebeat)
- Vote from home: What to know about voting absentee
- Fact checks: Bridge Michigan fact-checks and debunks misinformation in the gubernatorial and Senate campaigns
- Supreme Court race: Here’s a voter guide
- State School Board: Here’s a voter guide
- Proposal 1: What’s on the ballot
- Proposal 2: What is “Money out of politics”
- Museums millage: What’s on the ballot
- FAQ: Frequently asked questions about elections in Detroit
- Voting accessibility: What to know before you go
- Be an informed voter: A guide to identifying misinformation and disinformation
- A ballot’s journey: What happens to your ballot after you vote
- Upcoming debate: Secretary of State candidates will gather for a one-hour debate Oct. 8 at the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, with Bridge Michigan serving as the lead media and editorial partner.
