Title: Detroit Students Head Back to School with Expanded Transportation Options and Support

Detroit, MI - As the city prepares for the upcoming school year, Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield and school leaders are committed to ensuring every student has access to education. With the first day of school just over a week away on August 24, the city is expanding its efforts to remove barriers that keep kids out of the classroom.

Title: Detroit Students Head Back to School with Expanded Transportation Options

Ride to Rise, a program providing Detroit students with free transportation on the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT), is now permanent thanks to $1 million in state funding. Since its launch, student ridership has already doubled this year, with the goal of providing free transportation not only to school but also to after-school programs, libraries, jobs, and other opportunities throughout the city.

However, city officials acknowledge that providing transportation is only part of the solution. They are adding Ride to Rise ambassadors, with between 50 and 100 city employees visible on key DDOT routes, at transit centers, and near school bus stops each school day. A new rideshare pilot will also launch this fall, targeting students at four schools with high absenteeism and significant transportation challenges.

Once students arrive at school, they will have more of what they need. Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) is investing an additional $4.5 million in school supplies, including kits for every student from pre-K through 12th grade.

Superintendent Nikolai Vitti emphasized the importance of attendance, stating that when students miss 18 or fewer days, they are three to four times more likely to be at or above grade level in literacy, math, science, and social studies, and college-ready on the SAT.

Mayor Sheffield summed up the city's goal succinctly: "Our goal is very simple today: every child in school on time and ready to learn on day one." With these expanded efforts, Detroit is working to ensure all students have the support they need to succeed in the upcoming academic year.