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DPS Tries To Boost Enrollment

Detroit Public Schools have been working overtime to get students enrolled in school this year, including working on Labor Day weekend.

District officials had their big blue "I'm In" van parked outside the Detroit Science Center Sunday, and for students who enrolled on the spot, they received a free day pass to the Center.

Spokesman Steve Wasko says they've been everywhere with the van to recruit kids.

"We have had the van inside the city, outside of the city. We were at all the festivals this week, and we've been at reunions on Belle Isle. We've been pretty much any where where more than 50 people are gathered in a single spot. We've been there with the van. It's been a day, night, weekends, day time, weekdays, etc.," said Wasko.

Their massive enrollment campaign has included going door-to-door in neighborhoods where there's been a school closing reminding parents of the school change.

Kim Birch is from the city's west side and enrolled all four of her kids.

She changed her mind about sending them to charter school mainly because "the application process, and they need this right away, right when you enroll them. So I said that's too much to be going through so came down here, enrolled them, and it was so much easier," Birch told WWJ's Stephanie Davis.

Wasko says they've enrolled nearly 100 students a day since starting the campaign. The goal is to boost enrollment to 78,000 students this year.

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