DETROIT (WWJ) - Detroit Public School officials say the district has thousands of new students this year.

Enrollment figures released Thursday by DPS show about one in every 10 students in grades 1-12 is new to the district. Of the more than 60,000 students who are in attendance, 6,225 were students who were not enrolled in the district last year, not including 2,651 kindergarten students and 2,232 pre-kindergarten students.

In a written statement Emergency Manager Roy Roberts said public schools are an important part of rebuilding Detroit.

“The public schools are, and need to be, a part of that comeback. We are aggressively moving to transform education in the City of Detroit, and we are pleased that the educational advantages now available across DPS are attracting parents and children,” he said.

The district credits several improvements to their educational advantages, including netbooks for every student in grades 6-12, free summer academy, new charter schools and enhanced parent resources.

Detroit students earned $77.4 million in student grants and scholarships last year, up $20 million since 2009.