The Michigan Department of Education reports Lansing public schools are seeing a boost in academic performance.
The Lansing School District saw improvements last school year in student attendance, enrollment and test scores. Educators say the district is now on the right track after 10 schools were targeted for state aid last year for poor performance.
Flanked by administrators, staff and teachers, Lansing Superintendent Ben Shuldiner said during a Thursday press conference that educators deserve credit for the progress.
“The teachers in the room are what make it happen," Shuldiner said. "The aides, the principals, the support staff, none of this stuff can happen without them.”
Shuldiner says several changes in the district have helped improve its success. Those include a universal pre-K program, a new technical high school and higher wages for teachers.
Over the last year, more than 100 new students enrolled in Lansing public schools.
Shuldiner said that’s a reversal after the district saw decades of stagnant enrollment.
There are more than 6,000 students who live in Lansing but go to school elsewhere. Shuldiner said now is the right time for them to return to the district.
“Now's the time to bring them back home, be part of the success story, be part of what's going on," Shuldiner said. "Because you have these incredible educators here. And you have incredible people that care about you.”
