Detroit public schools eye pre-Labor Day start to class next year

DETROIT (FOX 2) - The next first day of class at Detroit Public Schools may come before Labor Day.

During a district school board meeting Monday night, members approved a tentative plan for the 2022-23 school year, which includes a pre-Labor Day start to school. Kids would instead start class on Monday, Aug. 29. 

Labor Day has long been the last holiday of summer vacation and the unofficial start to the school year in Michigan. 

But in recent years, school districts have increasingly pushed to have class start earlier in the year. 

One of the issues that may impact schooling earlier in the year is the lack of air conditioning in some district buildings. While DPSCD is looking forward to hundreds of millions of dollars in upgrades for dozens of buildings, many still lack basic A/C that would make attending class in the summer less comfortable.

RELATED: Detroit schools see one-time opportunity to elevate district with $1.3 billion in pandemic relief

The district is expected to receive $700 million in one-time funding that will be deployed over the next several years. That includes district-wide renovations that include HVAC system installations and roofs and masonry improvements. 

The board's approval of the district's 2022-23 academic plan is only tentative and still needs to be fully approved.