Detroit Public Schools - I'm in

In March 2009, Detroit Public Schools (DPS) was facing bankruptcy, a $305 million deficit, a decade-plus of substantially declining enrollment, and now the public backlash of closing 29 schools.

Brand: Detroit Public SchoolsPrimary Agency: Leo BurnettMedia Agency: Starcom USAContributing Agencies: Berg Muirhead and Associates/Brian Alexander ProductionsCountry: United States

Market background and context

Declining enrollment in public schools leads to funding shortfall
  • Student enrollments at Detroit’s public schools had been contracting by almost 8,000 children a year since 1998.
  • By 2008, that equated to a loss of 80,000 students – and a significant financial challenge, as the state of Michigan gives public schools funding that equates to $7,545 per student.
  • As such, the drop in student numbers had contributed to a...

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