Detroit Schools Hire Student Influencers to Boost Enrollment

Detroit Public Schools Community District rolled out plans last week to hire 23 high school students as paid influencers. These kids will make posts about their schools to attract families. They'll pocket $250 for each month they share content.

One student from each high school will get picked. Applications opened up already. The influencers will get assigned content and events to promote, with schedules rotating monthly.

The project targets a 20-year pattern of falling student numbers that hasn't let up. Detroit's shrinking population, lower birthrates, state emergency management, and COVID have all hurt enrollment. Charter schools now teach about half the city's kids, while suburban districts pull Detroit students away too.

The system also wants to hire 10 to 15 parent and community ambassadors who can fight back against bad perceptions. Church leaders, block club presidents, and parents of students might fill these roles. The presentation didn't say how much they'd get paid.

Last summer, board members pushed the system to find cheaper ways to boost enrollment faster. Traditional methods like canvassing neighborhoods, hosting Summer on the Block events, expanding prekindergarten, and putting up billboards haven't moved the needle much.

Board member Monique Bryant spoke up during a July committee meeting about getting students to tell their own school stories. "I think we have an opportunity to use our students more, and I think we get more bang for our buck than what we're spending now," she said per Michigan Advance.

Student influencers and community ambassadors would run nearly $42,000 this year. The full marketing plan would hit around $1.4 million. The board must approve a budget by June 30.