Detroit Parade Celebrates Start Of School Year
DETROIT (WWJ) - Students were introduced to the Detroit Public School's Blue Door Mascot during the annual back to school parade down Woodward Ave. on Wednesday.
DPS Chief Innovation Officer Doug Ross says the annual parade is a fun way to get children and their parents excited about school.
"One of the challenges in Detroit has been getting families and children to focus on the opening of school as a place that can't afford to waste a single day, given where our kids have to get academically -- which is on the path to graduation and college," Ross said."This helps begin to signal, you know, school starts in two weeks!"
Hundreds of young Detoiters attended, including 7-year-old Janice May, who told WWJ Newsradio 950's Florence Walton she's a little shy about starting at a new school this September. "You're gonna have to see different people ... (I'm) a little kinda nervous," she said.
Backpack and uniform vouchers were passed out to children during the parade.
DPS will wrap up its week-long enrollment drive with an all-schools Open House from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m on Saturday.
