Tell what you think and why. Please include your name, town and daytime phone number. Neighborhood schools are open to any student from a defined, nearby area. Schools that focus on specialty themes, such as science or performing arts, reserve 30 percent of their seats for neighborhood students and fill the rest with students from anywhere in the Intermediate School District, which runs roughly along county boundaries.
Students apply, with admission determined by lottery or exams.
Detroit's 58 schools of choice are financed through the district, based on enrollment. Schools are run independently of the local district and get money in a lump sum from the state, forwarded through the district. The city has 13 such programs, chartered by Detroit Public Schools and several universities. Sixty percent come from single-parent households, a larger share than any other U.S. city. Test scores are from Michigan Educational Assessment Program in March and October 1996.