DETROIT, Mich. — The race for control of the Detroit Public Schools Community District board is crowded but not well funded, according to campaign finance statements filed ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
Eleven candidates have reported a combined $108,360 in contributions and loans. By the same point in 2024, board candidates had reported $230,000, and that ballot carried 12 fewer names.
Most of this year’s money went to a single campaign. Jameel Smith, a clinical psychologist making her first run for office, reported more than 250 donations worth over $75,500 between August and Oct. 18, much of it in gifts under $500.
Twenty-two other candidates received waivers from filing full reports because they raised less than $1,000. Statements covering activity through Oct. 18 were due Oct. 23, and final reports come after Election Day.
Voters will see 34 names for the board. Four seats carry full four-year terms and draw 31 candidates, while three more are competing for a two-year partial term.
The stakes are high for the state’s largest school district. A new board majority will be seated, and a number of candidates want Superintendent Nikolai Vitti replaced, which could reshape the district’s direction for years.
Under Michigan law, campaign money cannot pay for personal costs that have nothing to do with running for or holding office, and violations bring civil fines.
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Filed under: Detroit MI Politics News
