Poll: Here’s how Detroit voters feel about city’s public schools

Detroit voters were asked during a recent poll their thoughts on the city’s public schools.

Here’s the exact wording of the first question, which was asked over the phone: Do you approve or disapprove of the job being done by the Detroit Public Schools?

Participants were then asked: Would that be a strong approve/disapprove or just somewhat approve/disapprove?

Here are the results:

• Strongly approve -- 11.1%
• Somewhat approve -- 26.2%
• Somewhat disapprove -- 21.4%
• Strongly disapprove -- 23.2%
• Don’t Know/Refused -- 18.1%

Here’s the exact wording of the second question, which was asked over the phone: Do you think fourth grade reading scores in Detroit are better than other big cities, worse than other big cities, or about the same as in other big cities?

Here are the results:

• Better -- 2.0%
• Worse -- 43.5%
• Same -- 29.8%
• Don’t Know/Refused -- 24.8%

Here’s the exact wording of the third question, which was asked over the phone: Would you say that the Detroit Public Schools are or are not safe?

Here are the results:

• Are safe -- 47.0%
• Are not safe -- 39.5%
• Don’t Know/ Refused -- 13.5%

Here’s the exact wording of the fourth question, which was asked over the phone: Would you say that the Detroit Public Schools do or do not prepare young people for jobs after they graduate high school?

Here are the results:

• Do prepare -- 31.3%
• Do not prepare -- 55.0%
• Don’t Know/ Refused -- 13.7%

Here’s the exact wording of the fifth question, which was asked over the phone: Currently, Michigan funds schools with a per pupil grant of $9,608 per student. Would you support or oppose a voucher program that lets parents decide where the grant money for their child goes including for public schools, private schools, religious schools, online schools or home schooling?

Participants were then asked: Would that be strongly support/oppose or just somewhat support/oppose?

Here are the results:

• Strongly approve -- 34.1%
• Somewhat approve -- 18.3%
• Somewhat disapprove -- 8.3%
• Strongly disapprove -- 31.9%
• Don’t Know/ Refused -- 7.3%

Here’s the exact wording of the sixth question, which was asked over the phone: Do you think allowing parents to direct the grant money to other types of schools would hurt public schools, help public schools or have no impact on public schools?

Here are the results:

• Help -- 8.5%
• Hurt -- 68.5%
• Have no impact -- 14.9%
• Don’t Know/ Refused -- 8.1%

Here’s the exact wording of the last question, which was asked over the phone: If the state allowed you to say where the $9,608 for your child was sent, would you choose to send your child to a public school, a private school, a religious school, an online school or would you home school them?

Here are the results:

• Public schools -- 65.0%
• Private schools -- 24.3%
• Religious schools -- 3.9%
• Online schools -- 3.9%
• Home schooled -- 3.9%
• Don’t Know/ Refused -- 3.9%

Previous poll coverage

• Poll: Here’s who leads Detroit mayoral race 1 month before general election
• Far fewer Detroiters see themselves leaving Detroit in 10 years, poll finds
• Poll: Detroiters oppose property tax cut in exchange for less city services

Poll methodology

WDIV and the Detroit News commissioned a survey of likely November 2025 general election voters within the city of Detroit. The poll was conducted by The Glengariff Group, Inc.

It was a 500-sample, live-operator telephone survey conducted from October 16-18, 2025.

The margin of error is +/- 4.4%, and there is a 95% level of confidence.

Of the respondents, 10.3% were called via landline telephone, and 89.7% were called on a cellphone.