Five new members have been elected to the Detroit Public Schools Community District board of education following Tuesday’s election, setting up a change in leadership for Michigan’s largest public school district as it reaches its ten-year mark.
According to unofficial election results, Georgia Lemmons, LaMar Lemmons, Jameel Smith, and Bessie Harris secured four-year terms on the board. Aliya Moore won a partial two-year term by taking more than 53 percent of the vote against two opponents. The newly chosen leaders will officially be sworn into office in January.
In a exceptionally tight race for the final full-term seat, candidate Terry Whitfield, a nonprofit consultant, lost to Harris by 56 votes. Whitfield stated on Wednesday that he does not intend to request a recount despite the narrow margin.
The outcome reshapes the district’s governing body at a critical juncture. Incoming board members will take responsibility for overseeing a system working through static enrollment numbers, high rates of chronic absenteeism, and ongoing struggles with academic performance. Outgoing board president LaTrice McClendon noted in a public statement that four current members, including herself, are completing their service at the end of the year, while three members will remain on the board.
Superintendent Nikolai Vitti, who previously noted in a July email that the district could not afford to move backward, did not provide comment on the final results on Wednesday. Public comments and discussions during recent board meetings have highlighted friction between district administration and community members regarding building conditions, administrative transparency, and early literacy instruction.
The incoming roster includes a mix of returning officials, district parents, and former educators. Georgia Lemmons, a retired Detroit Public Schools teacher who previously served on the district board from 2017 to 2022, captured the highest vote total among full-term candidates. Speaking to BridgeDetroit, Lemmons explained that she returned to the board to hold administration accountable to commitments made during her previous term, noting that academic progress, enrollment numbers, and absenteeism still require significant work.
LaMar Lemmons, a former state representative who served on the school board from 2012 to 2016 during emergency management and again through 2018 on the current board, finished third in the vote totals. He told BridgeDetroit that longstanding structural issues, including damages caused during state oversight and unaddressed debt, remain unresolved. He noted that he initially voted against hiring Vitti in 2017 before changing his vote to provide unanimous board backing, and indicated he needs additional information regarding recent district performance to evaluate the administration.
Jameel Smith, a clinical psychologist, former teacher, and school psychologist who previously served on a Detroit city board, won the second-highest vote count in her first run for public office. She informed BridgeDetroit that her immediate focus upon taking office will involve examining district mental health priorities and exploring options to expand wellness support for students.
Bessie Harris, a retired district principal who was appointed to fill a vacant board seat last year, won the final full-term seat. Her stated priorities include expanding special education services, increasing administrative transparency, maintaining facility conditions, and introducing woodshop and home economics classes back into middle schools.
Aliya Moore, a district parent and member of the district's advisory committee who has attended board and committee meetings for 13 years, won the partial term. Moore has repeatedly questioned district leadership during public meetings and has outlined academic improvements, student support, and safety as her central priorities.
While the district board governs Detroit Public Schools Community District operations, city governance across Detroit operates under separate standards established by the municipal charter. Under the 1997 City Charter, Detroit established an independent Board of Ethics, followed by an Ethics Ordinance enacted by the City Council in 2000. That municipal ordinance sets explicit standards of conduct and disclosure requirements for City of Detroit public servants. The Board of Ethics evaluates written complaints alleging violations, renders official advisory opinions upon request by public servants, and delivers annual reports to the Mayor and City Council to monitor and recommend ethical guidelines across city administration.
