(CBS DETROIT) – Detroit Public Schools Community District is combating chronic absenteeism by helping students clean their clothes.
It’s a new program that calls for the installation of washers and dryers in more than 100 schools across the district by the end of 2024.
“Wow, washing machines – never heard of that at a school,” said Melania Willis, a parent and public safety officer at Pershing High School.
Willis has heard of students who don’t have access to running water or a washer and dryer at home ditching class because they’re too embarrassed to come to school.
“Some kids get picked at [and] made fun of because they smell,” she said. “This was a good opportunity to bring a washer to the school.”
The unit at Pershing is a washer-dryer combo, and Willis says she plans to use it instead of paying at a laundromat.
Source: @cbsdetroit
