Detroit Offers New Pair Of Nike Shoes To The Students For Showing Up

Detroit Public Schools had a novel pitch for its students as the fall 2012 semester approached: show up on Student Count Day, and get a brand-new pair of Nike shoes.

The offer was pure economics. In Michigan, state per-pupil funding is tied to attendance on a single fall "Count Day" — the first Wednesday in October. For a district like Detroit, hemorrhaging students and money, every body in a classroom on that day translates directly into dollars for the year.

Under emergency manager Roy Roberts, the district was trying everything to reverse declining enrollment. The Nike giveaway — aimed at making Count Day the best-attended day of the school year — was the flashiest idea yet.

Not everyone was impressed. Critics said bribing children with sneakers taught the wrong lesson, and that the money might be better spent on books, teachers, or buildings. Supporters countered that whatever gets kids through the door is money well spent — and that a pair of Nikes is a small price for keeping a school funded.

Whether the shoes worked or not, the episode captured Detroit's dilemma in miniature: a district fighting for its survival, one attendance sheet at a time.

A source link could not be verified during editorial review; key facts above were cross-checked against contemporary press reporting of the August 2012 announcement.