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HAZEL PARK — A major selling point for the Hazel Park Public Schools over the past decade has been the Hazel Park Promise Zone, and officials say it’s still going strong.
The program provides eligible students with a tuition-free pathway to an associate degree at Oakland Community College or its equivalent at Michigan public universities. Certified postsecondary credentials at Michigan trade schools are also available.
Any student who resides in the school district is eligible, which includes the city of Hazel Park as well as parts of Ferndale. Last year, there were 473 students who received funding through the Hazel Park Promise Zone. The average yearly spending on student scholarships through the program has been about $100,000.
There are other benefits, as well. The Hazel Park Promise Zone provides its school district with college access advisors and SAT prep. These services are available to all students regardless of where they live, including schools of choice students.
All graduates also receive FAFSA assistance — the Free Application for Federal Student Aid — along with college success coaching, community mentoring, and opportunities for summer school scholarships and textbook reimbursements.
Moussa Traore is the interim executive director of the Hazel Park Promise Zone. He was previously a college advisor and success coach for the program.
“It is very satisfying to see everything come together each year. It’s inspiring to see the transformation happening in these students’ lives,” Traore said. “They start out not sure whether or how they can go to college, and then they realize that they can. It’s a powerful experience that we’re providing them, helping these students to pursue a higher education, join the workforce and live the American dream.
“Many students feel fear and anxiety going to big campus universities like MSU or U of M. They often have this question, at first, of whether they belong in that setting,” he said. “So we as an organization try to support them and show them that they do belong in that educational space, and we help them to overcome their fear. We help them to be positive and confident, so that they can have the knowledge and capacity to make it to the finish line.”
The program itself was born from legislation signed into law by former Gov. Jennifer Granholm in early 2009, following which Hazel Park submitted a development plan for approval in 2010, becoming one of the initial 10 Promise Zones established in the state.
Each state-designated Promise Zone is partially funded by capturing one-half of the increase in the state education tax, or SET, which increases with property values.
In Hazel Park, the Promise Zone also receives private donations from charitable organizations such as the Sutar-Sutaruk-Meyer Foundation, the Ballmer Group and the Jacob Foundation, as well as a variety of local businesses and individuals.
The Hazel Park Promise Zone is a licensed 501(c)(3) nonprofit, so all donations made to it are tax deductible. Donations in the form of checks made payable to “Hazel Park Promise Zone” can be sent to P.O. Box 514, Hazel Park, MI 48030. Alternatively, donations can be made online at hazelparkpromise.org.
There are also major fundraising events, such as the “Race to College” dinner held March 6, which this year raised more than $100,000 in one day.
Hazel Park Public Schools Superintendent Amy Kruppe sits on the board of the Hazel Park Promise Zone.
“The Promise Zone does exactly what it says. It makes a promise to our students and families to support them in our schools, as they transition to trade school and college,” Kruppe said via email. “Community makes a difference, and the Hazel Park Promise Zone makes the Hazel Park Schools a better place to grow up.”
Hazel Park City Councilwoman Alissa Sullivan, a member of the Hazel Park Promise Zone, attended the “Race to College” fundraiser and described it as well-attended and well-supported.
“This program in Hazel Park guarantees students in our schools free college education and free college degrees, and that’s not something a lot of cities around us can say,” Sullivan said. “And I think that the Promise Zone is really a beacon in our community that shows we value our students, our families and higher education.”
