DETROIT (WXYZ) — After being away for more than a decade, Davis Aerospace Technical High School will soon return to its original home at Coleman A. Young International Airport on Detroit's east side.
The move, announced Monday, will allow the specialized school to double its enrollment and provide students with direct access to aviation facilities.
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Detroit city and school leaders say bringing Davis Aerospace Technical High School back to City Airport is a homecoming that was long overdue and will give students the tools they need to thrive.
With $15 million in funding from the Detroit Public Schools Community District and a state grant, the 53,000-square-foot terminal will undergo major renovations before welcoming students in fall 2026.
Caiyla Turner, an upcoming senior at Davis, discovered the school while searching for new academic challenges.
"We had never heard about it before and we did further research and we realized wait, this is an aviation-based school. This is what I was looking for. It was kind of like a hidden blessing," Turner said.
The specialized high school provides hands-on learning opportunities for careers in aviation. Turner, who plans to become an engineer, values both the academic and personal growth she's experienced.
"I did learn a lot of things academically, but I've learned so much and developed as a person in terms of character," Turner said.
Since 2013, Davis aerospace school has been housed inside the Golightly Career and Technical Center on the city's east side. The school was relocated from Coleman A. Young Airport while Detroit Public Schools was under a state-appointed emergency manager.
"The system had deteriorated and I think Davis aerospace being kicked out of City Airport is an example of bad decision-making," Nikolai Vitti, superintendent of Detroit Public Schools Community District, said.
The return to the airport campus will enhance educational opportunities, according to district leadership.
"To be able to leverage the former City Airport for our students, I think, is going to make a world of difference regarding their development," Vitti said.
Jason Watt, director of Coleman A. Young International Airport, said big renovations are coming in order to fit the facility for students.
"Everything you see today will be different. You'll see children hustling and bustling through here. It's going to be a huge draw," Watt said.
The move will allow enrollment to double from 100 to 200 students.
"In DPSCD, we have a lot of options and a lot of opportunities, but it's really getting the word out to that individual student that wants the aviation and aerospace opportunity," Vitti said.
The Detroit Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen supports the move, saying it will give students advantages in the aviation field.
"We don't want them to start at the bottom. They won't start at the top, but in the middle somewhere is good," Lawrence Millben, historian for Tuskegee Airmen-Detroit Chapter, said.
Construction is expected to begin this fall.
