How Detroit school board candidates would address chronic absenteeism

The November 3 election will see five people elected to the Detroit school board, tasked with tackling the ongoing issue of chronic absenteeism. Over recent years, the district has made strides in reducing the percentage of students chronically absent, falling from 76.7% in 2021-22 to 60% by the end of the 2025-26 school year. However, a significant number of students still miss too many days of school.

Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10% or more of the school year, equivalent to 18 days in a 180-day school year. To address this, the district has implemented various strategies over time, such as hiring attendance agents, establishing health hubs, offering incentive programs for perfect attendance, and piloting free bus transportation for students at high-risk schools.

Mayor Mary Sheffield has made reducing chronic absenteeism a priority since her inauguration, with initiatives including free city bus service for all Detroit students, expanded after-school programs, and a pilot program providing rideshare service to students at several high schools.

In a survey conducted by Chalkbeat, 31 candidates are running for four four-year terms, while three are seeking one partial two-year term. Nineteen of these candidates provided responses to Chalkbeat's questions regarding their ideas for reducing chronic absenteeism. Further details on all candidates and their responses to other crucial questions can be found in the organization's voter guide.