{
  "id": 11015818,
  "title": "Should parents be held accountable for their children’s chronic absenteeism? Board candidates weigh in.",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/should-parents-be-held-accountable-for-their-childrens-chronic",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-30T14:19:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Chalkbeat",
    "slug": "chalkbeat",
    "url": "https://www.chalkbeat.org/detroit/2026/09/30/dpscd-school-board-election-chronic-absenteeism-parent-responsibility/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Detroit Public Schools Community District is grappling with the question of whether parents should bear greater responsibility for their children's chronic absenteeism. With 34 candidates vying for five board seats in the upcoming election, the issue is likely to be discussed by incoming officials. Researchers caution against using penalties and incentives, indicating they do not significantly impact attendance. Michigan law permits penalties for parents whose children miss a significant amount of school and permits state assistance to be withheld. DPSCD has managed to successfully pay high school students for perfect attendance between January and March, and they intend to extend this program to middle school students this academic year. During a recent board meeting, member Monique Bryant expressed frustration over the lack of firmness in addressing parents' responsibilities in ensuring children's school attendance. Superintendent Nikolai Vitti emphasized the need to enhance accountability and engagement with parents. Chronic absenteeism has been a persistent challenge in Detroit schools, hindering their educational progress. When students are absent, they miss out on learning opportunities, and research links frequent absenteeism with academic struggles and higher dropout rates. The percentage of chronically absent students in DPSCD fell from 76.7% in the 2021-22 school year to 60% by the end of the 2025-26 school year, a drop that district and city officials welcome but still consider too high. To tackle this issue, officials are considering expanding transportation options for students and increasing after-school programs. Chalkbeat Detroit interviewed the 34 candidates and received responses from 31 vying for four-year terms and three running for two-year terms. They were asked their views on parents' accountability for their children's absences. The full responses, along with additional perspectives on enhancing attendance in the district, are available on Chalkbeat's website.",
  "summary": "Did you know search engines like Google are changing the way you see news? Keep Chalkbeat’s valuable education coverage at the top of your feeds by clicking here and checking the box next to our name. As Detroit’s school district has explored ways to reduce chronic absenteeism , the conversation has at times turned to whether parents should be held more accountable for their children’s absences.…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}