Detroit school board debates parental accountability for absenteeism

The Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) board is debating strategies to combat chronic absenteeism, which affected 60% of students at the end of the 2025-26 school year. While this is a decrease from 76.7% during the pandemic, officials consider the rate still too high.

Discussions among board members and leadership have centered on whether to increase parental accountability. Board member Monique Bryant has advocated for being more firm regarding parental responsibility, and Superintendent Nikolai Vitti has called for enhanced accountability and engagement. Michigan law provides mechanisms for penalizing parents or halting public assistance due to poor attendance, though researchers often caution against such measures.

Alternatively, the district has utilized incentives, such as a program paying high school students for perfect attendance, which is slated for expansion to middle school students this school year.