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Detroit Public Schools pay students to attend class, fight absenteeism
The largest school district in Michigan is offering money to encourage perfect attendance.
FOX 2 - Detroit district leaders are making big efforts to get as many students to class as possible as back to school begins Monday, with the Attendance Pays program.
The backstory:
The Detroit Public Schools Community District is once again taking part in the program, which doesn't start until January until March.
Middle school students who get perfect attendance for a week, will get a $50 gift card up to $500 if they attend every class that week on time.
High school students will earn a $100 gift card for their perfect attendance for an entire week with a chance to make up to $1000.
This plan is to increase enrollment and, of course, attendance at the Detroit Public Schools Community District.
What they're saying:
DPSCD Superintendent Nikolai Vitti spoke about the plan, and the statistics behind the battle against absenteeism.
"When they miss 18 or fewer days of school, they are three to four times more likely to be at, or above grade level in literacy and math, and college-ready on the SAT," he said. "So, we are doing things better dramatically in the classroom to support our children.
"We have to have students there consistently so that we see that God-given talent come out on a daily basis."
Detroit Ride to Rise program
More Details:
Students must show a valid school-issued ID to the bus driver and will receive free public bus transportation.
The program is for all K–12 students enrolled in public, charter, and private schools and is valid 7 days a week, year-round, on any standard DDOT.
The Source: Information for this report is from previous reporting and DPSCD.