Priority 03
Get students back in the classroom
A student cannot learn from a seat they are not in. Attendance is the problem underneath every other problem.
Bobby will support earlier intervention with students and families, stronger parent communication, mentoring, transportation solutions, after-school programming, and community partnerships that deal with the real reasons children miss school.
What that means in practice
- Reach families early, before absences become a pattern
- Transportation solutions — often the actual barrier
- Mentoring and after-school programming that gives a reason to show up
- Community partnerships that address what is happening at home
60.9%
of DPSCD students were chronically absent in 2024–25
Michigan average: 28%
In Michigan a student is “chronically absent” after missing 18 days of a 180-day school year — about two days a month.
Source: DPSCD reported rate, 2024–25 school year; Michigan statewide comparison