Detroit Public Schools is expanding a program that offers financial incentives, in the form of gift cards, to middle and high school students for attending classes. The initiative, known as "Perfect Attendance Pays," aims to combat a significant chronic absenteeism rate within the district.
Under the expanded program, middle and high school students can earn up to $500 or $1,000 annually, respectively, in gift cards for maintaining perfect attendance. The program has been in place for high schoolers for two academic years and was recently extended to middle school students.
According to district data, 60.9% of students were chronically absent during the 2024-25 school year, meaning they missed at least 10% of school days. To address attendance dips that historically occur between the new year and spring break, students can earn a $100 gift card for a full week of perfect attendance for high schoolers and $50 for middle schoolers, for up to 10 weeks.
While high school students receive gift cards directly, parents of middle schoolers will be given the bonuses to distribute. In the 2024-25 school year, the district distributed approximately $4 million in Visa gift cards to high school students. This spending represents a small portion of the district's projected $1.1 billion budget for the upcoming year.
The district asserts that the program has already demonstrated success in reducing chronic absenteeism, with rates among high schoolers dropping by seven percentage points in the first year of implementation and an additional two points in the second year. The initiative is reportedly funded by interest generated from district funds designated for facility projects, rather than state or federal revenue.
Critics argue that the program teaches students that merely showing up is an accomplishment worthy of reward, potentially sending a message of entitlement for minimal effort. Concerns have also been raised about the underlying message sent to students who already struggle with consistent attendance, and questions about whether this incentivizes engagement or simply compliance. The district maintains that student attendance is linked to academic success.