- Michigan has the highest rate of chronic absenteeism in the Midwest
- Schools in southwest Michigan are using research-backed tactics to try to get kids back in class
- Districts are doing things like celebrating attendance, sending extra buses to pick up kids and more
VAN BUREN COUNTY ― A lot of kids are missing a lot of school in parts of rural Southwest Michigan.
School leaders say the issues fueling rural chronic absenteeism, such as inadequate transportation, poverty, and homelessness, are beyond the reach of underresourced districts. And in a struggling part of Van Buren County, high absentee rates have ticked even higher at several schools in recent years.
But several new administrators believe their efforts will turn those numbers around ― and they’re using tactics a researcher says are likely to work…