Overview
- In August 2026 the Detroit Public Schools Community District expanded its program so middle-school students in grades 6–8 can earn $50 per week for perfect weekly attendance while high-schoolers remain eligible for up to $100 per week and $1,000 per year.
- Officials say the payments are financed through line items in the adopted $1.1 billion 2026–2027 budget and by interest earned on funds set aside for capital projects.
- District leaders and some parents report higher week-to-week turnout and motivation, and Chalkbeat Detroit data show thousands of high-school students received at least one $100 card during the program’s earlier run.
- Critics argue the payments amount to taxpayer-funded bribes and question whether short-term attendance gains will translate into long-term academic improvement for the students who miss the most school.
- The policy responds to a severe local problem—roughly 60% of Detroit students missed 10% or more of school in 2024–2025—and sits alongside other approaches nationwide that favor consequences, case plans, or added supports to lower chronic absenteeism.