The five people elected to the Detroit school board in the Nov. 3 election will help shape the district’s continued strategy to address high rates of chronic absenteeism.
It’s a tough task. The district has steadily reduced the number of students who are chronically absent, from a high of 76.7% in the 2021-22 school year to 60% at the end of the 2025-26 school year.
But while the decline is notable, a large number of students still do not attend school regularly. A student is considered chronically absent if they miss 10% of the school year, or 18 days in a 180-day school year.
The district’s efforts to improve attendance over several years have included an investment in attendance agents, the creation of health hubs, incentive programs that pay high school students for perfect attendance, and a pilot program that provides free yellow school bus transportation for some students attending high schools with high rates of chronic absenteeism.
Mayor Mary Sheffield has made reducing chronic absenteeism a priority since she took office in January. She has made city bus service free for all Detroit students, expanded after-school programs, and created a pilot program providing rideshare service to students at several high schools.
Chalkbeat asked the 34 candidates about their ideas for reducing chronic absenteeism. Thirty-one are running for four four-year terms, and three are running for one partial two-year term.
Below are the responses from the 19 candidates who filled out our survey. For a full list of candidates and their responses to other key questions, check out our voter guide.
Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.
More election resources
- Meet the candidates: Unsure of who is running for school board and what they stand for? Chalkbeat sent surveys to all of the candidates, and CitizenDetroit got many on video to talk about their platforms
- Why it matters: Here’s what’s at stake in the Detroit school board race.
- Election page: All of BridgeDetroit’s election-related coverage in one place
- Complete voter guide: How to register, vote absentee, vote early, vote in person, learn about candidates and more
- What’s on the ballot: Everything you need to know about statewide races (from Votebeat)
- Vote from home: What to know about voting absentee
- Fact checks: Bridge Michigan fact-checks and debunks misinformation in the gubernatorial and Senate campaigns
- FAQ: Frequently asked questions about elections in Detroit
- Voting accessibility: What to know before you go
- Be an informed voter: A guide to identifying misinformation and disinformation
- A ballot’s journey: What happens to your ballot after you vote
- Upcoming debate: Secretary of State candidates will gather for a one-hour debate Oct. 8 at the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, with Bridge Michigan serving as the lead media and editorial partner.