DETROIT (WWJ) — Detroit schools are gearing up for one of the most critical days of the academic calendar: Count Day, set for Wednesday, October 7.
Held annually on the first Wednesday of October, Count Day plays a massive role in dictating school budgets across Michigan.
Student attendance on this single day determines 90% of a public or charter school’s state per-pupil funding for the entire academic year.
The state of Michigan currently allocates approximately $10,300 per student annually.
Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) Superintendent Dr. Nikolai Vitti emphasized the financial importance of having students in class next Wednesday, noting that while attendance on the day itself is ideal, district protocols do allow for contingencies.
"If a student does not attend that day, but has an unexcused absence 10 days after that, it's a 10-day window then we can still count that student as officially enrolled in DPSCD," Dr. Vitti explained. "And then we have a 30-day window if there are excused absences after that point. But the work is a lot easier if students come October 7th."
To encourage maximum attendance, schools across the district are planning a variety of special activities.
With the stakes high for school funding across the state, education officials are urging all parents and guardians to ensure their students are present and counted next Wednesday.
