LANSING, Mich. (WILX) – New data was released on Monday showing that Michigan ranks 34th in the nation in the 2024 Kids County data book.

According to the newly released data, Michigan has a 40% chronic school absenteeism rate, with over half a million students chronically absent in the 2021-2022 school year.

Among the 1 in 4 children in Michigan who were chronically absent in the 2021-2022 school year, there were significant disparities by race, with more than half of American Indian and Black children chronically absent.

“Michigan’s high absenteeism rate unfortunately comes as no surprise considering that school absence is linked to childhood poverty and trauma. Here in Michigan, 18% of our state’s children are living in poverty, which is slightly above the national average, and nearly half of our state’s kids have gone through at least one adverse childhood experience,” said Monique Stanton, president and CEO of the Michigan League for Public Policy. “These findings underscore the importance of strengthening Michigan families and mitigating childhood poverty through bold state policy decisions so that all of our kids have the solid foundations they need to be present and successful in their classrooms.”

Each year, the Data Book presents national and state data from 16 indicators in four domains — economic well-being, education, health, and family and community factors — and ranks the states according to how children are faring overall. Michigan’s best ranking was, once again, in health at 22nd, largely due to high rates of children with health insurance, while the state came in 31st in economic well-being and 28th in family and community. A continuing positive trend that Michigan has seen for the past 15 years is a decline in teen births. However, in terms of economic well-being, Michigan continues to face significant challenges, with over half a million children living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment and 1 in 4 children living in cost-burdened households that spend more than 30% of their income on housing.

Key findings from the most recent school year (2021-2022) show that Michigan remains in the bottom ten states for education at 41st. The percentage of high school students not graduating on time increased for the first time after declining steadily for over a decade, with 1 in 5 Michigan students not completing high school on time. And 72% percent of 4th graders scored below proficient in reading in 2022 — up 6% from 2019 — while 75% of 8th graders scored below proficient in math in 2022 — up 9% from 2019.

“Kids of all ages and grades must have what they need to learn each day, such as enough food and sleep and a safe way to get to school, as well as the additional resources they might need to perform at their highest potential and thrive, like tutoring and mental health services,” said Lisa Hamilton, president and CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. “Our policies and priorities have not focused on these factors in preparing young people for the economy, short-changing a whole generation.”

The Foundation that released the data recommends the following:

• To get kids back on track, we must ensure they arrive at the classroom ready to learn by continuing access to universal free meals, ensuring a reliable internet connection, a place to study, and time with friends, teachers, and counselors.
• Expand access to intensive tutoring for students who are behind in their classes and missing academic milestones. Research has shown that the most effective tutoring is in person, in high dosage, and tied directly to the school.
• States should use all their allocated pandemic relief funding to prioritize students’ social, emotional, academic, and physical well-being. As long as funds are obligated by the Sept. 30 deadline, states should have two more full years to spend them.
• States and school systems should address chronic absence so more students return to learning. While few states gather and report chronic absence data by grade, all of them should. Improving attendance tracking and data will inform future decision-making. Lawmakers should embrace positive approaches rather than criminalizing students or parents due to attendance challenges because they may not understand the consequences of even a few days missed.
• Policymakers should invest in community schools and public schools that provide wraparound support to kids and families. Natural homes for tutoring, mental health support, nutritional aid and other services, community schools use innovative and creative programs to support young learners and encourage parent engagement, which leads to better outcomes for kids.

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