Michigan

Michigan’s chronic absenteeism rate improved last school year

Published

1 year ago

September 13, 2024

Michigan’s chronic absenteeism rate improved last school year

The number of Michigan K-12 students who were chronically absent from school has improved, state education officials announced on Friday.

Data released by the Michigan Department of Education shows the state’s chronic absenteeism rate declined by 1.3 percentage points to 29.5% for the 2023-24 school year compared to the year prior rate of 30.8%. Chronic absenteeism is defined as when a student misses 10% or more of school days or 18 days or more in Michigan.

The statistic means that nearly 30% of Michigan’s K-12 students — or 413,081 — are chronically absent, a level that remains far above absenteeism rates experienced before the COVID-19 pandemic when about 19.7% of Michigan students were chronically absent for the 2018-19 school year.

In the 2022-23 school year, Michigan had the biggest improvement in the nation in its chronic student absenteeism rate but ranked seventh highest among states, according to a new analysis by The Associated Press and The Detroit News.

Meanwhile, the statewide attendance rate among Michigan students increased by 3/10ths of a percentage point from the year before, from 90.5% to 90.8%. State education officials said the 2023-24 school year was the second consecutive year that both the attendance and chronic absenteeism rates improved in Michigan.

The latest figures on school attendance follow a Detroit News series on chronic absenteeism in Michigan that found that students from kindergarten through high school have been avoiding school at record rates since school buildings reopened after the pandemic more than three years ago.

Students are missing school for a variety of reasons that involve their home life, the impact of poverty or physical and mental health ailments. Some students say aren’t in school because they have to watch younger siblings or care for parents with medical problems. Others need to continue working at jobs they started during the pandemic.

Some kids are overcome by anxiety and can’t leave the house, let alone spend a full day in school. Some have become homeless for part of the year or changed schools several times. In many cases, kids said they simply don’t want to go to school and parents let them stay home.

Education experts said chronic absenteeism is one of the biggest problems facing American schools right now because it undermines widespread academic recovery efforts underway to catch students up from the learning losses during the last three school years when many spent months, even years, away from classrooms, schedules, adults and peers.

State Superintendent Dr. Michael F. Rice students need to attend school regularly to maximize their school experiences.

“Despite our progress, far too many students are chronically absent. We need to work together to redouble our efforts and remove barriers to school attendance,” Rice said in a statement.

MDE officials said local school districts have focused on improving attendance rates through multiple methods including calls to parents, conferences with families, mental health interventions and door-to-door outreach to visit students’ homes to help reacclimate children to coming to school more frequently.

jchambers@detroitnews.com

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Michigan

Michigan House votes to put limits on cases Attorney General can intervene in

Published

8 hours ago

January 21, 2026

Press Room

Michigan House votes to put limits on cases Attorney General can intervene in

LANSING, Mich. — Michigan’s Attorneys General could be restricted in the cases they’re allowed to take up if bills voted on by the State House today become law.

Right now, the Attorney General can sue on behalf of the State of Michigan and intervene in local cases. The package of three bills, passed in the house on a party line vote, would change that.

They would prevent the Attorney General from deciding to intervene in civil or criminal proceedings in which Michigan may be impacted.

Instead, it would be up to the Governor or Legislature to decide whether to intervene.

The Attorney General would further be barred from unilaterally filing lawsuits in the name of Michigan or choosing Ingham County as a venue for cases involving incidents outside of the county.

State House Republicans criticized how this power has been used, and said the legislation is about fairness.

“It just doesn’t make sense under individual rights that the attorney general has this singular trump card, if you will, that just allows you to determine where your venue is going to be at,” Rep. Jay Deboyer (R-Clay) said. “Additionally, the idea that the attorney general, on their own, can go outside of the state of Michigan, can intervene, can take up cases, boy, that’s a really broad view, I would say.”

During her two terms, Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat, has joined several lawsuits, including against both Trump administrations and other entities.

House Speaker Rep. Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) blasted her efforts.

“(Nessel) spends a lot of time going after her political opponents, but very little time winning cases,” Hall said. “We need to just rein in this out of control Attorney General, we need to rein her in, and we want her to focus on the important things like consumer protection.”

Democrats assert the bills will hamstring Attorneys General and hurt the office’s ability to enforce laws.

One Democratic lawmaker also defended Nessel ahead of the vote on the bills.

“(Nessel) has done more for the state of Michigan, for the people of Michigan in recent history, especially with the federal lawsuits that she has joined or started, and she has done so well in helping us make sure that kids with special needs get the funding that they need for disaster relief,” Rep. Kelly Breen (D-Novi) said. “Who wants to turn that down? Who doesn’t want an advocate that will do everything in their power for the people of Michigan.”

Nessel’s office responded to the bills and Hall’s comments in a statement.

“The bill package in question does not actually do what its sponsors purport, and would not take effect until the next attorney general takes office,” Nessel’s office said. “They are simply a distraction and will not deter this office from its work.”

Officials said they share the Speaker’s concerns for better consumer protections.

“We are now hopeful he will request movement on SB 134 to strengthen Michigan’s Consumer Protection Act, which this Department has championed for years, and has been sitting in House Judiciary since June of last year,” Nessel’s office said.

This is the second time in recent history that the legislature has tried to change how the Attorney General pursues cases.

The last time, the measures were vetoed by Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican.

These bills are likely to meet a similar fate in the State Senate, which is controlled by the Democrats.

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Michigan

Notre Dame flips 2026 prospect from Michigan for late addition class

Published

20 hours ago

January 21, 2026

Press Room

Notre Dame flips 2026 prospect from Michigan for late addition class

It very much seemed like Notre Dame football was done adding to its 2026 recruiting class when quarterback Teddy Jarrard reclassified from 2027.

Well, that turned out not to be the case and the Irish “flipped” former Michigan kicker signee Micah Drescher on Tuesday afternoon. The Illinois native signed with the Wolverines during the early period, but was granted his release just last week after a coaching change.

247Sports has given him a 3-star rating, but Chris Sailer Kicking ranks Drescher as the top kicker of his class, and No. 6 overall. They note that he has a range of over 55-yards, which is extremely impressive. He also can punt, but he’s currently expected to start his Notre Dame career as a place kicker.

It won’t change the Irish’s national ranking much, but it gives head coach Marcus Freeman another option in his kicking game, which struggled this past fall.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Mike on X: @MikeFChen

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Michigan

Updates from Michigan basketball vs. Indiana Hoosiers

Published

1 day ago

January 20, 2026

Press Room

Updates from Michigan basketball vs. Indiana Hoosiers

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The last time that Michigan basketball took the court at home, at Crisler Center, the Wolverines lost their first game of the season, with a feisty Wisconsin team taking them down. Since, the maize and blue had a successful West Coast trip, having beaten both Washington and Oregon on their home court. But now, the Michigan basketball team is back in Crisler, with hopes that it can best a very good Indiana team.

Indiana enters the contest at 3-4 in the Big Ten and 12-6 overall. The Wolverines are third in the conference with a 6-1 record, at 16-1 overall, and ranked third in the country.

How will the home team fare? Tipoff is at 7 p.m. EST. Follow along live with updates and analysis.

Pregame

The starting lineup for Michigan:

G Elliot Cadeau
G Nimari Burnett
F Morez Johnson Jr.
F Yaxel Lendeborg
C Aday Mara

And for Indiana:

G Lamar Wilkerson
G Conor Enright
G Tayton Conerway
F Sam Alexis
F Tucker DeVries

Under-16 media timeout – first half

Michigan turns IU over to start things off. Got some good offensive rebounding and multiple chances on the first offensive possession. Center Aday Mara got away with a bit of a travel on the first score, misses two free throw attempts on the second possession. Elliot Cadeau hits a 3 to put U-M up 5-0. Cadeau drives the lane to put Michigan up 7-0.

Meanwhile, IU is completely out of rhythm to start the game, hoisting contested 3s that are nowhere close. The Wolverine defense is definitely keeping the Hoosiers from doing much of anything, but their own defense has also kept the maize and blue from scoring at will.

Under-12 media timeout – first half

IU still cannot get much of anything going. To some degree, the Wolverines are playing a little too fast trying to put the Hoosiers away early. A couple of turnovers have negated some momentum as a result.

Cadeau continues to be the entirety of the Michigan offense, essentially, having scored 7 of the Wolverines’ 9. IU finally gets on the board with a floater, to make the deficit 9-2. A turnover on Michigan’s end (Roddy Gayle Jr. was stripped) and a foul on the other end allows the Hoosiers to score two more. But Cadeau answers with his second 3 of the game to put Michigan up 12-4.

Yaxel Lendeborg still not quite looking to be full strength.

IU is so disjointed that even a breakaway didn’t work for it. Will Tschetter did a good job of hustling back and getting in front of the ball carrier, and then they missed the layup. Trey McKenney hit a 3 on the other end to put Michigan up 17-4 with 11:43 remaining in the first half.

Under-eight media timeout – first half

Michigan opens the foray with its third block of the game before LJ Cason drives the basket and scores underneath to put U-M up 19-4. A Sam Alexis free throw adds a point for IU, but he gets his second personal foul on the other end with 9:58 remaining in the half. That allowed McKenney to hit his second 3 of the game, but IU answers with a 3 of its own and a layup. Tschetter stops the five-point run by tacking on a 3 of his own and plays excellent defense on the other end of the floor. IU converts another 3, but Nimari Burnett hits another on Michigan’s end, and it’s 28-13 going into the media timeout.

Michigan is shooting 57% from the floor, including 50% from 3. Indiana? 22%.

Update: Morez Johnson Jr. torn jersey

He’ll wear No. 51 for the rest of the game.

Under-four media timeout – first half

IU hits two free throws to cut the deficit to 13 (game high was Michigan by 17). Johnson is fouled on what almost was a beautiful alley-oop, misses his first free throw, but converts his second. IU hits a 3 and is starting to find an offensive rhythm. Yaxel Lendeborg turns it over, but so does IU. Aday Mara gets a not-so-pretty alley-oop from Johnson, but IU has now hit five of its last five field goal attempts, now shooting 30%. Michigan is getting stymied with six turnovers to this point, but they’re also outrebounding Indiana 17-5. The Hoosiers hit another 3, and suddenly it’s an eight-point game.

Lendeborg hits a floater to put Michigan back up by 10. The Hoosiers finally miss a shot but the Wolverines turn it over for a seventh time. Michigan 33, Indiana 23.

Final four minutes – first half

An Indiana turnover (its fourth) leads to a Michigan turnover (its eighth). Cadeau misses a free throw attempt but gets the ball back and puts it up. It rims out, but it’s put back by Johnson. It was initially called an offensive goaltend, but Michigan challenged it and it was overturned.

IU scores on the other end, but Tschetter hit yet another 3 to put Michigan back up by 13. After IU scored via two free throws, Cadeau danced through the lane to get a layup as time expired, to put Michigan up 40-29, going into the half.

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