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Detroit Public Schools Community District is broadening its "Perfect Attendance Pays" program to include middle school students for the 2026-27 school year, after district officials say the initiative pushed high school chronic absenteeism down 9 percentage points across its first two years.
The expansion arrives as DPSCD continues to work against a chronic absenteeism rate of 60.9% recorded for the 2024-25 school year. The payout structure The program targets the winter window, Jan.
5 to March 20, when attendance historically weakens across the district.
High schoolers remain eligible to earn up to $100 per week in gift cards or cash equivalents, capped at $1,000 for the season, with eligibility calculated across five-day cycles.
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