Should Illinois Start Paying Kids to Show Up for School?

A school system in the Midwest is taking an unconventional approach to chronic absenteeism: paying students to come to school. But is that the right way to get kids to class?

Detroit Putting Money Behind Attendance

The Detroit Public Schools Community District's "Perfect Attendance Pays" program is returning for the 2026-27 school year, with middle and high school students receiving a financial incentive for showing up.

Middle school students receive a $50 gift card for every five days of perfect attendance, and high school students are eligible for $100.

Financial Incentive is Making a Difference

The program to pay students to show up isn't a gimmick. Officials in Detroit say that chronic high school absenteeism has declined by a combined 9 points after the pay-for-attendance program began.

Nearly 84 percent of the district's high school students received at least one $100 reward during the previous year's program, with Michigan reporting nearly 28 percent of students being chronically absent during the 2024-25 school year.

Could Illinois and Wisconsin Try It?

According to recent reports, about 1 in 4 Illinois students were chronically absent during the 2024-25 school year, while in Wisconsin, just over 17 percent of students were not attending regularly.

So, should Illinois and Wisconsin pay kids to attend? I'd say it's worth testing. Where do we start the cash incentive levels? Same as Michigan, or would it take more?