Educators at Peck Elementary School in the Center Line Public Schools district are using different strategies to increase attendance rates and reduce chronic absenteeism. Each month, staff presents mini certificates to students who were present and on time every day for the previous month. The Vue Family, from left to right, second grader Luna, first grader Asher, kindergartener Anni, and fourth grader Quincy have had perfect attendance since the beginning of the school year. “My family is on an all-full attendance streak right now,” Quincy said. “We always try and do our best.”
By: Maria Allard | Warren Weekly | Published November 7, 2025
CENTER LINE — Chronic absenteeism in schools has been an issue since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, according to the Michigan Department of Education.
While chronic absenteeism rates have declined each year, attendance has not returned to the levels before the pandemic, per the department. Illness, family vacations, doctor appointments, transportation, social challenges and anxiety are among the various reasons students are absent.
At the Oct. 13 Center Line Public Schools Board of Education meeting, Peck Elementary School Principal Meghan Evoy gave a presentation about the steps staff members are taking to increase attendance at the school. There is an attendance action team that meets once a month to review data. During the 2023-24 school year at Peck, the average daily attendance was 89.95%, and of that, 67% were chronically absent.
“Once you fall below 90%, there starts to be a compounding effect where students who aren’t in school, their education experience starts to suffer,” Evoy said. “Two-thirds of our students were chronically absent. In Center Line, we define that as more 10% of our students absent for any reason. We had a problem, and we had to do something about it.”
Before the 2024-25 school began last year, staff brainstormed several ideas in an attempt to increase attendance rates. One strategy was giving students a classroom job — such as passing out papers or being the line leader — so they knew that others were counting on them and that they needed to come to school. The school had practiced that before but not every student had a classroom job and now they do as a way to boost attendance. Other factors came into play.
“We also heard from parents and from experts that concerns about safety and anxiety about sending their child to school was part of the reason students were absent,” Evoy said.
Evoy also shared that the school practices a concept known as “forward progress,” in which a new lesson is taught every day at Peck. When students are absent, they miss that particular lesson, which affects them academically and socially.
“We never take a break from the curriculum,” Evoy said. “We are committed to forward progress every day in the curriculum so students and parents know if they miss this day, they will be missing something important in their child’s day.”
Students are tracking their own attendance this year. Another incentive to get kids to school were opportunities for connections that included “Morning Meetings.” Each new week on Mondays begins with deep breathing for students and a game or activity to commit them to different behaviors. That includes following proper procedures when walking the hallway and being a good listener.
When reviewing data from the past two school years, Peck staff noticed that chronic absenteeism was down 8.2%. Staff also took into consideration there was a 42% increase in students from the 2023-2024 school year to last year.
“That means 41 fewer students were chronically absent last year compared to the prior year,” Evoy said. “Average daily attendance was up about 1%. That doesn’t sound like much but it means that every day last year four or five students who wouldn’t have otherwise been present were present.”
Evoy also noticed that communication between parents and teachers via the ParentSquare had a positive impact on getting more kids in class.
To further their quest to get students to come to school, staff recognizes students with perfect attendance once a month. Mini certificates are given for the students who were present and on time every day for the previous month. The mini certificates are usually passed out in the classroom, but last week they were presented during an all-school assembly on Nov. 3. The certificate of excellent attendance is one-quarter of a page in size.
“It’s not a reward,” Evoy noted. “It’s a recognition.”
The Nov. 3 assembly, held in the cafeteria, also included recognition for student leaders. The morning began with Evoy performing breathing exercises designed for staff and students to reduce stress. During a brief video presentation, the students sang “If I Were a Fish,” and their “commitment” was listening to understand.
Among those recognized for perfect attendance were the Vue family: kindergartener Anni, first grader Asher, second grader Luna, and fourth grader Quincy. The four students have had perfect attendance since the beginning of the school year.
“My family is on an all-full attendance streak right now. We always try and do our best,” said Quincy, who added the family also has a younger brother not in school yet. “The school district teachers are pretty cool and pretty interesting to work with. The things they teach us give us some interesting questions. If we make a mistake, we learn a little more.”
“We always come here every day,” said Anni, who said mom, dad or grandma drive them to school. “You need to learn.”
Waking up early in the morning is one practice the family uses to get to school on time.
Asher said when you don’t come to school your “grades get lower.”
“You can miss a lot of things,” Quincy said. “You miss a lot of important stuff that you could use in the future. You could miss a lot of awesome specials, tech, music, art.”
Luna’s favorite part of the day at Peck is “doing some math.”
Asher keeps his certificates of excellent attendance safely in a bag at home.
“I like them in the bag,” he said.