Roughly 880 Northville Public Schools students missed enough class to be considered chronically absent during the 2024-25 school year, but that number is heading in the right direction.
The district's chronic absenteeism rate dropped from 17% in 2022 to 13% in 2025, according to data from the American Enterprise Institute's Return to Learn Tracker as reported by EUP News. The improvement means about 270 fewer students crossed the threshold compared to the post-pandemic peak, based on the district's enrollment of roughly 6,800.
Still, the 13% rate remains nearly double the district's 7% mark in 2019, before pandemic-era closures reshaped attendance habits statewide.
What "chronically absent" means for your family
A student is chronically absent when they miss 10% or more of the school year. In a standard 180-day calendar, that's 18 or more days, whether excused or unexcused, according to the AEI report.
The threshold catches more than truancy. Family vacations, repeated illness and mental-health days all count toward the total.
Michigan ranks sixth-worst nationally
Michigan posted a 29% chronic absenteeism rate in 2025, the sixth-worst among the 44 states and D.C. tracked, according to EUP News reporting on the AEI data. Nationally, the rate peaked at 28.3% in 2022 and has declined each year since, reaching 22.6% in 2025. No state has returned to its pre-pandemic baseline.
The AEI researchers found the problem extends beyond students who lived through school closures. Chronic absenteeism is elevated even among kindergarteners born after the pandemic, suggesting a broader cultural shift in attendance expectations rather than a one-time disruption.
How Northville compares
Northville's 4-percentage-point drop from its 2022 peak is smaller in absolute terms than the roughly 6-point national decline over the same period, but the district started from a much lower base. The AEI Return to Learn Tracker found that relative improvement was similar across all district types, meaning Northville's trajectory is consistent with what researchers observed among higher-performing districts nationwide.
Superintendent RJ Webber, who leads the roughly 6,800-student district, has not publicly commented on the absenteeism data. In a July 13 Oakland Press article about the district's operating millage, Webber said Northville has "the highest return on investment of any school district in the state of Michigan."
Before the bell rings Aug. 31
The first day of classes for the 2026-27 school year is Monday, Aug. 31, according to the district calendar. Teacher professional days run Aug. 25-28.
Parents can report absences through the MISTAR Parent Portal. The district's Student Data Department is reachable at 248-344-3524.
The next Board of Education meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 25, at Old Village School, 405 W. Main St.
