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Superintendent raises alarm about chronic absenteeism, reports academic-fraud incidents
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Edmonson told the board that roughly 500 of about 2,000 students have 20 or more absences and reported cases of academic fraud on district assessments involving photo-to-AI approaches; he said the district will review attendance policy and pursue integrity measures.
Superintendent Dr. Edmonson told the Romulus Community Schools board May 26 that chronic absenteeism and academic-integrity concerns are major priorities for the district heading into summer and the 2026–27 school year.
On absenteeism, Edmonson cited district data during the meeting: roughly 500 of about 2,000 students have 20 or more absences, and 30 middle-school students were not invited to the moving-up ceremony because they exceeded the district’s absence threshold. “If you've missed 20 days of school, 30 or 40, you've lost something,” he said, framing the issue as a barrier to learning and future opportunity.
Edmonson said enforcement options are limited under current practice; he described conversations with court partners and suggested the district may seek clearer legal remedies or stronger local policy tools to deter chronic absenteeism. Board members asked for legal parameters and policy options the board could adopt to restrict privileges (field trips, ceremonies) for students who do not meet attendance requirements.
Separately, Edmonson reported instances of academic fraud in district assessments, describing cases in which students used photograph-to-AI workflows to submit answers and where proctoring practices were circumvented. He said the district has identified affected assessments and will address staff and student conduct: “We know where it is. We know who's done it,” Edmonson said, adding that the district will not publish student names but will pursue appropriate corrective steps.
The superintendent described safety and security upgrades — Raptor visitor alerts, an outdoor camera system and weapons-detection deployment — as part of broader measures that work alongside academic and attendance priorities. He said systems help but warned that human factors (for example, devices turned off or not used correctly) can reduce effectiveness.
Next steps include a board briefing or memo on the academic-integrity findings, a legal review of attendance-enforcement options, and proposed policy language for future board consideration.
