Benton Harbor High School to pilot $1,000 attendance incentive amid chronic absenteeism concerns

Director Nichols presented a student-support update and introduced the "Strive for Fives" attendance incentive for Benton Harbor High School, a pilot intended to reduce chronic absenteeism. Under the plan, students opt in and can earn periodic payments (the district referenced a $1,000 maximum in program materials) that would be loaded onto a district-issued card; the opt-in deadline at the high school was announced as Thursday.

Trustees discussed the program's optics and safeguards. Vice President Bowens asked whether the district was legally permitted to offer such incentives and whether the community might interpret the program as "paying students to attend school." Director Nichols said the model was based on an approach used by Detroit Public Schools and that the district will track participation and attendance in PowerSchool; the funds will come from the district's general fund and the program will require parental consent for minors.

Board members also received chronic-absence rates by campus from administration: Discovery Enrichment Center 34.8%; Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary 58.2%; Fairplane East 38.6%; Fairplane Middle 60.6%; Benton Harbor High School 84.3% (district materials). Trustees emphasized the need to verify attendance data quality and to coordinate community communication to reduce misunderstanding. No formal board vote was required for the pilot, and trustees expressed conditional support pending monitoring and reporting.