Here’s how Michigan students are being counted this Count Day amid coronavirus - mlive.com

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Student attendance is important every day of the school year to ensure a proper education. But when it comes to state school funding, there’s one day that educators say matters more than the rest: Count Day.

Count day has major financial implications for public schools on Wednesday, Oct. 7. Their per-pupil state aid is based on the mandated tally conducted twice in the school year in October and February to track attendance within each school district.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, districts across the state are conducting classes online, face-to-face, or a mix of both this year. Those differences in instructional methods forced the state to change its funding formula this year to allow schools to get the most accurate attendance count.

Prior to the pandemic, the per-pupil state aid was based on 90 percent of the fall count, combined with 10 percent of the February count.

This year, the state is using a new “super blend” formula to determine district funding, said William DiSessa, spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Education.

The formula is a weighted blend of 75 percent of last year’s attendance and 25 percent of this year’s attendance, which keeps school districts from being penalized if students left their district this fall for other preferred learning plans.

RELATED: In-person learning not required for Michigan schools this fall, and other takeaways from Senate-passed education bills

Districts are also given flexibility to track student learning as schools across the state are conducting different modes of instruction this fall, said Kent County Intermediate School District Superintendent Ron Caniff.

“We are very grateful to Governor Whitmer and the Michigan Legislature for changes made in the school funding formula this school year… that change was necessary given the circumstances of the pandemic,” he said.

“The flexibility afforded for pupil accounting purposes, by which virtual and hybrid learning is tracked, is also greatly appreciated.”

Traditionally, school attendance is marked when students are physically in class on count day. But because many schools are offering virtual or hybrid classes this fall, the state has adjusted its attendance requirements for state aid membership.

Schools can now qualify for state funding by measuring student participation during virtual or hybrid instruction. This can be documented in the two following ways, according to the state education department.

The first way is by documenting two-way interactions between a student and a teacher. The state defines two-way interaction as communication initiated by a teacher with a response from a student. It can take place through face-to-face, email, phone, instant message or video communication.

In order to count for state aid membership, these two-way interactions must happen once in each class every week for four consecutive weeks following the count day on Wednesday.

The second way schools can measure attendance is when a student participates in a course-related activity in each of their scheduled classes on count day.

Within those two methods, there are four ways student participation can occur, according to the education department:

• Attendance in a live lesson: The student attends a live lesson from the student’s teacher and attendance is documented. This could be through a synchronous platform or in-person attendance.
• Login: The student logs into an online or virtual lesson or lesson activity and the login can be documented by the school district.
• Phone or video call: The student and the student’s teacher engage in a subject-oriented telephone conversation, and the conversation is documented. This could be through a synchronous platform such as Skype.
• Email: The district documents that an electronic mail dialogue occurred between the student and the student’s teacher.

To count for participation, the activities have to occur on count day. If the student has an unexcused absence that day, they must complete those activities within 10 school days of count day; if they have an excused absence, they have 30 days.

There’s less funding at stake with this year’s count day because of the new 75/25 blend. But school leaders say they are still working hard to ensure every student is counted this Wednesday.

Grand Rapids Public Schools is alerting district parents about the importance of attendance on Wednesday by blasting out robocalls, text messages, emails and social media, said district spokesperson John Helmholdt. The district is the largest in West Michigan with over 15,000 students.

The district currently receives $8,337 per student like most districts in Kent County.

District parents with any questions or concerns are encouraged to contact the district by calling the GRPS Hotline at 616-301-1111.

“We are treating count day the same as in previous years, using this as an opportunity to reinforce the importance of daily attendance and share how schools are funded in Michigan,” he said.

Jackson County Intermediate School District Superintendent Kevin Oxley feels count day doesn’t just impact local school districts, but the community at large.

“There’s a large ripple effect to having a strong school population that’s counted on count day,” he said. “There’s funding at stake. It impacts not only their students' learning but the larger community, and the tax base in that school district and the housing values.”

To help you navigate this complicated fall, we’re pleased to offer you a simpler way to get all of your education news: Our new Michigan Schools: Education in the COVID Era newsletter delivered right to your inbox. To receive this newsletter, simply click here to sign up.

More on MLive:

Michigan health department issues order requiring masks, limiting gathering sizes statewide

Michigan schools have 24 hours to disclose coronavirus cases under new order

Coronavirus outbreaks reported at 58 Michigan K-12 schools, 24 colleges in Oct. 5 report

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