Key facts
- The School Success Partnership program in Northern Michigan has successfully reduced chronic absenteeism and improved grades.
- The program faces potential defunding due to the absence of a $1.5 million state allocation in proposed budgets.
- School officials express concern about losing the program's support for at-risk students and families.
- Data shows a correlation between the program's presence and lower chronic absenteeism rates in participating schools.
- The state argues the program is redundant with the expanding Family Impact Team initiative.
A program credited with significantly reducing school absenteeism and improving academic performance among vulnerable students in Northern Michigan is facing potential defunding. The School Success Partnership, which operates in over 50 schools across 12 counties, relies on a $1.5 million state allocation that is absent from Governor Gretchen Whitmer's proposed budgets for 2026-27.
School officials and program directors argue that cutting this funding would be detrimental, as the program serves as a crucial bridge between schools, families, and community services, addressing barriers such as transportation, basic needs, and emotional support. Data from Bridge Michigan analysis shows that 16 out of 20 elementary schools with School Success liaisons had chronic absenteeism rates below the state average of 24.7% in the 2024-25 school year. For instance, Onaway Elementary saw its chronic absenteeism rate drop from 20.6% to 12.8% after implementing the program.
The program, run by the nonprofit Northeast Michigan Community Service Agency, has been in operation since 1991 and has expanded as Michigan's test scores have declined, with the state ranking 44th in recent national reading tests, a situation experts attribute partly to poor school attendance. The School Success liaisons perform a variety of tasks, from providing food to students to attending family appointments, which school staff often lack the time to address.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services defended the proposed defunding, stating that the School Success program is redundant with the expanding Family Impact Team program, which embeds family resource specialists with child protection services. However, school leaders like Traverse City Superintendent John VanWagoner have expressed concerns, noting a lack of interaction with Family Impact Team employees despite the program's presence, while School Success liaisons are actively engaged with hundreds of students annually.