THE @THEHURONEMERY
HURON EMERY HURON HIGH SCHOOL, 2727 FULLER RD., ANN ARBOR MI 48105
The chronic absenteeism issue When the bell rang on Apr. 29, more than half of the students in Sara Neevel’s AP English Language class were missing. The same was true for other teachers like Sara-Beth Badalamente’s yearbook class where only 5 out of 29 students were on time. In response to ongoing concerns, Neevel sent an email to students and families emphasizing the importance of showing up to class, especially during the final stretch of the year and ahead of AP exams. “When I decided to send the email, 17 out of 31 students were tardy or unverified,” Neevel said. “So over 50% of the class, which just makes it really hard to start on time or get things going.” Neevel mentioned that the email was not meant to criticize students, but rather to showcase how frequent absences and tardiness affect the classroom environment. On the day she referenced, many of her students arrived 20-30 minutes late on that day, missing large chunks of instruction. “I’ll have students arrive all hour, but I still won’t have perfect attendance,” Badalamente said. A recent report by the AnnArborObserver. com found that 68.6% of students at Huron High School have missed at least 10% of the school year, placing Huron among the high schools with the highest absenteeism rates in the Michigan. Statewide, Michigan’s chronic absenteeism rates, or the percentage of students that miss 10% - or 18 out of 180 days of school, sits at 27.9% in 2024-25, according to the Michigan Department of Education, making Ann
JUN 2026 VOL. 11, ISSUE 6
ISHAAN KAMAT PRINT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Arbor Public Schools significantly higher than the state average. Attendance data from surrounding districts highlights how unusual Ann Arbor’s numbers are. Huron’s chronic absenteeism rate of 68.6% exceeds both Pioneer High School at 63.7% and Skyline High School at 61.6%. By comparison, nearby Saline High had a rate of 14.7% and Dexter only 10%. Statewide, 27.9% of students were chronically absent in 2024-25. Only 11 of Michigan’s 138 large high schools had rates above 60%, and all three Ann Arbor high schools are on that list. The numbers also represent a sharp increase compared to before the pandemic. During the 2018-19 school year, Huron’s chronic absenteeism rate was 19.7%, while Pioneer and Skyline reported rates of 17.2% and 21.0%, respectively. The consistency across the district suggests the issue may reflect greater shifts in school culture after the pandemic, including changes in how students and families view the importance of physically being present at school and participating in classroom communities. “I have asked students directly about attendance,” Badalamente said. “They told me parents are not as strict about attendance as long as they are passing classes.” For some students, the decision to stay home isn’t always academic. “If I’m actually sick, I’ll stay home,” junior Caleb Lee said. “Other times it’s stuff like who’s driving me, if there’s a test or something important, or if I’m just
See ABSENTEEISM, PAGE 6
NEWS PAGE 2
SPORTS PAGE 8-9
BPA GOES TO INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
REFLECTIONS ON AAPI MONTH
DEI PAGE 16 THE LOCAL PASSING THE TORCH