In January Benton Harbor Area Schools announced its new “Strive for Five” program — an attendance initiative that awards students for perfect attendance.
According to a statement on the district website, students were required to opt in to the program by a certain deadline and get parent permission if they are under 18. After that, the student can earn up to $1000 over the course of the school year just by showing up for class each day.
The program works by tracking students attendance on a weekly basis and awarding money each week. If a student logs perfect attendance all five days in a week, they earn $100 for that week.
The program runs for 10 weeks where students can earn rewards, meaning students with perfect attendance each week of the program can earn a max of $1000.
To be eligible for the payouts, students must be present for every class of every day with no tardiness or absences logged. If a student logs an absence or tardy - even one that’s excused - they don’t get the payout that week, and the cycle resets the next week.
According to the district website, snow days and school cancellations don’t affect the program, and students will automatically be credited for full attendance. The program is “designed to reinforce the importance of showing up every day and staying engaged from the first bell to the last”.
The Strive for Five program is similar to other attendance initiatives that have been used in schools across the United States, including Detroit Public Schools. According to a statement from DPS, the district decided to bring back their $1000 attendance initiative for a second year after the first year proved successful.
