More than half of Detroit Public Schools now have laundry machines, according to Chalkbeat
US schools confront chronic absenteeism
'America's Newsroom' panelists Mitch Carroll and Andrew Hanna discuss the proper strategies for getting children in the classrooms.
Steep payouts, ice cream, mini-breaks and – laundry machines?
Schools are incentivizing kids to come to class as chronic absenteeism remains a major post-pandemic concern, but the lattermost – taking effect in Detroit Public Schools – might sound a bit unconventional without context.
"I have the opportunity to come to the school and wash my son’s clothes," parent Melania Willis, whose son is a senior at a local high school where she works as a security guard, told WXYZ-TV in The Motor City.
"I do stay in an apartment and it’s hard for me sometimes to put money on the card because they close at a certain time," she added.
6.5 MILLION STUDENTS CHRONICALLY ABSENT AFTER THE PANDEMIC, NEW STUDY SHOWS
Washing machines are being installed in public schools in Detroit to help some students from lower-income households. (iStock)
The machines found their way into local schools thanks to the help of Detroit Public Schools Foundation President Kerrie Mitchell and charitable donations and a GE Appliances investment.
Willis said installing the washers and dryers helps kids from less privileged households, including one who has no running water at home and is bullied regularly.
Though unclear if she was referencing the same student, she noted that one student who doesn't have laundry machines at home approaches her and often asks her to take her clothes to the washing machine.
Classrooms have had more than a few empty seats since the COVID-19 pandemic as some districts struggle to get them back to class. (Getty Images)
"One student came to me like, 'I don’t have a washing machine at home. Do you mind if you take my clothes to the washing machine, to the laundromat?' So, I took it and brought it back to her," she recalled.
In another instance, Davis Aerospace Technical High School teacher Janine Scott said she noticed a student she thought had poor hygiene actually just needed to have his hoodie washed, and the problem extends to other students, especially of younger age groups, as well.
Older age groups reportedly avoid the embarrassment by either finding ways to cover up the scent or staying out of class altogether.
Detroit Public Schools have been hit hard by the chronic absentee epidemic, with two-thirds of students falling into the category of those who miss at least 10% of the school year, according to education website Chalkbeat.
The same report said more than half of the district's 108 schools now have the appliances installed.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, school districts across the U.S. have struggled to get kids back into classrooms, with some taking measures to reel them back in.
Ohio lawmakers floated an idea to get kids in class – and across the graduation stage – by incentivizing their attendance with payouts, but the bill ultimately stalled.
Some Rhode Island schools incentivized good attendance with rewards like ice cream socials and extra recess time, according to Chalkbeat.
Taylor Penley is an associate editor with Fox News.
