Case Study: The Macomb Intermediate School District reduces chronic absenteeism with PowerSchool

Tackling Chronic Absenteeism in Macomb County

The Macomb Intermediate School District faced chronic absenteeism across 21 districts in Macomb County, Michigan, and needed a better way to track attendance, support families, and move away from punitive truancy approaches. MISD turned to PowerSchool Attendance Intervention to help create a more proactive, data-driven attendance strategy.

PowerSchool helped MISD build consistent reporting by integrating PowerSchool SIS with PowerSchool Attendance Intervention and creating custom attendance reports. The district also used the platform to send positive postcards and family outreach messages, and paired that with incentives like food trucks for strong attendance. The result was stronger family engagement, better collaboration across districts, and a clear shift toward reducing chronic absenteeism through supportive, measurable attendance interventions.

The Macomb Intermediate School District

Michelle Marcellin

Staff & Student Support Consultant