Novi Schools to Tally Students for Count Day

Count Day is when all public schools in Michigan tally the number of students attending their schools. Count information is critical to districts, because each student translates into state funding.

Pupils must be in attendance and receive instruction in all classes to be counted, according to the Michigan Department of Education. For students not in attendance, they may be counted for:

• 30 calendar days for excused absence following count day.
• 10 school days for unexcused absence following count day.
• 45 days for suspended students following count day.

School funding through Count Days is mandated through the State School Aid Act, which has amendments that go into effect Tuesday. The funding schools receive is based on a blend of both winter and fall student count data during the same year. That means the 2013-14 school year allocation is based on data from February, which represents 10 percent of state funding, and October, which represents 90 of state funding.