Every student who shows up to class in Bloomfield Hills Schools on Wednesday, Oct. 7, puts money in the district's budget.

Oct. 7 is Michigan's fall Count Day, one of only two days each school year when attendance records directly determine how much state aid a district receives. The district posted notices across its school websites urging families to make sure students are present.

Under Michigan's foundation allowance formula, 90% of a district's per-student state aid is calculated from the October count. The remaining 10% is drawn from the prior February count, according to MI School Data, the state's official education data portal. The second count day for the 2026-27 school year falls on Wednesday, Feb. 10, according to Thrun Law Firm, which advises Michigan school districts.

A school that cannot demonstrate it met all pupil-accounting requirements risks having its student count reduced by the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), cutting its state aid, Thrun Law noted.

Bloomfield Hills Schools enrolled 5,069 students in the 2023-24 school year, the most recent figure available, according to Ballotpedia citing the National Center for Education Statistics. That number has trended downward, dropping about 8% from 5,514 in 2019-20. Current 2026-27 enrollment has not been publicly confirmed.

State Superintendent Dr. Glenn Maleyko said in a Sept. 17 MDE press release that Michigan's statewide attendance rate rose to 91.5% in 2025-26, the fourth straight year of improvement. "Students benefit when they are in school and engaged in learning," Maleyko said at the time.

More than one in four Michigan students were chronically absent during the 2025-26 school year, missing 10% or more of school days, according to Bridge Michigan. The statewide rate stood at 27.2%, down from 27.9% the prior year.

Bloomfield Hills Schools families should ensure students attend all classes on Wednesday, Oct. 7. The district has not announced when Count Day results will be reported.