MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - On the first Wednesday of October each year, attendance is key as schools across Michigan participate in ‘count day.’

On school count day, an official attendance is recorded in public schools, and that enrollment count sets the amount of funding that each district receives from the state.

There is a count day in the middle of February as well, but it is not nearly as significant. Enrollment levels for the October count day account for 90 percent of funding, while the February count day accounts for only 10 percent.

While public school attendance is not usually an issue for schools in Meridian Township, there are schools near Detroit and Flint that use incentives to ensure that students are showing up for school.