Relating to student public school attendance, including by modifying provisions related to state aid payments to school districts and requiring the development of an attendance improvement plan when a student is chronically absent from school

This bill relates to student public school attendance, including by modifying provisions related to state aid payments to school districts and requiring the development of an attendance improvement plan when a student is chronically absent from school.16 (state foundation aid appropriations) for a fiscal year in an amount equal to the product of the state cost per pupil for the budget year multiplied by the number of chronically absent students enrolled in the school district in the prior year. The bill provides that this reduction shall be divided between each monthly installment as evenly as possible. The bill provides that this reduction shall not apply to school districts in which the total number of chronically absent students enrolled in the school district in the prior year is less than percent of the school district’s total enrollment. The bill defines “chronically absent student” as a student who is enrolled in a school district and who was absent from school for at least percent of the school days in the prior school year for any reason. The bill provides that, when a student who is enrolled in a public school was absent from school for at least percent of the school days in the prior school year for any reason, the student or the student’s parent, guardian, or custodian, as applicable, a representative of the public school, and a representative of the county attorney of a county in which the public school is located shall meet to discuss how to improve the student’s attendance, create an attendance improvement plan, and sign the attendance improvement plan. The bill requires that, during the meeting, the representative of the county attorney shall provide the student or the student’s parent, guardian, or custodian, as applicable, with information related to this state’s laws related to attendance requirements, penalties associated with violating the attendance requirements, and exceptions to the attendance requirements.