Requiring boards of directors of school districts to adopt policies related to excusing the absences of students enrolled in grades nine through twelve for civic or political events

The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. This bill requires boards of directors of school districts to adopt policies related to excusing the absences of students enrolled in grades through for civic or political events. The bill requires the board of directors of each public school district to adopt a policy that requires the school district to grant a student who is enrolled in grades through at least one excused absence each school year when the student is absent from school because of the student’s participation in a civic or political event. The bill establishes that such policy is to include a requirement that the student give notice of the student’s intent to participate in the civic or political event in advance and a requirement that the student demonstrate what the student learned during the student’s participation in the civic or political event. The bill defines “civic or political event” to mean voting in an election, serving as a poll worker, participating in a strike, participating in a public comment period before any public body, attending a speech by a candidate for a public office, attending a political forum, attending a civic forum, or attending a town hall meeting.