Bill > S0938

This bill amends Florida's school attendance laws to strengthen reporting and intervention procedures for students with frequent absences. It requires a student's primary teacher to report to the school principal if the student has at least 5 unexcused absences (or absences with unknown reasons) in a calendar month, or 10 such absences in a 90-day period. Additionally, the bill introduces a new provision mandating that if a student is absent for 10 percent of school days within the first 45 days of the school year (regardless of whether the absences are excused or unexcused), their primary teacher must report this to the school principal. The bill also directs the State Board of Education to create comprehensive guidelines for school districts regarding student absences, including policies for determining and accounting for excused and unexcused absences. The goal of these changes is to improve student attendance, identify potential truancy issues early, and ultimately support better academic performance by intervening when students begin to show patterns of nonattendance. The new provisions will take effect on July 1, 2025.

https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/938