Bill > SF2882

This bill makes several modifications to Minnesota's education and attendance laws, focusing on improving student enrollment and tracking. The bill expands legitimate reasons for student absence, including medical appointments, family emergencies, mental health conditions, and religious instruction. It changes how student attendance is defined, stipulating that a student is considered in attendance when a school employee is supervising or providing services to them. The legislation requires school principals to report students who were enrolled in the previous term but are not currently enrolled, and mandates that these lists be shared with county agencies. Additionally, the bill shifts the age of presumed truancy from 12 to 16 years old, meaning that for children under 16, absences are presumed to be the result of parental failure to ensure attendance, while for those 16 and older, absences are presumed to be the student's choice. If a student is dropped from school rolls due to extended absences, the school must notify local welfare agencies and the Department of Education, which then becomes responsible for helping reenroll the student by connecting them and their family with community resources and educational opportunities. The bill also requires individual student assessment reports to include the number and percentage of school days the student was absent in the previous year, with most provisions becoming effective on July 1, 2025.

Budget and Finance, Education

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=Senate&f=SF2882&ssn=0&y=2025