Bill > HB1158

This bill revises requirements for students receiving alternative instruction, which is education provided outside of a traditional public or private school setting. It mandates that school districts administer state-designated academic achievement assessments, including writing skills tests, to students in specific grades (three through eight, and eleven) who are enrolled in the district, partially enrolled (meaning they take at least half of their coursework through the district), or receive alternative instruction and reside within the district. The bill also updates the notification process for alternative instruction, requiring parents or guardians to provide specific information about the child, including their name, birthdate, resident district, and any open-enrolled district, along with their signature, on a form prescribed by the Department of Education. Furthermore, it establishes new deadlines for filing this notification, including within thirty days of starting alternative instruction, any change in resident district, being excused from compulsory attendance, or enrolling in a public or nonpublic school, and also by September first of each school year the child receives alternative instruction until they graduate, fully enroll in another school, or are otherwise excused from compulsory attendance. Finally, the bill repeals a previous provision that determined whether partially enrolled students were required to take academic achievement tests based on their enrollment percentage.

Education

https://sdlegislature.gov/#/Session/Bill/26748