(Des Moines) The Iowa House passed HF2547, the Chronic Absenteeism/Truancy bill.
Iowa House Representative Tom Moore, of Griswold, said this bill directs the school boards (public and nonpublic) to adopt policies relating to what constitutes as chronically absent, interventions they may use, and penalties. It creates attendance policies in conjunction with the county attorney’s office. “Chronically absent” means any absence from school for more than 10% of the days in a school calendar.
When a child becomes chronically absent, a school official shall send a notice by certified mail to the child’s parent, guardian, or legal or actual custodian of the child, if the child is not an emancipated minor, or to the child, if the child is an emancipated minor, that includes information related to the child’s absence from school and the policies and disciplinary processes associated with additional absences.
Moore said if a child is absent from school for greater than or equal to 15%, but less than 18%, of the days in the school calendar, a school official shall attempt to find the cause for the child’s absences and shall initiate and participate in a school engagement meeting. The purpose of the school engagement meeting is to identify the child’s barriers to attendance and the interventions that may be used to improve the child’s attendance. Stricter measures take place after a student is deemed chronically absent over 18% of the time. This can include the inclusion of the county attorney in the proceedings.
