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Bill

SB 482

Absenteeism and student discipline.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Michelle Davis and 4 co-sponsors

Indiana law SB 482 establishes new student absenteeism tracking and discipline standards for schools, effective May 2025, affecting attendance reporting and behavioral response protocols.

Public Law 208
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Bill Summary · SB 482

Legislative bill overview

SB 482 modifies Indiana's student absenteeism and discipline policies, establishing new standards for how schools track, report, and respond to student absences and behavioral infractions. The bill became law in May 2025 after passing both chambers and receiving the Governor's signature.

Why is this important

Student absenteeism directly correlates with academic achievement and graduation rates, making attendance policy a critical educational equity issue. The bill's specific provisions affect how schools implement discipline, potentially impacting thousands of Indiana students and shaping district compliance requirements statewide.

Potential points of contention

  • Defining chronic absenteeism thresholds: Different stakeholders may dispute what absence rates trigger intervention, balancing accountability with recognition of legitimate absences due to illness, poverty, or transportation barriers
  • School discipline disparities: Changes to discipline procedures could either address or exacerbate existing racial and socioeconomic disparities in how schools suspend or exclude students
  • Administrative burden: New reporting requirements may increase compliance costs for school districts with varying resources to implement tracking systems
  • Parental vs. school responsibility: The bill likely allocates accountability between families and schools, creating debate about whether responsibility for attendance falls primarily on parents or educational institutions

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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