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Bill

A 5779

Establishes Chronic Absenteeism Task Force.

2024-2025 Regular Session Introduced by Rosy Bagolie and 7 co-sponsors

New Jersey establishes a chronic absenteeism task force to study causes and develop recommendations for reducing student absences from schools.

Substituted by S3776 (2R)
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Bill Summary · A 5779

Legislative bill overview

Assembly Bill A 5779 establishes a Chronic Absenteeism Task Force in New Jersey to study and address the problem of students missing excessive school days. The task force would be composed of stakeholders including educators, administrators, parents, and state officials to develop recommendations and strategies for reducing absenteeism rates. The bill has been superseded by Senate Bill S3776 as of June 30, 2025.

Why is this important

Chronic absenteeism—typically defined as missing 10% or more of school days—directly correlates with lower academic achievement, increased dropout rates, and reduced lifetime earnings potential. Creating a dedicated task force signals state-level commitment to identifying root causes (poverty, transportation barriers, health issues, disengagement) and developing evidence-based solutions that schools and districts can implement.

Potential points of contention

  • Scope and funding: No clear indication of whether recommendations will be mandatory or advisory, or what resources will be allocated to implement task force suggestions
  • Root cause disagreement: Stakeholders may clash on whether absenteeism stems primarily from student/family responsibility versus systemic barriers requiring institutional change
  • Implementation burden: Schools already facing resource constraints may resist unfunded mandates resulting from task force recommendations

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

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