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SF 4445

Interagency Council on Student Attendance establishment

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Doron Clark

Creates a formal cross-agency council to coordinate, data-driven strategies, and resources to reduce chronic absenteeism and improve student attendance statewide.

Referred to Education Policy
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Bill Summary · SF 4445

Summary – Minnesota SF 4445 (2025-2026): Interagency Council on Student Attendance Establishment

Purpose and Intent

  • Establishes the Interagency Council on Student Attendance (IACSA) in Minnesota.
  • The council is designed to coordinate and strategize state-level efforts to improve student attendance, reduce chronic absenteeism, and align policies across agencies and school districts.

Key Provisions and Changes

  • Formation and Governance

    • Creates the Interagency Council on Student Attendance as a state-level body.
    • Likely includes representatives from multiple state agencies with responsibility for education, child welfare, juvenile justice, health, and related services (exact agency composition would be specified in the bill’s text).
    • May define terms, duties, and meeting requirements (e.g., frequency of meetings, member responsibilities, and decision-making processes).

  • Responsibilities and Activities

    • Develops a coordinated attendance improvement plan and set statewide goals for reducing chronic absenteeism.
    • Identifies best practices and evidence-based strategies to promote school attendance.
    • Facilitates data sharing and collaboration across agencies to support students at risk of missing school.
    • Promotes early identification and intervention for attendance barriers (e.g., health issues, transportation, family instability, mental health, and other social determinants).

  • Data and Reporting

    • Likely authorizes the collection and sharing of attendance-related data among participating agencies (consistent with privacy and confidentiality laws).
    • May require periodic reporting on attendance metrics, progress toward goals, and effectiveness of implemented strategies.
    • Could establish a dashboard or annual report to track chronic absenteeism trends and interventions.

  • Funding and Resources

    • The bill may authorize state funding or allocate resources to support the IACSA’s activities and to assist school districts with attendance initiatives.
    • May include provisions for grants or technical assistance to districts implementing attendance improvement programs.

  • Support for Students and Families

    • Emphasizes family engagement and community partnerships to address root causes of absenteeism.
    • Encourages collaborative approaches that connect students with supportive services (health, housing, transportation, and counseling).

Who Is Affected

  • State Agencies
    • Education Department and other state agencies involved in health, social services, juvenile justice, and child welfare.
  • School Districts and Charter Schools
    • Local education agencies would implement and align attendance improvement strategies with IACSA guidance.
  • Students and Families
    • Direct beneficiaries through improved attendance support, reduced barriers to school participation, and targeted interventions.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Introduction and Referral
    • Introduced and referred to the Education Policy committee on March 17, 2026.
  • Legislative Process Status
    • Status updates beyond introduction not provided in the available information; further actions would follow typical committee hearings, amendments, and floor votes.
  • Sponsor
    • Co-sponsor: Doron Clark.

Practical Impact

  • Creates a formal cross-agency mechanism to address chronic absenteeism and attendance-related challenges.
  • Aims to standardize approaches, improve data-driven decision-making, and maximize use of resources to keep students consistently engaged in school.
  • Depending on enacted provisions, could lead to district-level improvements in attendance metrics, with potential downstream effects on learning outcomes, graduation rates, and student well-being.

If you’d like, I can tailor this summary to include a more detailed section-by-section breakdown once the full bill text is available, or add projected timelines and milestones typical for Minnesota education policy bills.

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

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