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SB 1705

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, requires director of schools to report a student who was formally truant and now enrolled in a home school to juvenile court; establishes that unexcused absences accumulated by a transfer student at their former school or LEA during the school year in which they transfer follow the student to the receiving school or LEA to determine habitual truancy, to implement a progressive truancy plan, and to identify cases of educational neglect. - Amends TCA Title 37, Chapter 1, Part 1; Title 49, Chapter 1; Title 49, Chapter 2 and Title 49, Chapter 6.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Adam Lowe

Bill requires schools to report formerly truant homeschooled students to juvenile court and carries unexcused absences between schools to determine habitual truancy status.

Withdrawn.
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Bill Summary · SB 1705

Legislative bill overview

SB 1705 would require school directors to report students who were chronically truant and subsequently enrolled in homeschool to juvenile court. It also establishes that unexcused absences follow students when they transfer between schools during the academic year, carrying over their truancy status to determine habitual truancy classification and trigger intervention plans.

Why is this important

This bill affects how truancy is tracked across school transfers and homeschool transitions, potentially exposing families to juvenile court involvement. The policy assumes continuous monitoring responsibility across educational settings and could significantly impact families using homeschooling as an educational option, particularly those with prior attendance issues.

Potential points of contention

  • Homeschool reporting requirement: Creates government oversight of homeschool enrollment specifically for previously truant students, raising questions about parental rights, homeschool autonomy, and whether this singles out a particular student demographic
  • Truancy transfer portability: Penalizes students for absences at previous schools they no longer attend, potentially creating barriers for students trying to improve attendance at new schools and raising fairness concerns
  • Juvenile court referral threshold: Automatically referring homeschooled students to juvenile court based on prior truancy could result in legal consequences for families and raises questions about proportionality and due process

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

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