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HB 1403

Primary and Secondary Education - Full-Time Equivalent Enrollment Count - Alterations (Truancy Reduction Act of 2025)

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Christopher Bouchat and 12 co-sponsors

Maryland bill linking school funding to student attendance rates to incentivize truancy reduction; withdrawn before passage in 2025.

Withdrawn by Sponsor
0
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Bill Summary · HB 1403

Legislative bill overview

HB 1403, the Truancy Reduction Act of 2025, proposes alterations to how Maryland counts full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment for school funding purposes, likely linking funding calculations to student attendance metrics. The bill aims to create financial incentives for schools to reduce chronic absenteeism and truancy. However, the bill was withdrawn by its sponsor on March 10, 2025, before advancing beyond the appropriations committee.

Why is this important

School funding in Maryland is often tied to enrollment counts, which directly impact district budgets and resource allocation. Modifying FTE calculations based on attendance could significantly affect how money flows to schools, particularly impacting under-resourced districts with higher absenteeism rates. This represents a policy lever to address chronic truancy—a documented barrier to student achievement—though the mechanism and fairness of implementation would be critical.

Potential points of contention

  • Regressive impact on disadvantaged districts: Schools serving low-income communities with higher rates of poverty-related absenteeism could face funding penalties rather than receiving additional support to address root causes
  • Causality debate: Whether funding penalties effectively reduce truancy or instead exacerbate problems by reducing school resources precisely where attendance challenges are greatest
  • Measurement fairness: Questions about whether FTE adjustments adequately account for legitimate absences (illness, disability accommodations, transportation barriers) versus chronic truancy warranting intervention

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

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