WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

SF 1470

Reporting requirement of student attendance data in school performance reports

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Steve Cwodzinski

Minnesota bill requires schools to publicly report student attendance data disaggregated by demographics to increase accountability and identify chronic absenteeism patterns.

Referred to Education Policy
#educationandeducationdepartment #education-pre-kindergarten-12
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · SF 1470

Legislative bill overview

SF 1470 requires Minnesota schools to include student attendance data in their annual school performance reports that are made publicly available. The bill mandates disaggregation of attendance information by student demographics and establishes baseline metrics for tracking attendance patterns over time.

Why is this important

Chronic absenteeism has significant impacts on academic achievement, graduation rates, and long-term student outcomes. Making attendance data transparent allows parents, policymakers, and educators to identify struggling schools and intervene early. This transparency can drive accountability and resource allocation to address underlying attendance barriers.

Potential points of contention

  • Privacy concerns: Disaggregating data by student demographics could risk identifying vulnerable student subgroups in small districts, raising privacy issues despite de-identification efforts
  • Implementation burden: Schools already face substantial reporting requirements; adding attendance data collection and reporting may strain administrative resources, particularly in under-resourced districts
  • Root cause complexity: Attendance is influenced by factors beyond school control (poverty, transportation, health issues), so using it as a performance metric may unfairly penalize schools serving high-need populations without addressing systemic barriers

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

Sign in to ask a question.