B25-0758 - The Showing Up for Students Amendment Act of 2024

3 Co-Sponsors

As introduced Bill 25-758 would expand the set of valid excuses for absences to include specific or presumed threats of violence, the serious illness of a family member, housing displacement, and absences relating to family and immigration court proceedings. It would also require OSSE to assume the initial responsibility of referring students with 7 or more unexcused absences in a rolling 120-day period to the Department of Human Services. It would adjust the District’s neglect and child supervision standards to ensure that children are not held accountable for the mistakes of adults who fail them and to define the existing concept of educational neglect. It would also require OSSE’s annual truancy report to include an analysis of root causes, effective interventions, and additional funding needs and the Deputy Mayor for Education will be required to conduct a biannual review of chronic absenteeism and truancy trends with the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services and local education agency leaders.