1
2 ___________________________ ______________________________
3 Chairman Phil Mendelson Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr.
4
5
6 ______________________________ ______________________________
7 Councilmember Anita Bonds Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie
8
9
10 ______________________________ ______________________________
11 Councilmember Charles Allen Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau
12
13
14 ____________________________ _______________________________
15 Councilmember Trayon White, Sr. Councilmember Brooke Pinto
16
17
18 ______________________________ ______________________________
19 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George Councilmember Christina Henderson
20
21
22 ______________________________ ______________________________
23 Councilmember Matthew Frumin Councilmember Zachary Parker
24
25
26 A BILL
27
28 ______________
29
30 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
31
32 ______________
33
34
35 To require the Office of the State Superintendent of Education to publish monthly data on
36 absenteeism on its website.
37
38 BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
39 act may be cited as the “Truancy Reduction for Student Success Act of 2024”.
40 Sec. 2. Definitions.
41 For the purposes of this title, the term:
1
42 (1) “Chronic truancy rate” means the incidence of students of compulsory
43 attendance age, as defined by D.C. Official Code § 38-202(a), enrolled at a school at any point in
44 a school year with 10 or more unexcused absences within a single school year, divided by the
45 total number of students of compulsory attendance age ever enrolled during the same school
46 year.
47 (2) “School year” shall have the same meaning as provided in section 1 of Article
48 I of An Act To provide for compulsory school attendance, approved February 4, 1925 (43 Stat.
49 806; D.C. Official Code § 38-201(4)).
50 (3) “Unexcused absence” shall have the same meaning as provided in Section
51 2(c)(2) of Article II of An Act To provide for compulsory school attendance, approved February
52 4, 1925 (43 Stat. 806; D.C. Official Code § 38-203(c)(2)).
53 Sec. 3. Student attendance data by school.
54 (a) Starting in school year 2025 to 2026, the Office of the State Superintendent of
55 Education shall, on a monthly basis, publicly post on its website the following data for each
56 school or campus under its authority, pertaining to the preceding month, during the school year:
57 (1) The total number of students enrolled;
58 (2) The chronic truancy rate; and
59 (3) The number of students, categorized by grade bands K to 2, 3 to 5, 6 to 8, and
60 9 to 12 or equivalent grouping for ungraded schools, who were absent for:
61 (A) At least 10% of school days;
62 (B) At least 20% of school days;
63 (C) At least 30% of school days; and
64 (D) More than 30% or more of school days.
65 Sec. 4. Fiscal impact statement.
2
66 The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal
67 impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975,
68 approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a).
69 Sec. 5. Effective date.
70 This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the
71 Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional review as
72 provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December
73 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of
74 Columbia Register.
3