SPONSOR: Mosley
Currently, students in St. Louis City with 15 or more absences are reportable to the Children's Division within the Department of Social Services.
The bill modifies this provision to include all public schools and adds an intermediate step where the parents of the child meet with the school to develop a plan to prevent unexcused absences. If the parents fail to meet or the student continues to miss school the bill requires the school to contact the Department within one week.
The Children's Division will conduct a home visit and inform parents of the student's ongoing absences and of a potential cause for educational neglect if additional absences occur. The Children's Division must notify the school that the home visit has occurred within one week and any additional absences will be reported as a violation of Sections 167.031, RSMo, and subject to a Class C misdemeanor.
Statutes affected: