The bill amends the Education Code to include chronically absent students as a category of students at risk of dropping out of school. Specifically, it adds a new definition for "chronically absent student," which refers to any student who is absent for more than 10% of the school operation time allocated for instruction within a school year or a six-week reporting period. Additionally, the bill requires that data on chronically absent students be collected and reported through the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS), disaggregated by various demographic factors, including race, ethnicity, and special education status.

Furthermore, the bill mandates that the Texas Education Agency annually aggregate and publicly release data on chronic absenteeism, ensuring transparency regarding the percentage of chronically absent students in each demographic category. This initiative aims to enhance awareness and intervention strategies for students at risk of dropping out, thereby promoting better educational outcomes. The changes will take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Education Code 29.081, Education Code 48.009 (Education Code 29, Education Code 48)