The bill, S.B. No. 56, aims to amend 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 students who are absent for more than 10% of the school operation time allocated for instruction. This inclusion is part of a broader effort to enhance the collection and reporting of data regarding students at risk, ensuring that schools can better identify and support these students.

Additionally, the bill mandates that school districts and open-enrollment charter schools report data on chronically absent students, disaggregated by various demographic factors, including race, ethnicity, and special education status. The Texas Education Agency is required to aggregate and publicly share this data annually, which will help in understanding the extent of chronic absenteeism and its impact on different student populations. The bill is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

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