A group of Georgia lawmakers are recommending measures to compel chronically absent students to enter an approved attendance improvement plan. This includes potentially barring them from participating in school-sponsored sports or extracurriculars until they enter into a plan or temporarily suspending their driver’s licenses or permits if they don’t comply with it.
Chronic absenteeism refers to when a student misses 10% or more of the school year, or around 18 days in a typical full school year. Schools across the country saw a spike in chronic absenteeism rates during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Georgia’s rates have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Earlier this year, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed into law SB 123, which prohibits expulsion solely on the grounds of attendance and mandates attendance review teams for districts and schools that exceed a certain threshold of chronic absenteeism.
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