HB 13-1021 Summary

• School districts must establish attendance procedures to identify chronically absent students and implement research-based strategies to improve attendance before pursuing court proceedings.

• Court proceedings to enforce compulsory attendance are limited to last-resort use only after school districts have attempted interventions, and schools must submit evidence of attendance records, chronic absence identification, and implementation of attendance improvement plans.

• Detention imposed by courts for truancy violations is limited to a maximum of 5 days in a juvenile detention facility for children who refuse to comply with court-ordered attendance plans.

• Students age 16 and under juvenile court jurisdiction are eligible to sit for the GED if a judicial or administrative officer finds it in the student's best interests based on credits earned, previous school engagement plans, and student/parent desires.

• Juvenile detention facilities must provide educational services aligned with state content standards at each juvenile's grade level in a timeframe matching statutory hourly attendance requirements, in cooperation with local school districts.