Proposed Bill No. 254 - Summary

• Local and regional boards of education must conduct exit interviews with each student who withdraws from school without graduating or receiving a diploma.

• Exit interviews must collect information on whether the student has a history of trauma, whether the student's family has been reported to the Department of Children and Families or other agencies for unaddressed stressors or needs, and the student's future plans following withdrawal.

• Boards must inquire whether the student has been a victim of bullying that caused a decline in academic achievement and contributed to the withdrawal.

• Boards must determine whether the student can be placed in an environment providing skills training for financial independence.

• Boards must aggregate the collected information into a report and submit it to the Department of Education for evaluation to improve services and resources for students and families.