New law addresses chronic school absenteeism

When students in Putnam County return back to the classrooms next week, they will be welcomed back by a new Indiana law aimed at tackling chronic absenteeism. 

Senate Enrolled Act 482 went into effect July 1 and looks to address how schools report student absences to the Indiana Department of Education, as well as requires the state department of education to publish clearer statewide definitions and guidance for monitoring student participation, as well as offering up best practices for local districts. 

Under the new law, chronic absenteeism is now defined as missing at least 10 percent of instructional days in a 180 day school year for any reason, whether the absence was excused or not. Should a student miss at least 20 days due to a medical condition or an injury, the law requires the school to provide instruction only after a parent submits documentation from a licensed healthcare provider. 

Furthermore, the new law allows local prosecutors to hold intervention meetings with parents to help improve attendance before filing charges. 

Cloverdale Community School Corporation Superintendent Greg Linton said his administrative team has met to make sure the district's handbook and board policy lines up with the new state law. 

"As we start implementing these new policies, we want to make sure we do so fairly and consistently and communicate to parents what those expectations are. When we have students with chronic issues and they have chronic issues getting to school or getting to school on time, we need to use our counselors to dig in. We don't want to enable our students, but some have significant challenges getting to school, and depending on the age of the child, they need some support beyond what we have traditionally done in the past," Linton told The Putnam County Post. 

North Putnam Superintendent Dustin LeMay echoed those sentiments. 

"The attendance policy has gotten a lot of attention and it can be frustrating to parents, but what's important is are we being fair to our families. Are we communicating to make sure we are all on the same page and are we looking for a root cause that we can be supportive for? Some of our students really need that extra support, and we need to make sure we do it in partnership with our families," LeMay said. 

Linton said the conversation about attendance is nothing new for school districts. 

"This is nothing new for school districts. Just like at work, if you are going to be successful, you have to come to school. In order to learn, you have to be in the classroom and on time. This legislation throws a few different layers on, but this is not anything new for students or families," Linton said.