Relating to the inclusion of chronically absent students as students at risk of dropping out of school and the collection and reporting of data regarding those students.
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Overview
This bill adds chronically absent students to the category of students considered 'at risk' and requires schools to collect and report data on their attendance patterns.
Why it matters: Homeschoolers may be affected if the bill influences how school districts define or enforce compulsory attendance requirements, or if chronic absence reporting mechanisms could affect families transitioning between homeschooling and public school.
Topic: compulsory_attendance · classifier confidence 55%
What this changes
Amends existing law
Law today: Texas Education Code currently defines 'student at risk of dropping out of school' based on criteria such as grade retention, low grades, test performance, pregnancy, placement in alternative education, expulsion, parole/probation status, homelessness, and other factors. Schools must report data on truancy and certain student populations through the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS).
If passed: This bill adds 'chronically absent students' (those absent for more than 10% of school operation time in a year or six-week period) to the official definition of students at risk of dropping out. It also requires school districts and charter schools to collect and publicly report detailed data on chronic absenteeism, broken down by campus, grade, race, ethnicity, and special populations (special education, dyslexia, economically disadvantaged, and emergent bilingual students).
AI-generated from the bill text — verify against the official text.
Likely supporters & opponents
Likely support
- public school administrators and accountability advocates — Better data on chronic absenteeism helps districts identify struggling students early and target intervention resources to prevent dropouts.
- student welfare advocates — Tracking and addressing chronic absence protects students who are falling behind and may be at risk of disengaging from school entirely.
Likely opposition
- privacy advocates and some parent groups — Expanded data collection and public reporting of disaggregated attendance data could raise concerns about student privacy and surveillance.
AI-inferred typical positions based on the bill’s substance — general stakeholder categories, not confirmed endorsements.
Should I support this?
Little direct impact
This bill applies only to students enrolled in school districts and open-enrollment charter schools; it does not directly affect homeschooled students, who are not subject to attendance reporting requirements or the 'at risk' framework. Homeschooling families should experience no change in their freedom or regulatory burden as a result of this law.
An AI assessment from a Christian-family perspective — religious freedom, parental rights, and freedom in education — not legal or voting advice.
Official summary
Relating to the inclusion of chronically absent students as students at risk of dropping out of school and the collection and reporting of data regarding those students.
Sponsors
- Harold Dutton (D)
Status timeline
- 2025-03-14Referred to Public EducationH
- 2025-03-14Read first timeH
- 2025-01-29FiledH
H = House · S = Senate · A = Assembly