Pupil attendance: excused absences: civic or political events.
This bill is seen as a step towards promoting civic engagement among students by allowing them to participate in political events, such as voting, public commenting, or rallies, without facing penalties regarding attendance. It recognizes the importance of political participation as part of the educational experience and fosters responsibility among students to communicate their intentions with school authorities. However, it also stresses the necessity for advance notice, potentially reinforcing organizational skills among the youth.
Assembly Bill 880, introduced by the Committee on Education on February 14, 2023, aims to amend Section 48205 of the Education Code concerning pupil attendance. The bill specifically addresses absences related to civic or political events for middle school and high school students. Under the current law, pupils can be excused from school for participating in such events, provided they notify the school beforehand. AB 880 proposes to formalize this requirement by mandating that students notify their respective schools at least one day before their absence to ensure its excusal status.
Opponents of the bill may argue that introducing a notification requirement could act as a barrier to immediate participation in civic activities, where students might need to decide on short notice. Moreover, the stipulation limiting excused absences to only one day per school year for these activities may lead to concerns about limiting students' ability to fully engage in multiple civic opportunities throughout the year. Furthermore, the discretionary power granted to school administrators to permit additional absences may create inconsistencies in how this aspect of the law is enforced across different districts.