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March 25, 2024
Nyasha Smith, Secretary
Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20004
Dear Secretary Smith:
Today, along with Councilmembers Kenyan R. McDuffie, Brianne K. Nadeau, Brooke Pinto, and
Robert C. White, Jr., I am introducing the “Chronic Absenteeism and Truancy Reduction
Amendment Act of 2024”. Please find enclosed a signed copy of the legislation.
The persistently high chronic absenteeism and truancy rates in the District’s schools demand an
immediate and coordinated response. As way of background, a student is deemed chronically
absent when they miss 10% or more of the school year, regardless of whether the absence was
excused or unexcused. A student is deemed truant when they accrue more than 10 unexcused
absences.
For School Year 2022-2023, data released by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education
shows that two in five students in the District were chronically absent. When looking at high
school, those figures tell a sobering story: three in five high school students were chronically
absent from school last year. More troubling is that almost half of high school students were
deemed truant, with 11 high schools having truancy rates above 70%.
Missing out on school means that students run the risk of falling behind on meeting educational
or achievement milestones, as well as the social supports and skills needed once a student
graduates from high school, like entering the workforce or college. There is a litany of reasons
for why students miss class, ranging from arriving late due to taking a sibling to another campus,
lack of reliable public transit, trouble in the home, or violence in their neighborhood. Students
need to be in school, and our schools need to be resourced to do the difficult work of providing
students with a safe and welcome learning environment.
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This legislation proposes that:
• Schools with a chronic absenteeism rate above 20% should be designated as priority
areas for the Safe Passages Safe Blocks program by School Year 2027-2028. Unsafe
commutes or neighborhood violence are often reasons why a student isn’t in school. The
Safe Passages program includes highly visible, trained adults along routes in the morning
and the afternoon, as well as conflict resolution, mediation services, and community
relationship-building to keep students safe and improve student attendance. However, it
doesn’t reach all the schools that need it.
• A new additional funding category be added to school budgets specifically to address
chronic absenteeism. Currently, the Uniform Per Student Funding Formula, the metric
used to calculate school budgets, does not provide funding for schools based on chronic
absenteeism. The data bears out these schools, which have historically seen
underinvestment, have the highest levels of chronic absenteeism. This makes sense, as
these schools are often serving a higher percentage of children coming from unstable
situations outside of school walls that demand a more substantive response than most
schools need to provide.
• Schools must meet and intervene with a student after accruing five unexcused absences
in a marking period. This intervention must take place before referring the student to
the Child and Family Services Agency or the Office of the Attorney General. Regulations
currently require the School Support Team intervene with a student after five unexcused
absences in one marking period. However, not every student gets an intervention
meeting before being referred to CFSA or OAG. Setting the intervention point as a
requirement before referral would make this existing intervention more effective. This
must be paired with additional resources to ensure these interventions are happening.
• School principals be given the authority to choose how to use additional at-risk or
chronically absent funding allocated to the school. Currently, there is no transparency
over how at-risk funding is used or how additional dollars for chronic absenteeism would
be spent. These additional dollars are supplemental and should not be used to cover core
costs. Principals know their schools and their students best and should be given the
authority to allocate how these additional dollars are spent.
• The Department of Human Services and the student’s school to submit status reports
to each other on a student’s participation in a diversion program and attendance in
school. This requirement is meant to ensure everyone involved with the child can
understand what’s happening. Right now, referrals to DHS feel like they go into a black
hole that make it harder to ensure these interventions are happening.
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• The Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement expand its Leadership Academy
program to the top five high schools and corresponding feeder middle schools where
the rate of chronic absenteeism is highest. The ONSE Leadership Academy pairs students
struggling with attendance, behavior, and schoolwork challenges with professionals and
mentors who help them through those with case management. As Chair of the Committee
on the Judiciary and Public Safety, I doubled the Leadership Academy at DC schools, but
it is still only at three high schools and their corresponding feeder middle schools.
Please feel free to reach out to me or my Legislative Director, Antonio Nunes, with any questions
or for additional information.
Sincerely,
Councilmember Charles Allen, Ward 6
Chairperson, Committee on Transportation & the Environment
Chair, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments
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___________________________ ______________________________ 1
Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie Councilmember Charles Allen 2
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Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau Councilmember Brooke Pinto 6
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Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr. 10
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A BILL 14
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 19
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To amend the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice Establishment Act of 2011 24
to require that schools be designated as priority areas for the Safe Passages Safe Blocks 25
program according to a specified timetable and chronic absenteeism rate; to amend the 26
Neighborhood Engagement Achieves Results Amendment Act of 2016 to require the 27
Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement to provide Leadership Academy services 28
to the top 5 high schools and corresponding feeder middle school where the rate of chronic 29
absenteeism is highest; to amend Article II of An Act To provide for compulsory school 30
attendance, for the taking of a school census in the District of Columbia, and for other 31
purposes, to require that an educational institution meet and intervene with a minor student 32
prior to referring the minor student to the Child and Family Services Agency or the Office 33
of the Attorney General, to require the Department of Human Services and the minor 34
student’s educational institution to submit status reports to each other on a minor student’s 35
participation in a diversion program and attendance in school; to amend the Uniform Per 36
Student Funding Formula for Public Schools and Public Charter Schools and Tax 37
Conformity Clarification Amendment Act of 1998 to create a new additional funding 38
category for students who are chronically absent; and to amend the Schools First in 39
Budgeting Amendment Act of 2022 to permit the principal of a school to allocate how 40
additional at-risk or chronically absent funding allocated to the school shall be spent. 41
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 43
act may be cited as the “Chronic Absenteeism and Truancy Reduction Amendment Act of 2024”. 44
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Sec. 2. Section 3023(a) of the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice 45
Establishment Act of 2011, effective September 14, 2011 (D.C. Law 19-21; D.C. Official Code § 46
1-301.192(a)), is amended to read as follows: 47
“(a)(1) The Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice (“Deputy Mayor”) shall have 48
grant-making authority for the purpose of providing grants to support the Safe Passage Safe Blocks 49
program, which provides a presence and safe passage for students and families as they travel to 50
and from school. 51
“(2)(A) The Deputy Mayor shall, in coordination with the Deputy Mayor for 52
Education and the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, designate as priority areas the 53
schools where the rate of chronic absenteeism, as defined in section 1(1A) of Article I of An Act 54
To provide for compulsory school attendance, for the taking of a school census in the District of 55
Columbia, and for other purposes, approved February 4, 1925 (43 Stat. 806; D.C. Official Code § 56
38-201(1A)), is: 57
“(i) For School Year 2024-2025, above 50%; 58
“(ii) For School Year 2025-2026, above 40%; 59
“(iii) For School Year 2026-2027, above 30%; and 60
“(iv) For School Year 2027-2028, above 20%. 61
“(B) Nothing in this paragraph shall preclude the Deputy Mayor, in 62
coordination with the Deputy Mayor for Education and the Office of the State Superintendent of 63
Education, from designating other areas across the District as priority areas based on other 64
criteria.”. 65
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Sec. 3. The Neighborhood Engagement Achieves Results Amendment Act of 2016, 66
effective June 30, 2016 (D.C. Law 21-125; D.C. Official Code § 7-2411 et seq.), is amended as 67
follows: 68
(a) Section 102 (D.C. Official Code § 7-2411) is amended as follows: 69
(1) Subsection (a) is amended as follows: 70
(A) Paragraph (3) is amended by striking the phrase “; and” and inserting a 71
semicolon in its place. 72
(B) Paragraph (4) is amended by striking the period and inserting the phrase 73
“; and” in its place. 74
(C) A new paragraph (5) is added to read as follows: 75
“(5) The Leadership Academy, which shall serve students at participating schools 76
to promote positive outcomes for youth by fostering relationships with caring adults, engaging 77
youth in experiences that promote growth and personal learning, and creating environments where 78
youth feel safe and cared for.”. 79
(2) Subsection (b) is amended as follows: 80
(A) Paragraph (6) is amended by striking the phrase “; and” and inserting a 81
semicolon in its place. 82
(B) Paragraph (7) is amended by striking the period and inserting the phrase 83
“; and” in its place. 84
(C) A new paragraph (8) is added to read as follows: 85
“(8) Collaborating with District agencies to administer the Leadership Academy 86
and identifying schools pursuant to section 103c of the Neighborhood Engagement Achieves 87
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Results Amendment Act of 2016, effective June 30, 2016 (D.C. Law 21-125; D.C. Official Code 88
§ 7-2411 et seq.).”. 89
(b) A new section 103c is added to read as follows: 90
“Sec. 103c. Leadership Academy services. 91
“ONSE shall, in coordination with the Deputy Mayor for Education, Office of the State 92
Superintendent of Education, and the District of Columbia Public Schools, offer Leadership 93
Academy services to the five high schools with the highest rates of chronic absenteeism, as defined 94
in section 1(1A) of Article I of An Act To provide for compulsory school attendance, for the taking 95
of a school census in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes, approved February 4, 1925 96
(43 Stat. 806; D.C. Official Code § 38-201(1A)), and their corresponding feeder middle school.”. 97
Sec. 4. Act II of An Act To provide for compulsory school attendance, for the taking of a 98
school census in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes, approved February 4, 1925 (43 99
Stat. 806; D.C. Official Code § 38-201 et seq.), is amended as follows: 100
(a) Section 7(c) (D.C. Official Code § 38-208(c)) is amended by adding a new paragraph 101
(3) to read as follows: 102
“(3) The educational institution, after five unexcused absences in a marking period, 103
and prior to referring the minor student according to the requirements set forth in paragraph (1) of 104
this subsection, shall: 105
“(A) Meet and intervene with the student; and 106
“(B) Develop an action plan and strategies that are school-based or 107
community-based to enhance the minor student’s attendance.”. 108
(b) Section 8 (D.C. Official Code § 38-209) is amended to read as follows: 109
“Sec. 8. Reporting requirements. 110
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“(a) By July 15 of each year, beginning in 2014, the Office of the Attorney General shall 111
submit to the Mayor and the Secretary to the Council a truancy status report on the preceding 112
school year, which shall include the number of: 113
“(1) Referrals it received from each educational institution; 114
“(2) Cases it filed pursuant to this act, and the outcome of each; 115
“(3) Child-in-need of supervision cases filed pursuant to this act, and the outcome 116
of each; and 117
“(4) Students who were enrolled in a court diversion program, or other diversion 118
program pursuant to this act. 119
“(b) On the first day of each month, the Department of Human Services shall provide a 120
status report detailing the progress of a minor student enrolled in a diversion program administered 121
by the agency to the educational institution where the minor student is enrolled. 122
“(c) On the first day of each month, the educational institution where the minor student is 123
enrolled shall provide a report detailing the minor student’s attendance in school to the diversion 124
program where the minor student is enrolled.”. 125
Sec. 5. The Uniform Per Student Funding Formula for Public Schools and Public Charter 126
Schools and Tax Conformity Clarification Amendment Act of 1998, effective March 26, 1999 127
(D.C. Law 12-207; D.C. Official Code § 38-2901 et seq.), is amended as follows: 128
(a) Section 102 (D.C. Official Code § 38-2901) is amended by adding a new paragraph 129
(2D) to read as follows: 130
“(2D) “Chronically absent” means a student who misses more than 10% of school 131
days, including excused and unexcused absences, pursuant to section 1(1A) of Article I of An Act 132
To provide for compulsory school attendance, for the taking of a school census in the District of 133
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Columbia, and for other purposes, approved February 4, 1925 (43 Stat. 806; D.C. Official Code § 134
38-201(1A)).”. 135
(b) Section 106(c) (D.C. Official Code § 38-2905(c)) is amended as follows: 136
(1) Subsection (a-1) is amended by striking the phrase “as at-risk” and inserting the 137
phrase “as at-risk or chronically absent” in its place. 138
(2) The General Education Add-ons tabular array is amended by adding a new row 139
at the bottom of the tabular array to read as follows: 140
(c) Section 106a (D.C. Official Code § 38-2905.01) is amended as follows: 141
(1) Subsection (a) is amended by striking the phrase “as at-risk” and inserting the 142
phrase “as at-risk or chronically absent” in its place. 143
(2) Subsection (c) is amended by striking the phrase “at-risk students” and inserting 144
the phrase “at-risk or chronically absent students” in its place. 145
Sec. 6. Section 105(c) of the Schools First in Budgeting Amendment Act of 2022, effective 146
March 10, 2023 (D.C. Law 24-300; D.C. Official Code § 38-2851.04(c)), is amended to read as 147
follows: 148
“(c)(1) Funds provided to schools pursuant to section 106a of the Uniform Per Student 149
Funding Formula for Public Schools and Public Charter Schools and Tax Conformity Clarification 150
Amendment Act of 1998, effective March 26, 1999 (D.C. Law 12-207; D.C. Official Code § 38-151
2905.01), shall be available to the principal to use at the principal’s discretion, in consultation with 152
the school’s local advisory school team, for the purpose of improving student achievement and 153
attendance among at-risk or chronically absent students. 154
“Chronically
absent
Additional funding for students who are
chronically absent
0.1 $1,305
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“(2) After consultation with the school’s local school advisory team, a principal 155
shall submit to the Chancellor and make publicly available a written at-risk funds spending plan 156
delineating how funds allocated pursuant to section 106a of the Uniform Per Student Funding 157
Formula for Public Schools and Public Charter Schools and Tax Conformity Clarification 158
Amendment Act of 1998, effective March 26, 1999 (D.C. Law 12-207; D.C. Official Code § 38-159
2905.01), will be used and explaining how the uses identified by the principal and local school 160
advisory team will prove student achievement and attendance among at-risk or chronically 161
students. 162
“(3) The Chancellor may review and amend a school’s at-risk funds spending plan; 163
provided, that if the Chancellor amends a school’s at-risk funds spending plan, the Chancellor shall 164
provide to the principal and make publicly available a written justification for the amendment, 165
including how the amendment will improve student achievement and attendance among at-risk or 166
chronically absent students. 167
“(4) By February 1 of each year, the Chancellor shall make available to the public 168
and submit to the Council committee with jurisdiction over DCPS the final at-risk funds spending 169
plan of each school for the following fiscal year.”. 170
Sec. 7. Fiscal impact statement. 171
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement of the Budget Director as the fiscal impact 172
statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved 173
October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 174
Sec. 8. Effective date. 175
This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 176
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional review as 177
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provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 178
1973 (87 Stat. 788; D.C. Official Code §1-206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of 179
Columbia Register. 180