HLS 19RS-730 ENGROSSED
2019 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 321
BY REPRESENTATIVE SIMON
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
STUDENT/SCH ATTENDANCE: Authorizes school boards and chartering authorities to
adopt policies relative to virtual school attendance
1 AN ACT
2To amend and reenact R.S. 17:236.3, relative to school attendance; to authorize city, parish,
3 and other local public school boards and chartering authorities to adopt policies
4 providing for student attendance at virtual schools for purposes related to habitual
5 absence or tardiness; and to provide for related matters.
6Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 17:236.3 is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
8 ยง236.3. Virtual School; definition; attendance policies
9 A. "Virtual school" means a public school, including a charter school, which
10 has a unique site code assigned by the state Department of Education and which
11 delivers all or a majority of the instruction provided through the internet or other
12 electronic medium such that a student is not necessarily required to be at a specific
13 location in order to receive instruction from a teacher. This does not preclude the
14 ability of the school to include traditional classroom-based instruction or to host
15 face-to-face meetings, including field trips, extracurricular activities, conferences
16 between a student, parents, and teachers, or other related activities or events.
17 However, a school that delivers all or a majority of the instruction provided through
18 the internet or other electronic medium and requires students to be in daily
19 attendance at a specified location to receive such instruction shall not be considered
20 a virtual school.
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HB NO. 321
HLS 19RS-730 ENGROSSED
1 B.(1) Each city, parish, or other local public school board may adopt a policy
2 that defines attendance at a virtual school for purposes of compliance with R.S.
3 17:233.
4 (2) Each chartering authority may adopt in policy or include in charter
5 agreements a definition of attendance at a virtual charter school which may include
6 provisions for addressing excessive absences, such as parental notification, student
7 engagement and withdrawal from the school for failure to engage, and referrals to
8 child welfare and attendance officers and family and juvenile courts.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 321 Engrossed 2019 Regular Session Simon
Abstract: Authorizes the adoption of policies relative to student attendance at virtual
schools.
Present law requires that a student who is habitually absent from or tardy to school be
reported to the family or juvenile court as a truant child.
Present law defines a "virtual school" as a public school, including a charter school, that has
a unique site code assigned by the state Dept. of Education and delivers all or a majority of
instruction through the internet or other electronic medium such that a student is not
necessarily required to be at a specific location in order to receive instruction from a teacher.
Proposed law adds the following relative to defining attendance at virtual schools:
(1)Authorizes each local public school board to adopt a policy defining attendance for
purposes of compliance with present law relative to students who are habitually
absent or tardy.
(2)Authorizes each chartering authority to adopt in policy or include in charter
agreements a definition of attendance, which may include provisions for addressing
excessive absences, such as parental notification, student engagement and
withdrawal from the school for failure to engage, and referrals to child welfare and
attendance officers and family or juvenile courts.
(Amends R.S. 17:236.3)
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Education to the
original bill:
1. Add provisions relative to student engagement to the illustrative list of provisions
that a chartering authority may include in policies or charter agreements relative
to addressing excessive absences.
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.