SLS 22RS-340 ORIGINAL
2022 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 124
BY SENATOR ABRAHAM
SCHOOLS. Requires the state Department of Education to provide student attendance data
of certain students to local school governing authorities. (gov sig)
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 17:221(E), relative to school attendance; to provide relative to
3 reporting and recording attendance of certain students by the Louisiana Department
4 of Education; and to provide for related matters.
5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 17:221(E) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
7 ยง221. School attendance; compulsory ages; duty of parents; excessive absences;
8 condition for driving privileges
9 * * *
10 E.(1)(a) Nothing in this Section shall be construed to prohibit a child from
11 enrolling in an approved home study program or a nonpublic school not seeking state
12 approval. The parent or legal guardian responsible for the school attendance of such
13 a child, who is between the ages of five and eighteen, shall report the attendance of
14 the child to the state Department of Education within thirty days of the start of the
15 school term as provided in R.S. 17:232(C).
16 (b) For each student whose attendance is reported to the department
17 pursuant to Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph, the department shall:
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 124
SLS 22RS-340 ORIGINAL
1 (i) On a monthly basis, provide notification of such attendance to the
2 governing authority of the public school in which the student was most recently
3 enrolled and, if different, to the governing authority of the public school which
4 the student would otherwise attend. The notification shall include the student's
5 legal name, date of birth, and physical address and the name of the last public
6 school attended and the grade in which the student was last enrolled at the
7 public school.
8 (ii) Not record the student as a dropout attributable to the public school
9 in which the student was most recently enrolled or the public school which the
10 student would otherwise attend, unless the student subsequently enrolls in and
11 attends the public school.
12 (2) A parent or legal guardian responsible for the school attendance of a child
13 who is between the ages of five and eighteen and who is enrolled in an approved
14 home study program pursuant to R.S. 17:236.1 shall be considered in compliance
15 with the school attendance provisions of Paragraph (A)(1) of this Section.
16 (3) Any student reported to the department pursuant to Paragraph (1)
17 of this Subsection shall be the responsibility of the department relative to
18 compulsory school attendance issues.
19 * * *
20 Section 2. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
21 signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
22 by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
23 vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
24 effective on the day following such approval.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Cheryl Serrett.
DIGEST
SB 124 Original 2022 Regular Session Abraham
Present law requires compulsory school attendance.
Present law requires the parent or legal guardian of a student who is attending an approved
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 124
SLS 22RS-340 ORIGINAL
home study program or a nonpublic school not seeking state approval to report the
attendance of the student in such program or school to the state Department of Education
(DOE).
Proposed law retains present law. Proposed law further requires DOE to provide notice of
such attendance of a student in an approved home study program or nonpublic school not
seeking state approval to the governing authority of the public school in which the student
was most recently enrolled, and, if different, the governing authority of the public school
which the student would otherwise attend.
Proposed law also provides that DOE shall not record such a student reported to DOE as a
dropout attributable to the public school where he was most recently enrolled or to the public
school which he would otherwise attend, unless the student subsequently enrolls in and
attends the public school.
Proposed law provides that such students reported to DOE are the responsibility of DOE
relative to compulsory school attendance issues.
Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Amends R.S. 17:221(E))
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.