Requires school districts to permit students five excused absences for mental or behavioral health reasons.
Note
Overall, A561 represents a significant step toward integrating mental health considerations into educational policies, aligning with broader societal shifts toward recognizing mental and behavioral health as critical components of student success.
Impact
The legislation requires school districts to record these absences as excused on students' attendance records and prohibits these absences from being reflected negatively on any academic records. After a student accumulates two such absences, they may be referred to school support personnel for further assistance, which encourages schools to engage in proactive mental health support. Additionally, the bill mandates the Commissioner of Education, in collaboration with the Commissioner of Health, to devise guidelines to better define and implement excused absences related to mental health.
Summary
A561, introduced in New Jersey, aims to provide public school students with up to five excused absences for mental or behavioral health reasons each school year. This initiative reflects a growing recognition of the importance of mental health in education, allowing students to prioritize their well-being without fear of penalization with attendance records. The bill stipulates that students can make up any missed work due to these absences and that such absences will not contribute to chronic absenteeism metrics, which typically categorize students as chronically absent after missing 10% of school days.
Contention
While the bill is designed to assist students facing mental health challenges, some concerns may arise regarding its implementation. Critics could argue that requiring non-medical documentation for these absences may impose additional stress on students and families, potentially discouraging them from utilizing this provision. Furthermore, there may be questions about the adequacy of support staff in schools to handle referrals following the second absence, as well as how guidelines for excused absences will be uniformly established across different districts.
Permits school districts to define excused absences from school to include illness based on student's mental or behavioral health and requires Commissioner of Education to develop guidelines for defining excused absence for this reason.
Relating to the establishment of school-based behavioral health centers by school districts and a grant program administered by the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission for the operation of those centers.
Relating to the establishment of school-based behavioral health centers by public schools and a grant program administered by the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission for the operation of those centers.