Wisconsin 2023-2024 Regular Session

Wisconsin Assembly Bill AB1026 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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3	3	2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
4	4	2023 ASSEMBLY BILL 1026
5	5	January 29, 2024 - Introduced by Representatives BINSFELD, BEHNKE, DITTRICH,
6	6	DONOVAN, EDMING, MAXEY, MELOTIK, MYERS, MURPHY, MURSAU, NEDWESKI,
7	7	O'CONNOR, PENTERMAN, SCHMIDT and SNYDER, cosponsored by Senators
8	8	STROEBEL, CABRAL-GUEVARA and FEYEN. Referred to Committee on Education.
9	9	*AUTHORS SUBJECT TO CHANGE*
10	10	AN ACT to create 118.33 (6) (a) 4., 118.33 (6) (b) 2r., 118.33 (6) (c) 4. and 118.33
11	11	(6) (cr) 4. of the statutes; relating to: prohibiting grade promotion on the basis
12	12	of absences from school.
13	13	Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
14	14	Beginning in the 2025-26 school year, this bill prohibits a school board, the
15	15	governing body of a private school participating in a parental choice program, and
16	16	the operator of an independent charter school from promoting a pupil to the next
17	17	grade if the pupil was absent from school for more than the equivalent of 30 full days
18	18	of school during the school year. Under the bill, absences on days of school for which
19	19	the compulsory school attendance law does not apply to a pupil are not counted for
20	20	this purpose. Under current law, the compulsory school attendance law does not
21	21	apply to a pupil if 1) the pupil is excused because the pupil is temporarily not in
22	22	proper physical or mental condition to attend a school program but is expected to
23	23	return to a school program upon termination or abatement of the illness or condition;
24	24	2) the pupil is excused in accordance with a written attendance policy and with the
25	25	written approval of the pupil's parent or guardian; 3) the pupil is excused in writing
26	26	by his or her parent or guardian before the absence; or 4) the pupil is excused in
27	27	writing by the pupil's parent or guardian and by the principal of the pupil's school
28	28	for the purpose of serving as an election official.
29	29	The bill requires each school board, governing body of a private school
30	30	participating in a parental choice program, and the operator of an independent
31	31	charter school, by July 1, 2025, to adopt a written policy for grade promotion that
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36	36	ASSEMBLY BILL 1026
37	37	requires that a pupil not have missed more than the equivalent of 30 full days of
38	38	school in order to be eligible to be promoted to the next grade. Current law requires
39	39	school boards, governing bodies of a private schools participating in a parental choice
40	40	program, and operators of independent charter schools to adopt written policies that
41	41	specify criteria for promoting a pupil from fourth grade to fifth grade and from eighth
42	42	grade to ninth grade, and by July 1, 2025, for promoting a pupil from third grade to
43	43	fourth grade.
44	44	For further information see the local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
45	45	an appendix to this bill.
46	46	The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
47	47	enact as follows:
48	48	SECTION 1. 118.33 (6) (a) 4. of the statutes is created to read:
49	49	118.33 (6) (a) 4. By July 1, 2025, each school board shall adopt a written policy
50	50	for grade promotion that requires that, to be eligible for promotion to the next grade,
51	51	a pupil may not have been absent from school for more than the equivalent of 30 full
52	52	days of school during the school year. For purposes of a policy under this subdivision,
53	53	a school board may not count a pupil's absence that occurs on a day of school if s.
54	54	118.15 does not apply to the pupil attending school on that day under s. 118.15 (3).
55	55	A school board may not promote a pupil to the next grade unless the pupil is eligible
56	56	for promotion to the next grade, as specified in the school board's policy under this
57	57	subdivision.
58	58	SECTION 2. 118.33 (6) (b) 2r. of the statutes is created to read:
59	59	118.33 (6) (b) 2r. By July 1, 2025, each operator of a charter school under s.
60	60	118.40 (2r) or (2x) shall adopt a written policy for grade promotion that requires that,
61	61	to be eligible for promotion to the next grade, a pupil may not have been absent from
62	62	school for more than the equivalent of 30 full days of school during the school year.
63	63	For purposes of a policy under this subdivision, an operator of a charter school under
64	64	s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x) may not count a pupil's absence that occurs on a day of school
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84	84	SECTION 2
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86	86	if s. 118.15 does not apply to the pupil attending school on that day under s. 118.15
87	87	(3). An operator of a charter school under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x) may not promote a
88	88	pupil to the next grade unless the pupil is eligible for promotion to the next grade,
89	89	as specified in the charter school operator's policy under this subdivision.
90	90	SECTION 3. 118.33 (6) (c) 4. of the statutes is created to read:
91	91	118.33 (6) (c) 4. By July 1, 2025, the governing body of each private school
92	92	participating in the program under s. 119.23 shall adopt a written policy for grade
93	93	promotion that requires that, to be eligible for promotion to the next grade, a pupil
94	94	may not have been absent from school for more than the equivalent of 30 full days
95	95	of school during the school year. For purposes of a policy under this subdivision, the
96	96	governing body of a private school participating in the program under s. 119.23 may
97	97	not count a pupil's absence that occurs on a day of school if s. 118.15 does not apply
98	98	to the pupil attending school on that day under s. 118.15 (3). The governing body of
99	99	a private school participating in the program under s. 119.23 may not promote a pupil
100	100	to the next grade unless the pupil is eligible for promotion to the next grade, as
101	101	specified in the governing body's policy under this subdivision.
102	102	SECTION 4. 118.33 (6) (cr) 4. of the statutes is created to read:
103	103	118.33 (6) (cr) 4. By July 1, 2025, the governing body of each private school
104	104	participating in the program under s. 118.60 shall adopt a written policy for grade
105	105	promotion that requires that, to be eligible for promotion to the next grade, a pupil
106	106	may not have been absent from school for more than the equivalent of 30 full days
107	107	of school during the school year. For purposes of a policy under this subdivision, the
108	108	governing body of a private school participating in the program under s. 118.60 may
109	109	not count a pupil's absence that occurs on a day of school if s. 118.15 does not apply
110	110	to the pupil attending school on that day under s. 118.15 (3). The governing body of
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137	137	SECTION 4 ASSEMBLY BILL 1026
138	138	a private school participating in the program under s. 118.60 may not promote a pupil
139	139	to the next grade unless the pupil is eligible for promotion to the next grade, as
140	140	specified in the governing body's policy under this subdivision.
141	141	(END)
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