Wisconsin 2023-2024 Regular Session

Wisconsin Senate Bill SB969 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 SENATE BILL 969
5	5	January 26, 2024 - Introduced by Senators STROEBEL, CABRAL-GUEVARA and FEYEN,
6	6	cosponsored by Representatives BINSFELD, BEHNKE, DITTRICH, DONOVAN,
7	7	EDMING, MAXEY, MELOTIK, MURPHY, MURSAU, MYERS, NEDWESKI, O'CONNOR,
8	8	PENTERMAN, SCHMIDT and SNYDER. Referred to Committee on Education.
9	9	AN ACT to create 118.33 (6) (a) 4., 118.33 (6) (b) 2r., 118.33 (6) (c) 4. and 118.33
10	10	(6) (cr) 4. of the statutes; relating to: prohibiting grade promotion on the basis
11	11	of absences from school.
12	12	Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
13	13	Beginning in the 2025-26 school year, this bill prohibits a school board, the
14	14	governing body of a private school participating in a parental choice program, and
15	15	the operator of an independent charter school from promoting a pupil to the next
16	16	grade if the pupil was absent from school for more than the equivalent of 30 full days
17	17	of school during the school year. Under the bill, absences on days of school for which
18	18	the compulsory school attendance law does not apply to a pupil are not counted for
19	19	this purpose. Under current law, the compulsory school attendance law does not
20	20	apply to a pupil if 1) the pupil is excused because the pupil is temporarily not in
21	21	proper physical or mental condition to attend a school program but is expected to
22	22	return to a school program upon termination or abatement of the illness or condition;
23	23	2) the pupil is excused in accordance with a written attendance policy and with the
24	24	written approval of the pupil's parent or guardian; 3) the pupil is excused in writing
25	25	by his or her parent or guardian before the absence; or 4) the pupil is excused in
26	26	writing by the pupil's parent or guardian and by the principal of the pupil's school
27	27	for the purpose of serving as an election official.
28	28	The bill requires each school board, governing body of a private school
29	29	participating in a parental choice program, and the operator of an independent
30	30	charter school, by July 1, 2025, to adopt a written policy for grade promotion that
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35	35	SENATE BILL 969
36	36	requires that a pupil not have missed more than the equivalent of 30 full days of
37	37	school in order to be eligible to be promoted to the next grade. Current law requires
38	38	school boards, governing bodies of a private schools participating in a parental choice
39	39	program, and operators of independent charter schools to adopt written policies that
40	40	specify criteria for promoting a pupil from fourth grade to fifth grade and from eighth
41	41	grade to ninth grade, and by July 1, 2025, for promoting a pupil from third grade to
42	42	fourth grade.
43	43	For further information see the local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
44	44	an appendix to this bill.
45	45	The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
46	46	enact as follows:
47	47	SECTION 1. 118.33 (6) (a) 4. of the statutes is created to read:
48	48	118.33 (6) (a) 4. By July 1, 2025, each school board shall adopt a written policy
49	49	for grade promotion that requires that, to be eligible for promotion to the next grade,
50	50	a pupil may not have been absent from school for more than the equivalent of 30 full
51	51	days of school during the school year. For purposes of a policy under this subdivision,
52	52	a school board may not count a pupil's absence that occurs on a day of school if s.
53	53	118.15 does not apply to the pupil attending school on that day under s. 118.15 (3).
54	54	A school board may not promote a pupil to the next grade unless the pupil is eligible
55	55	for promotion to the next grade, as specified in the school board's policy under this
56	56	subdivision.
57	57	SECTION 2. 118.33 (6) (b) 2r. of the statutes is created to read:
58	58	118.33 (6) (b) 2r. By July 1, 2025, each operator of a charter school under s.
59	59	118.40 (2r) or (2x) shall adopt a written policy for grade promotion that requires that,
60	60	to be eligible for promotion to the next grade, a pupil may not have been absent from
61	61	school for more than the equivalent of 30 full days of school during the school year.
62	62	For purposes of a policy under this subdivision, an operator of a charter school under
63	63	s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x) may not count a pupil's absence that occurs on a day of school
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83	83	SECTION 2
84	84	SENATE BILL 969
85	85	if s. 118.15 does not apply to the pupil attending school on that day under s. 118.15
86	86	(3). An operator of a charter school under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x) may not promote a
87	87	pupil to the next grade unless the pupil is eligible for promotion to the next grade,
88	88	as specified in the charter school operator's policy under this subdivision.
89	89	SECTION 3. 118.33 (6) (c) 4. of the statutes is created to read:
90	90	118.33 (6) (c) 4. By July 1, 2025, the governing body of each private school
91	91	participating in the program under s. 119.23 shall adopt a written policy for grade
92	92	promotion that requires that, to be eligible for promotion to the next grade, a pupil
93	93	may not have been absent from school for more than the equivalent of 30 full days
94	94	of school during the school year. For purposes of a policy under this subdivision, the
95	95	governing body of a private school participating in the program under s. 119.23 may
96	96	not count a pupil's absence that occurs on a day of school if s. 118.15 does not apply
97	97	to the pupil attending school on that day under s. 118.15 (3). The governing body of
98	98	a private school participating in the program under s. 119.23 may not promote a pupil
99	99	to the next grade unless the pupil is eligible for promotion to the next grade, as
100	100	specified in the governing body's policy under this subdivision.
101	101	SECTION 4. 118.33 (6) (cr) 4. of the statutes is created to read:
102	102	118.33 (6) (cr) 4. By July 1, 2025, the governing body of each private school
103	103	participating in the program under s. 118.60 shall adopt a written policy for grade
104	104	promotion that requires that, to be eligible for promotion to the next grade, a pupil
105	105	may not have been absent from school for more than the equivalent of 30 full days
106	106	of school during the school year. For purposes of a policy under this subdivision, the
107	107	governing body of a private school participating in the program under s. 118.60 may
108	108	not count a pupil's absence that occurs on a day of school if s. 118.15 does not apply
109	109	to the pupil attending school on that day under s. 118.15 (3). The governing body of
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136	136	SECTION 4 SENATE BILL 969
137	137	a private school participating in the program under s. 118.60 may not promote a pupil
138	138	to the next grade unless the pupil is eligible for promotion to the next grade, as
139	139	specified in the governing body's policy under this subdivision.
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