SF1471 (Legislative Session 94 (2025-2026))

Reenrollment encouragement after a student withdrawal from school

Related bill: HF1053

AI Generated Summary

The legislative bill S.F. No. 1471 addresses the issue of student dropout in the education system of Minnesota. The key proposals of the bill include:

  1. Educational Membership Tracking: It clarifies the criteria for counting a student's membership in a school. Students are counted from the time they enroll until they officially withdraw or are legally excused. If a student, at any age, misses 15 consecutive school days during the regular year or 5 days during summer or special program sessions without being in a structured external learning environment like home or hospital schooling, they will be considered withdrawn.

  2. Compulsory Attendance Enforcement: The bill reinforces that these measures do not override the existing compulsory attendance laws that require children to attend school.

  3. Notification Obligations: When a student has been absent long enough to be dropped from the rolls (exceeding 15 consecutive school days), the school district is required to inform the Department of Education about the student's status and provide the student's latest contact details.

  4. Encouragement to Reenroll: After notifying the Department of Education, the school must reach out directly to the student’s family, using either email or another form of communication, urging them to reenroll the student in school programs.

The bill aims to keep track of student attendance more systematically, promptly address unexplained absences, and actively encourage families to reintegrate students into the school system, thus reducing dropout rates.

Bill text versions

Actions

DateChamberWhereTypeNameCommittee Name
February 16, 2025SenateFloorActionIntroduction and first reading
February 16, 2025SenateFloorActionReferred toEducation Policy

Citations

 
[
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "This section ensures that the compulsory attendance provisions remain in effect.",
      "modified": []
    },
    "citation": "120A.22"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "A new requirement for school districts to notify the Department of Education when a student is dropped from roll due to extended absences."
      ],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "The bill amends the average daily membership calculation criteria in Minnesota Statutes section 126C.05.",
      "modified": [
        "Adjusted membership calculations for pupils enrolled in multiple districts."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "126C.05"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "References adjustments in enrollment and membership calculations linked to section 126C.05.",
      "modified": [
        "Provision allowing a student to be counted as more than one pupil in average daily membership for specific purposes outlined in section 126C.10 subdivision 2a."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "126C.10"
  }
]