LOUISVILLE, Ky. — According to the Kentucky Department of Education, nearly 30% of students missed 10% of school during the 2022-23 school year.
House Bill 611, which went into effect this school year, aims to reduce chronic absenteeism. The new law requires school districts to refer students who have 15 or more unexcused absences to the county attorney’s office.
Jefferson County Public Schools will begin that process later this week. The district said it already has fewer than 100 reports to give to the county attorney.
Four in 10 JCPS students are chronically absent, meaning they are missing 10% of school days.
“I want to be very clear about this: the research is clear, when a student is chronically absent, the likelihood of them being proficient in reading and math drops dramatically,” said Marty Pollio, superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools.
HB 611 requires schools in the state to report students who have 15 or more unexcused absences to the county attorney. Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell said his office will send letters to families of children chronically absent in kindergarten to fifth grade.
“Neither my office nor JCPS system wishes to prosecute anyone," O'Connell said. "We simply want your child to receive the education that all children deserve."
Once the office sends the letter, JCPS could then file an affidavit for families who are unwilling or unresponsive in making improvements. Those families could be charged with unlawful transaction with a minor in the third degree.
“This is a Class A misdemeanor, which is punishable by up to 365 days in jail or up to a $500 fine or both,” O’Connell said.
The district said it is continuing to provide services to families to prevent them from getting in legal trouble and improving attendance.
“Each school has a team focused on monitoring student attendance, counseling and mental health services," Pollio said. "We offer access to counselors, social workers, mental health professionals that are present at every school [and] wraparound services."
The process is different for sixth to 12th graders, since the county attorney said those students are less reliant on their guardians to get to school.
If a middle or high schooler is chronically absent, they will be reported to the county attorney’s office. They will then be referred to a court designated worker who will help them improve their attendance. Tardies and early dismissals will also be counted toward absences.
Pollio said it’s important families notify the school any time their child is absent and provide the necessary documentation to get an absence excused.