December 2, 2014, Introduced by Senator SCHUITMAKER and referred to the Committee on Education.
A bill to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled
"The revised school code,"
by amending section 1586 (MCL 380.1586).
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec. 1586. (1) The attendance officer or designated school
official shall investigate each case of nonattendance at school
when notified by a teacher, school district superintendent,
intermediate superintendent, or other person of a violation of this
part. If the child complained of is not exempt from public school
attendance under the conditions listed in section 1561, the
attendance officer or designated school official shall proceed
immediately in the manner provided in this part.
(2)
If a child is repeatedly absent from school without valid
excuse,
truant or chronically absent,
or is failing in schoolwork
or gives evidence of behavior problems, and attempts to confer with
the parent or other person in parental relationship to the child
fail,
the school district superintendent, of schools, or the
intermediate
superintendent in a district which that does not
employ
a superintendent, may shall
request the attendance officer
or designated school official to notify the parent or other person
in parental relationship by registered mail to come to the school
or to a place designated at a time specified to discuss the child's
irregularity in attendance, failing work, or behavior problems with
the proper school authorities. However, the superintendent, or the
intermediate superintendent in a district that does not employ a
superintendent, may consider the reason or reasons for a child's
absence, if available, and whether a lesser intervention would be
likely to properly address the situation before requiring a meeting
under this subsection. If a meeting is held under this subsection,
then at this meeting, school officials shall offer an attendance
agreement that requires the child to resume regular and consecutive
attendance, shall discuss consequences that will occur if the
attendance issue is not resolved, and may offer interventions as
available, including, but not limited to, mental health screening,
problem solving, tutoring, and mentoring. School officials shall
ensure that each of the child's teachers is provided with a copy of
the letter and attendance agreement so that they can monitor and
report attendance.
(3) If school officials determine that the attendance issue
involved in the meeting under subsection (2) is not resolved or if
the child misses school 2 times in the next 30 days or 3 more times
in the next 3 months, the attendance officer or designated school
official may provide or pursue appropriate interventions. If these
further interventions do not resolve the attendance issue, the
attendance officer or designated school official shall pursue the
appropriate court intervention.
(4) (3)
The superintendent, or the teacher
in a district which
does not employ a superintendent, shall provide information
concerning the nonattendance of each nonresident pupil to the
intermediate superintendent of the intermediate school district in
which the nonresident pupil resides. The intermediate attendance
officer, when notified by the intermediate superintendent or school
district
superintendent, of
schools, shall investigate and proceed
in all cases of nonattendance of nonresident pupils in the same
manner provided in this part for enforcing attendance of pupils
attending schools in districts in which they reside.
(5) As used in this section, "chronically absent" and "truant"
mean those terms as defined in section 1561.
Enacting section 1. This amendatory act does not take effect
unless Senate Bill No. 1151
of the 97th Legislature is enacted into law.