Senate Enrolled Act 482 has caused confusion among parents and caregivers. This law, that went into effect this year, aims to improve absenteeism.

Students are considered chronically absent after missing 10% of the school year. The 10% total includes both excused and unexcused absences.

SEA 482 requires IDOE to:

• Establish guidance regarding chronic absenteeism,
• Provide a categorization for excused absences, and
• Create a list of best practices to prevent chronic absenteeism that will promote school attendance.

Based on its research IDOE determined it could not “recommend specific strategies to mitigate and prevent chronic absenteeism for all Indiana students” because the organization did not find any strategies that would work on a large scale. Instead, IDOE determined that regardless of the absenteeism strategy a school or school district uses it should include monitoring, prevention, and intervention.

The intervention component has some parents worried which led to Education Secretary Dr. Jenner providing clarification in her weekly newsletter.

Jenner shared the law requires extra reporting by schools to IDOE but emphasized that, “SEA 482 does not change who decides what counts as an excused or unexcused absence. Local school boards and district policies still make those decisions.”

Parents and caregivers should become familiar with their child(ren)’s school’s policy for absences. What one school considers as an excused absence might be considered an unexcused absence at another school.

The law does not require intervention for excused absences. Although a student could accumulate 10% or more excused absences which means the student would be considered chronically absent under Indiana standards, but there would no legal actions required under the law. Intervention under the law is required to begin once a student is absent at least 10 days from school.

Best practice for parents and caregivers should always include calling the school to report when their child(ren) will be absent. No student’s absence will be marked as excused without a parent or caregiver phone call or a note from the parent or caregiver or a professional such as a doctor.

Parents and caregivers who wish to learn what is considered an excused or unexcused absence should look at the school district’s website, read the student and/or parent handbook, call the school, talk to the school counselor, or ask at a school event such as a back to school night .