Purpose

Create and empower an Interagency Council on Student Attendance to improve coordination among state agencies, counties, school districts, and charter schools in order to reduce and prevent chronic absenteeism and to strengthen overall student attendance.

Main Provisions

• Establishment

  • A new Interagency Council on Student Attendance is created to coordinate efforts across multiple state agencies, counties, school districts, and charter schools.
  • The council must meet at least quarterly.
  • The Department of Children Youth and Families must provide meeting space and administrative support for the council upon request.
  • The council’s work applies to certain existing statutory provisions (referred to in the bill as applying to the council).

• Membership

  • The Governor appoints all council members.
  • The council must elect a chair.
  • Representatives from the following entities must be on the council: Department of Education; Department of Children Youth and Families; Department of Public Safety; Department of Human Services; Department of Transportation; Department of Health; Department of Human Rights; Department of Corrections; Office of Higher Education; Tribal Nations Education Committee; Minnesota Youth Council.
  • Additional seats include two representatives from the Association of Minnesota Counties (one from the seven-county metro area and one from outside the metro area) and two representatives from the Minnesota County Attorneys Association (one from the metro area and one from outside).
  • Also include representatives from the Minnesota School Boards Association; the Association of Metropolitan School Districts; and the Minnesota Rural Education Association.

• Duties

  • The council must develop solutions to address the causes of chronic absenteeism.
  • It must make recommendations for changes in policy and funding to improve student attendance.
  • By November 1, 2027, and each year after, the council must prepare a report to the governor and the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over K-12 education. The report should include recommendations to enhance coordination among agencies, counties, school districts, and charter schools to improve student attendance.

• Expiration

  • The Interagency Council on Student Attendance does not expire.

• Funding and law changes

  • The bill contemplates appropriating money to support the council and codifies the council’s creation as new law under Minnesota Statutes, chapter 120A.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Creates a permanent Interagency Council on Student Attendance to coordinate across multiple state agencies and local educational entities to address chronic absenteeism.
• Establishes a formal reporting requirement to the governor and legislators on coordination and attendance strategies, with annual updates starting after 2027.
• Sets explicit membership from a broad set of agencies and organizations to ensure cross-agency collaboration.

Relevant change context - Adds a centralized, ongoing structure for addressing student attendance rather than leaving responsiveness to individual agencies or districts.

Relevant Terms - Interagency Council on Student Attendance - chronic absenteeism - student attendance - Minnesota K-12 education - Minnesota Statutes chapter 120A - Department of Education - Department of Children Youth and Families - Department of Public Safety - Department of Human Services - Department of Transportation - Department of Health - Department of Human Rights - Department of Corrections - Office of Higher Education - Tribal Nations Education Committee - Minnesota Youth Council - Association of Minnesota Counties - seven-county metropolitan area - Minnesota County Attorneys Association - Minnesota School Boards Association - Association of Metropolitan School Districts - Minnesota Rural Education Association - coordination among agencies, counties, school districts, and charter schools - policy changes - funding changes - annual reporting - November 1, 2027 (reporting deadline)