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Bill 487

                    Current Status

Bill Number:                      487
Type of Legislation:              General Bill GB
Introducing Body:                 Senate
Introduced Date:                  20010322
Primary Sponsor:                  Reese
All Sponsors:                     Reese, Matthews, Patterson, Ford and 
                                  Glover
Drafted Document Number:          l:\council\bills\nbd\11410ac01.doc
Residing Body:                    Senate
Current Committee:                Education Committee 04 SED
Subject:                          School districts attendance, lawful and 
                                  unlawful student absences; trustees to approve 
                                  or disapprove when over twenty


                        History

Body    Date      Action Description                     Com     Leg Involved
______  ________  ______________________________________ _______ ____________
Senate  20010322  Introduced, read first time,           04 SED
                  referred to Committee


              Versions of This Bill

TO AMEND SECTION 59-65-90, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO REGULATIONS DEFINING LAWFUL AND UNLAWFUL STUDENT ABSENCES, SO AS TO DEFINE LAWFUL ABSENCE AS ONE IN WHICH THE STUDENT SUBMITS A WRITTEN EXCUSE OR PERMISSION FROM THE STUDENT'S PARENT OR GUARDIAN AND AN UNLAWFUL ABSENCE AS ONE IN WHICH THE STUDENT DOES NOT SUBMIT A WRITTEN EXCUSE OR PERMISSION FROM THE STUDENT'S PARENT OR GUARDIAN, TO AUTHORIZE EIGHT LAWFUL ABSENCES AND TWELVE UNLAWFUL ABSENCES, AND TO REQUIRE THE DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES OR ITS DESIGNEE TO APPROVE OR DISAPPROVE ABSENCES IN EXCESS OF TWENTY DAYS.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. Section 59-65-90 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 59-65-90. The State Board of Education shall establish regulations defining lawful absences as those absences for which a student submits a written excuse or the written permission of the student's parent or legal guardian and unlawful absences beyond those specifically named in this article as those absences for which a student does not submit a written excuse or the written permission of the student's parent or legal guardian and additional regulations as are necessary for the orderly enrollment of pupils so as to provide for uniform dates of entrance. These regulations shall require: (1) that school officials shall immediately intervene to encourage the student's future attendance when the student has three consecutive unlawful absences or a total of five unlawful absences and, (2) that a student may have eight lawful absences and twelve unlawful absences, and (3) that the district board of trustees or its designee shall promptly approve or disapprove any student absence in excess of ten twenty days. As used in this section, 'intervene' means to identify the reasons for the child's continued absence and to develop a plan in conjunction with the student and his parent or guardian to improve his future attendance.

Provided, however, that nothing within this section shall interfere with the board's authority to at any time refer a child to a truancy prevention program or to the court pursuant to Section 59-65-50."

SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor and applies beginning with the 2001-02 school year.

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