FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT:
Gavin Miller
gavin.miller@house.mn.gov
News Release
Rep. Bakeberg Works Across the Aisle to Improve School Attendance
Saint Paul - [02/26/25] - This week, Representative Ben Bakeberg (Prior Lake, Jordan, Shakopee) proposed legislation to address the rise in chronic absenteeism and improve transparency around school attendance and performance.
House File 1053 addresses the 15-day drop rule for schools. Currently, when a student is absent from school for 15 consecutive days, the school district is required to drop the student from enrollment for funding purposes. This makes sense from a funding standpoint, but there is concern around what happens when the student is dropped from enrollment, especially if the student moves out of the school district. This bill clarifies that the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) is responsible for supporting students and families in getting reenrolled in school. Overall, the bill ensures that when a student is dropped from enrollment by a school district, MDE will have the responsibility to support the student and family.
“It has been a pleasure to work in a bipartisan manner to find common-sense solutions to address chronic absenteeism. These bills are just the start of the conversation to support students, families, and educators across our state, and this issue will continue to be a top priority for me while I serve in the Legislature,” said Bakeberg
House File 1054 and House File 1413 address the lag in reporting from the Department of Education regarding student attendance. Currently, MDE presents two-year-old attendance reports as the most current data available. These bills require MDE to post consistent attendance data for each school year no later than September. House File 1413 also adds the definition of "consistent attendance" to provide further clarification for schools and families.
“The current lag in the reporting of attendance data from the Minnesota Department of Education is unacceptable. It is time for MDE to reallocate staff and make addressing the chronic absenteeism crisis a priority. Reporting the current year’s attendance data is a simple first step,” Bakeberg said.
This legislation is the result of bipartisan work that began last legislative session and a Legislative Study Group on chronic absenteeism. All bills were heard in the House Committee on Education Policy and will continue to move forward in the legislative process.