INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A top education advocate on Tuesday said he hopes schools and families see an absenteeism bill as an opportunity to work together.

On the last morning of the legislative session, state lawmakers sent Gov. Eric Holcomb a bill to require every traditional public school and charter school to put together a policy to deal with chronically absent students.

Indiana State Teachers Association President Keith Gambill said until now, schools have not had all of the necessary pieces in place to address the problem. He said the bill’s provisions, particularly language to involve a student’s parents or guardians and provide wraparound services, will help schools identify what is keeping students out of class.

“We need to get to the heart of why students are being absent, what is the root cause,” he said. “We’ve been in a situation where we really have not been able to drill down into these absences in this way.”

According to the Indiana Department of Education, 19.3% of Indiana students were chronically absent during the 2022-2023 school year, meaning they missed at least 10% of school days. At 84 schools, half of the student population was chronically absent. Black and Hispanic students were more likely to be chronically absent, at 30.7 and 24.4%, respectively, while students on free or reduced-priced meal plans were roughly twice as likely to miss class as those who were not.

Under the bill, schools will have to notify parents in writing if their child misses at least five days of class over a 10-week stretch without an excuse. School officials will have to schedule an attendance conference with parents and work with them to put together an attendance plan, including additional services to help the child get to school.

Gambill said such services might include tutoring if a child is struggling in a particular class. During floor debate on Friday, Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary, a former school principal, said his school once bought 50 alarm clocks for students who were responsible for getting their younger siblings to class because their parents worked early-morning shifts.

The bill also includes language to require school attendance officers to report chronically absent students to child services or juvenile court. Rep. Matt Pierce, D-Bloomington, said Friday that’s already required by state law and the language mainly is meant to ensure schools incorporate the requirement into their absenteeism policies. Bill sponsor Rep. Martin Carbaugh, R-Fort Wayne, said the goal of the bill is to minimize the chances of a chronically absent student or their parents winding up in the court system.

Gambill said he hopes parents and teachers see the bill as a chance to build partnerships.

“I think developing a true relationship with home and school and the student knowing that everyone is pulling for them to do a great job in school is going to make a big difference,” he said.

The bill currently only affects students in grades K-6. Lawmakers said they might revisit adding upper grades in a future session.

Gov. Eric Holcomb officially received the bill on Tuesday. He has seven days to act on it.