Pilot Truancy Reduction Temporary Amendment Act of 2024

This bill creates a temporary pilot program in the District of Columbia to address student truancy by allowing five high schools with high absence rates to refer students aged 14 to 17 to the Department of Human Services. Under the new rules, schools must refer a student to the department no later than two days after the student accumulates 15 unexcused absences in a school year, and participating schools are exempt from standard compulsory attendance requirements for these referred students. The Department of Human Services is required to provide services to these students and submit detailed reports by March and August 2025 analyzing the reasons for absences, the interventions used, and the impact on attendance and academic performance. This measure is designed to test whether connecting chronically absent students with social services improves their school attendance and academic outcomes.