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Bill to study chronic absenteeism wins broad testimony; funds split for research and implementation
Summary
House Bill 1129 would direct the Department of Public Instruction to contract research on chronic absenteeism and fund statewide interventions; supporters and human‑services witnesses urged a coordinated, evidence‑based response and clarified that the CHINS system handles truancy referrals differently than past juvenile‑court practice.
BISMARCK, N.D. — The House Education Committee heard House Bill 1129 on Oct. 12, a bill that would appropriate funds for the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to study student attendance and absenteeism and to support statewide responses.
Representative David Richter, R‑District 1, told the committee HB1129 directs DPI to contract with North Dakota’s research institutions (UND, NDSU or similar) to identify the causes of chronic absenteeism in the state. Richter said the bill proposes $250,000 for the study and $1,000,000 for program support and implementation after the research identifies effective solutions.
Lynn Fleet, director of the RSR Human Service Zone and the employing entity for the statewide CHINS (Children in Need of Services) units, warned the committee that changes to juvenile code have shifted truancy referrals away from juvenile court and into human‑services channels. Fleet said the statewide CHINS unit became operational Aug. 1, 2022, and reported the unit has handled 8,491 referrals in total, of which 516 were truancy referrals; in the most recent year the unit received 2,117 referrals with 413 labeled truancy.
Fleet said CHINS involvement is voluntary and “has no teeth” in the sense that the statute does not allow the unit to remove children from their homes strictly for nonattendance; she argued earlier intervention and multiagency coordination are needed. Fleet told the committee DPI’s public dashboard did not show dramatic attendance shifts over the past three school years and that many causes are local and complex — transportation gaps, parental work schedules, family disengagement, bullying, mental‑health barriers, and misuse of homeschool notice provisions are among factors frequently reported to CHINS staff.
Committee questions addressed implementation and duplication of effort. Representative Longmeir asked whether absenteeism correlates with student performance; Richter answered there is a strong correlation and said early elementary absenteeism is particularly consequential. Representative Morton raised concerns about spending for research; Richter and other witnesses clarified the $250,000 is intended for the formal research contract, while the remaining funds (about $1,000,000) would be available to purchase statewide programs or to assist districts in implementation.
DPI’s role: Richter explained DPI commonly contracts with NDSU for data analysis and that the department would lead statewide implementation after the research phase. Representative Hoke asked whether the superintendent could use the funds to offset implementation costs; Richter said yes, the superintendent would distribute program dollars so that districts could buy training or statewide programs identified by the research.
Why it matters: Witnesses and committee members said chronic absenteeism is linked to lower academic performance and higher dropout risk. Several committee members cited early intervention, court or administrative letters and proven programs (for example, BARR) as possible parts of a statewide strategy. The hearing closed with committee members and witnesses urging that any research be tied to clear, fundable implementation steps so districts can act on findings rather than receive a report alone.
Action: The bill was not voted out of committee on Oct. 12. Witnesses asked for a research contract design that produces actionable recommendations within a short timeframe so DPI can begin purchasing or distributing programs and training to districts.
