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Board reviews state law changes on teacher evaluations and student attendance; first reading of revised attendance policy scheduled
Summary
Board members reviewed recent state legislation affecting educator evaluations and attendance reporting. The board held a first reading of revised attendance policy updates required by SEA 482 and plans to notify families before a formal second reading and adoption.
The MSD Wabash County Schools board reviewed two state-law changes at its Aug. 4, 2025, meeting: recent revisions affecting educator evaluations and a new state attendance law that changes how absences are categorized and when schools must report habitual truancy.
District staff told the board that a recently enacted House measure (referenced in the meeting as “house tour act 10 o 2”) removed the statutory requirement to assign each certified employee a categorical evaluation label such as "highly effective," "effective," "improvement necessary," or "ineffective." The district must still develop or adopt an annual educator performance-evaluation plan that is not subject to collective bargaining and must post that plan on the district website. Staff said the state requires the board receive an evaluation-plan aggregate by Aug. 15, 2025; the district reported it evaluated 148 certified staff in the prior year, with 70% rated highly effective and 30% rated effective under the prior system. The board did not change the district’s evaluation process for the current year because of timing.
The board also reviewed Senate Enrolled Act 42 (referred to in the meeting as SEA 482), the state law that updates attendance reporting. Under the new law, staff said, the definition of "habitually truant" expands to students in grades K–12: any student who accumulates 10 or more unexcused absences in a school year meets the statutory definition. Staff said Indiana Code 20-33-2-25 requires the district to report students who are habitually truant to juvenile probation or the Department of Child Services. The board discussed the law’s requirement to adopt clear categories for exempt, excused and unexcused absences; staff displayed the state’s categories and said families will see new attendance codes in Skyward.
The board conducted a first reading of revised board policy No. 4085 (student attendance) to align district practice with the state reporting categories. Staff said families will receive information about the new codes beginning the day after the meeting and that the policy will return for a second reading and formal adoption at the next board meeting. Staff also noted the law temporarily prohibits suspension or expulsion for habitual truancy for the 2025–26 school year; that provision is time-limited to one school year unless reenacted by the legislature.
District staff emphasized that only unexcused absences count toward the 10-day threshold for reporting; excused and exempt absences are reported separately and do not count toward the habitual-truancy trigger.
No final policy adoption occurred at the meeting; the first reading and the planned parent notification were the substantive actions recorded.
