Senate Bill No. 253–Senator Cegavske

 

March 10, 2003

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Joint Sponsor: Assemblywoman Giunchigliani

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Referred to Committee on Human Resources and Facilities

 

SUMMARY—Revises provisions governing school attendance required to obtain credit or to be promoted to next higher grade. (BDR 34‑788)

 

FISCAL NOTE:  Effect on Local Government: No.

                           Effect on the State: No.

 

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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

 

AN ACT relating to education; providing that a pupil must be in attendance for a minimum number of days to obtain credit or to be promoted to the next higher grade; requiring each school to provide notice to the parent or legal guardian of a pupil before the pupil is denied credit or promotion to the next higher grade; providing that a pupil and his parent or legal guardian may request a review of a decision to deny credit or promotion to the next higher grade; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN

SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

1-1  Section 1. NRS 392.122 is hereby amended to read as follows:

1-2  392.122  1.  The board of trustees of each school district shall

1-3  prescribe a minimum number of days that a pupil who is enrolled in

1-4  a school in the district must be in attendance for the pupil to obtain

1-5  credit or to be promoted to the next higher grade. For the purposes

1-6  of this subsection, the days on which a pupil is not in attendance

1-7  because the pupil is[:

1-8  (a) Physically or mentally unable to attend school; or

2-1  (b) Absent] absent for up to 10 days within 1 school year with

2-2  the approval of the teacher or principal of the school pursuant to

2-3  NRS 392.130 , [and only if he has completed course-work

2-4  requirements,]must be credited towards the required days of

2-5  attendance[.] if the pupil has completed course-work

2-6  requirements.

2-7  2.  Before a pupil is denied credit or promotion to the next

2-8  higher grade for failure to comply with the attendance

2-9  requirements prescribed pursuant to subsection 1, the principal of

2-10  the school in which the pupil is enrolled or his designee shall

2-11  provide written notice of the intended denial to the parent or legal

2-12  guardian of the pupil. The notice must include a statement

2-13  indicating that the pupil and his parent or legal guardian may

2-14  request a review of the absences of the pupil and a statement of

2-15  the procedure for requesting such a review. Upon the request for a

2-16  review by the pupil and his parent or legal guardian, the principal

2-17  or his designee shall review the reason for each absence of the

2-18  pupil upon which the intended denial of credit or promotion is

2-19  based. After the review, the principal or his designee shall credit

2-20  towards the required days of attendance each day of absence for

2-21  which:

2-22      (a) There is evidence or a written affirmation by the parent or

2-23  legal guardian of the pupil that the pupil was physically or

2-24  mentally unable to attend school on the day of the absence; and

2-25      (b) The pupil has completed course-work requirements.

2-26      3.  A pupil and his parent or legal guardian may appeal a

2-27  decision of a principal or his designee pursuant to subsection 2 to

2-28  the board of trustees of the school district in which the pupil is

2-29  enrolled.

2-30      4.  A school shall inform the parents or legal guardian of each

2-31  pupil who is enrolled in the school that the parents or legal guardian

2-32  and the pupil are required to comply with the provisions governing

2-33  the attendance and truancy of pupils set forth in NRS 392.040 to

2-34  392.160, inclusive, and any other rules concerning attendance and

2-35  truancy adopted by the board of trustees of the school district.

2-36      Sec. 2.  This act becomes effective on July 1, 2003.

 

2-37  H