SUMMARY:  This bill would amend Part 1 of Article 16 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the O.C.G.A. to change compulsory attendance, to require a 30-day window to enroll children new to the district with failure carrying a penalty of a misdemeanor; to provide reporting requirements of attendance violations with penalty of misdemeanor to school official failing to make the report.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Parents must enroll children new to the district within 30 days in public school, private school or home study program or face a misdemeanor charge.
• The requirement in the law spelling out fines and attempts to locate the parents with accompanying paperwork requirements would be eliminated.
• In its place, local school officials can file a complaint with law enforcement regarding children not attending any school, including an alternative school (if assigned there).
• It would include students who have been suspended or expelled by the local board of education.
• The law would not go into effect until the student has missed 5 or more unexcused days.
• A new section regarding notification of parents is included in the bill.

NOTE: The implication is that if a child is suspended or expelled from a local system, and the parent chooses not to enroll the child in the alternative school, that the parent would be responsible for enrolling the child in a private school or a home-study program.