Pupil attendance: excused absences: career technical education.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill text does not specify the exact number of additional days that can be granted beyond one day per year by school administrators.

Excused Absences for Career Technical Education

This law allows middle and high school students in California to miss one day of school per year to participate in career technical education programs, with the possibility of more days off if a school administrator agrees.

What This Bill Does

• Adds career technical education enhancement activities as an excused absence for middle and high school students.
• Requires students to notify their school before missing school for these activities.
• Limits each student to one day-long absence per year for such activities, but allows more days if a school administrator agrees.

Who It Names or Affects

• Middle and high school students in California who want to miss school for career technical education enhancement activities.
• School administrators who decide whether to allow extra excused absences beyond the one day limit.

Terms To Know

career technical education

Programs that teach students skills needed for specific jobs or careers.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill only allows one day-long absence per year for career technical education activities.
• It is not clear how many extra days beyond one will be allowed by school administrators.

Official Summary Text

SB 721, as introduced, Dahle.
Pupil attendance: excused absences: career technical education.
Existing law, notwithstanding the requirement that each person between 6 and 18 years of age who is not otherwise exempted is subject to compulsory full-time education, requires a pupil to be excused from school for specified types of absences, including, among others, if the absence was due to the pupil’s illness.
This bill would include as another type of required excused absence an absence that is for the purpose of a middle school or high school pupil participating in career technical education enhancement, as defined, provided that the pupil notifies the school ahead of the absence. The bill would require a middle school or high school pupil who is absent from school to engage in career technical education enhancement to be excused for only one schoolday-long absence per school year. The bill would also authorize a middle school or high
school pupil who is absent from school to engage in career technical education enhancement to be permitted additional excused absences in the discretion of a school administrator, as provided. To the extent that this bill would impose additional duties on local educational entities, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF