SB-153 Education finance: education omnibus budget trailer bill finalizes the proposal for Attendance Recovery.

What We Already Knew:

The final language adopted for the Attendance Recovery Program includes many components from the original proposal. Some key elements to know:

• This is an optional opportunity for Districts to recover attendance. Participation in the program is voluntary (at the election of the student/parent/guardian).
• Attendance Recovery programs may be operated before or after school, on weekends, or during intersession. This includes as a component during ASES/21st CCLC/ASSETs/ELO-P programming, or it could be operated separately from Expanded Learning programming during those times.
• There is no additional funding to support the implementation of this program should a district choose to implement one.
• Besides clarifying that Attendance Recovery Programs could be a component of an Expanded Learning program, this doesn’t otherwise alter the requirements for Expanded Learning programs.
• Attendance Recovery programs must be under the immediate supervision of a certificated employee who is also responsible for the documentation of attendance recovery.
• CDE must develop and post guidance on its website on or before June 30, 2025.

What’s New:

More recent versions of the proposal and the final legislation include some minor shifts and clarifications to the program. Some key elements to know:

• Implementation of Attendance Recovery would begin July 1, 2025. 
• Attendance Recovery cannot result in an individual student being credited for more than 10 days of attendance (or the number of absences the student accrued that school year) in a school year (July 1 – June 30). It will be credited in the year in which the program is operated. Note: Earlier versions of the proposal included credit up to 15 days.
• Average Daily Attendance can be generated in 1-hour increments. Note: Earlier versions of the proposal outlined that it could be generated in 15-minute increments.  
• There has been further clarification that the implementation of Attendance Recovery should not negatively impact the implementation of Expanded Learning programs (including ASES/21st CCLC/ASSETs/ELO-P).
  • Further “It is the intent of the Legislature that when attendance recovery programs are operated in conjunction with expanded learning programs to achieve fiscal efficiencies, fiscal impacts to expanded learning programs are minimized and pupil access to expanded learning programs are expanded. Local educational agencies are encouraged to offer expanding learning programs to chronically absent pupils as an attendance reengagement strategy.” 
  • Additionally, language was specifically added to the ELO-P section of the Education Code to clarify that ELO-P funds can only be used to support Attendance Recovery Programs if they are operated in conjunction with, and on the same schoolsite, as the ELO-P. 

There are a number of additional items/details outlined in the adopted Trailer Bill that provide further detail on the new Attendance Recovery Program and many details remain to be sorted out. Stay tuned for future updates on this program.

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