ATTENDANCE FOR SUCCESS ACT CHANGES

HB 219 modifies New Mexico's Attendance for Success Act to require schools and juvenile probation services to collaborate on addressing student absenteeism. It defines "chronic absence" as missing 10% or more school days (whether excused or not), and mandates juvenile probation to review attendance records, initiate interventions, and refer cases to court for students who remain excessively absent after school-level efforts. Schools must document outreach to families, differentiate between absence types, and prohibit out-of-school suspensions for absenteeism. The bill also requires children's court attorneys to start legal proceedings under the Family In Need of Court-Ordered Services Act for chronically absent students.