I 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 9307 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES August 6, 2024 Mr. Gallego introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce A BILL To establish a competitive grant program for reducing the student absence rate of certain local educational agencies, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Keeping our Students in School Act . 2. Grant program to reduce chronic student absence (a) In general Not later than October 1 of the first fiscal year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Education shall establish a program to award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible local educational agencies for reducing the chronic absence rate of such eligible local educational agencies by carrying out any of the activities described in subsection (d). (b) Applications (1) In general To be eligible for a grant under this section, an eligible local educational agency shall submit to the Secretary an application in such form, at such time, and containing such information as the Secretary determines appropriate, including the contents described in paragraph (2). (2) Contents An application for a grant under this section shall contain the following: (A) The chronic absence rate of the eligible local educational agency. (B) A description of any programs and resources to reduce the chronic absence rate of the eligible local educational agency that are in place at the time such application is submitted. (C) A plan for how grant funds awarded under this section to the eligible local educational agency would be used to reduce the chronic absence rate of the eligible local educational agency. (D) The estimated cost of implementing the plan described in subparagraph (C). (E) At least one letter of support explaining why grant funds should be awarded under this section to the eligible local educational agency written by— (i) a local government official that serves a geographic area that is served by the eligible local educational agency, including a mayor or chief executive officer of a unit of local government; or (ii) the head of the eligible local educational agency. (c) Duration; renewal A grant awarded under this section shall be for a period of 1 year. The Secretary may renew a grant awarded under this section to an eligible local educational agency for 1 or more additional 1-year grant periods. (d) Use of grant funds An eligible local educational agency that receives a grant under this section shall use the grant funds for 1 or more of the following activities: (1) Providing transportation services for students traveling to and from schools served by the eligible local educational agency. (2) Performing visits at places of residence of a student who was absent for at least 10 percent of the school days in the most recent school year for the purpose of evaluating— (A) the well-being of the student; and (B) whether the number of school days missed by the student has resulted in any learning loss by the student, including identifying any risk factors present in the lifestyle of the student that may contribute to learning loss. (3) Establishing student mentorship programs. (4) Establishing partnerships with State agencies to reduce the chronic absence rate of the eligible local educational agency that received the grant. (5) Acquiring software or other data tools designed to monitor student absence. (6) Recruiting and retaining specialized instructional support personnel. (7) Any other activities related to student absence that the Secretary determines appropriate. (e) Reporting Not later than 1 year after the date that an eligible local educational agency receives a grant under this section, the eligible local educational agency shall provide a report to the Secretary that contains any information reasonably required by the Secretary, which includes a description of how grant funds awarded under this section to the eligible local educational agency were used to reduce the chronic absence rate of the eligible local educational agency. (f) Definitions In this section— (1) Chronic absence rate The term chronic absence rate , used with respect to a local educational agency, means the quotient resulting from dividing— (A) the total number of students served by such local educational agency who were absent for at least 10 percent of the school days in the school year for which the most recent data is available from the Consolidated State Performance Report administered by the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education of the Department of Education, by (B) the total number of students served by such local educational agency in such school year. (2) Eligible local educational agency The term eligible local educational agency means a local educational agency that has a chronic absence rate of 0.2 or more. (3) Local educational agency; specialized instructional support personnel The terms local educational agency and specialized instructional support personnel have the meanings given the terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 7801 ).