AB 2176: Juvenile court schools: chronic absenteeism rates.

Existing law creates the Office of Youth and Community Restoration within the California Health and Human Services Agency to promote trauma-responsive, culturally informed services for youth involved in the juvenile justice system, as specified. Existing law grants the office the responsibility and authority to, among other things, report on youth outcomes, identify and disseminate best practices, and report annually on the work of the office. Existing law requires the office to have an ombudsperson and authorizes the ombudsperson to, among other things, investigate complaints from youth. Existing law requires the ombudsperson to publish and provide regular reports to the Legislature regarding data collected concerning, among other things, complaints received and investigations performed by the ombudsperson. Existing law requires county boards of education to provide for the administration and operation of public schools in juvenile halls, juvenile ranches, and juvenile camps, among others, known as juvenile court schools.

This bill would also require the office to develop an annual report on chronic absenteeism rates in juvenile court schools. The bill would, subject to available funding, require the office to investigate the reasons for absenteeism at juvenile court schools with chronic absenteeism rates of 15% or more, and, if the office determines that insufficient staff, transportation, punitive policies, or any policies under the juvenile facilitys control are contributing to chronic absenteeism rates, require the office to provide technical assistance to ameliorate the identified causes of the chronic absenteeism. The bill would also require the ombudsperson to include reports on chronic absenteeism in its reports to the Legislature.