ASSEMBLY EDUCATION COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

[First Reprint]

SENATE, No. 3776

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 16, 2025

      The Assembly Education Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 3776 (1R).

      As amended, this bill establishes the “Chronic Absenteeism Task Force” to assess chronic absenteeism in the State’s public schools. 

      The task force is to consist of 20 members as follows: the Commissioner of Education, or a designee; four members of the public, each of whom has specialized knowledge or expertise in issues related to the work of the task force, with one each appointed by the Senate President, the Senate Minority Leader, the Speaker of the General Assembly, and the Assembly Minority Leader; and 15 members of the public representing the education community appointed by the Governor.

      Under the amended bill, the Chronic Absenteeism Task Force is to:

· examine and compare current and pre-pandemic data on chronic absenteeism in the State;

· analyze the root causes of chronic absenteeism, which may include barriers to attendance, aversion to school, disengagement from school, and misconceptions about the impact of absences;

· examine the role of mental health and school climate in chronic absenteeism rates;

· analyze and develop recommendations regarding the impact of absences due to exposure to COVID-19 and student discipline policies;

· research best practices that other states have implemented to address chronic absenteeism that may be replicated in the State; and

· develop recommendations on the most effective ways for school districts to promote family engagement to combat chronic absenteeism.

      The amended bill directs the Chronic Absenteeism Task Force to issue a final report to the Governor and the Legislature no later than six months after the organization of the task force.  The task force is to expire 30 days after the issuance of its final report.

      Pursuant to State law, a student that is absent for 10 percent or more of the days that the student is enrolled during the 180-day school year is considered chronically absent.  Data from the school performance reports indicate that the rate of chronic absenteeism rose to 16.6 percent in the 2022-2023 school year.  More than one-fifth of New Jersey students missed more than 15 days of school in the 2022-23 school year.  Before the pandemic, the State’s chronic absenteeism rate in the 2018-19 school year was 10.6 percent.  Chronic absence can result in students having difficulty learning to read by the third-grade, achieving in middle school, and graduating from high school.

      As amended and reported by the committee, Senate Bill No. 3776 (1R) is identical to Assembly Bill No. 5779, which was also amended and reported by the committee on this date.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to:

· clarify that the member of the task force representing charter schools is to be selected upon the recommendation of the New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association; and

· update the public members appointed by the Governor to include one member upon the recommendation of the Jobs for America’s Graduates New Jersey and one member upon the recommendation of the Princeton Area Community Foundation.