Dear Ward 8 Residents:

On Friday, March 11th, a public hearing was held to discuss a critical piece of legislation I introduced, B24-0428 - School Attendance Amendment Act of 2021 ([link removed]) . This legislation seeks to improve school attendance, reducing truancy and chronic absenteeism.

The purpose of this legislation is to redefine daily attendance as being present 60 percent of the full instructional day (60/40 rule) from the current 80 percent of the full instructional day (80/20 rule).

A study conducted by Attendance Works ([link removed]) found that “Students who live in communities with high levels of poverty are four times more likely to be chronically absent than others often for reasons beyond their control. Such [reasons] as unstable housing, unreliable transportation, and a lack of access to health care.”

The 80/20 rule disproportionally affects chronically at-risk students.
* 44.2% of at-risk students are chronically absent compared to 17.4% of students who are not considered at-risk
* 42.4% of chronically absent students are SNAP eligible compared to 21.6% of not SNAP eligible students.

This legislation aims to account for these justifiable and verifiable excuses for a student being late or absent from school.

To be clear, I do not take absenteeism lightly. Students must be present and engaged to learn. However, I also believe that students should not be penalized for reasons beyond their control.

Regards,

Councilmember Trayon White, Sr.

[link removed]


** [Click to Watch]

Committee of the Whole Hearing:
B24-0428 - School Attendance Amendment Act of 2021
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B24-0428 Introduced by Councilmember Trayon White at the Office of the Secretary:
[link removed]


** Quick Links
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* Need a Test? Get a Test: Learn more about COVID-19 testing sites ([link removed])
* Check out the 2020 Ward 8 Progress Report ([link removed])

Zoom Meeting: March 16, 2022 at 6:00pm
Register to attend: [link removed]

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[Click to Watch]

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On Thursday, March 10th, Councilmember Trayon White held a community meeting with residents and community leaders from the Washington Highlands neighborhood to discuss the design and delivery discrepancies in KIPPDC’s RFO submission.

Councilmember White will hold a Committee Roundtable later this month to determine the next steps.

To join this meeting, please email Kyle Yeldell at [email protected].

Following the arrest of a DYRS employee accused of having inappropriate sexual relations with a child in custody at a youth detention center, Councilmember Trayon White released the following statement.
In response to the arrest charges and allegations against DYRS, Councilmember Trayon White is holding an emergency public roundtable to discuss the safety of youth in custody of DYRS.
The Committee invites the public to testify remortely or to submit written testimony:
SIGN-UP TO TESTIFY ([link removed])

[link removed]
[Click to Watch]
Councilmember Trayon White held a Performance Oversight Hearing on February 16th and heard the impact DYRS is having on youth and families at the facility.

Click to read article at: [link removed]
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