SANTA FE, NM—Republican members of the New Mexico House of Representatives are taking decisive action to address chronic absenteeism, an issue that has adversely affected our state's education system for several years.

Chronic absenteeism, defined as missing 10% or more of school days, has shown a consistent upward trend in New Mexico, with grave implications for our state's future. This troubling pattern has long-term effects, impeding academic achievement, increasing dropout rates, and negatively impacting workforce readiness, contributing to a cycle of socio-economic challenges.

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Over the years, absenteeism has particularly affected our disadvantaged communities, thereby widening the achievement gap. It has also exacerbated the issues of poverty, unemployment, and crime, thereby hindering our state's growth. In response, Republican Legislators Luis Terrazas (R-Catron, Grant & Hidalgo), Jim Townsend (R-Chaves, Eddy & Otero), Tanya Mirabal-Moya (R-Valencia), and Brian Baca (R-Valencia) proposed a bill with strict implications for students who are chronically absent from school, and even harsher consequences for parents if it is proven that they are allowing such absences to continue. The bill makes it a crime for parents who allow or foster chronic absenteeism with increasing penalties for each conviction, and students can have their driving privileges suspended by the children’s court.

"We firmly believe that regular attendance is a critical factor in ensuring every child's educational success," said Rep. Tanya Mirabal-Moya. "With this bill, we are committed to making a significant dent in the chronic absenteeism issue and create a brighter future for New Mexico's children." This initiative is a significant step towards addressing New Mexico's chronic absenteeism problem and its widespread impact on our state.

Rep. Brian Baca said, “the statistics of students who are consistently absent from school are one thing, but the effect it has on their lives after the fact is even more chilling. This is our way of preventing a lot of unhappy endings.”