ATLANTA (May 27, 2025)— Senate President Pro Tempore John F. Kennedy (R–Macon) announced the creation of a Senate Study Committee on Combating Chronic Absenteeism in Schools to further examine the underlying causes of absenteeism in Georgia schools and explore effective solutions.
Senator Kennedy, who authored and carried Senate Bill 123 (SB 123) during the 2025 legislative session, will serve as the Chair of the study committee and will lead its work during the 2025 interim.
“I’m grateful to Lieutenant Governor Jones for his steadfast commitment to education and his leadership in making chronic absenteeism a statewide priority,” said Sen. Kennedy. “Thanks to his support, this new study committee will help us dig deeper into the root causes of absenteeism and ensure we’re doing everything we can to keep Georgia students connected to their classroom and on track to succeed.”
SB 123, signed into law on April 28, 2025, will take effect on July 1, 2025. SB 123 will require School Climate Committees in each school district to develop a comprehensive framework to improve student attendance. Additionally, it will create local attendance review teams to assess individual student attendance cases. The School Climate Committees must report their progress to the Georgia General Assembly and Georgia Department of Education, ensuring accountability and continued focus on this critical issue.
Additional details regarding committee membership and meeting dates will be announced in the coming weeks.
For more information about Senate Bill 123, click here.
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Sen. John F. Kennedy serves as the President Pro Tempore of the Georgia State Senate. He represents the 18th Senate District, which includes Crawford, Monroe, Peach and Upson counties, as well as portions of Bibb and Houston counties. He may be reached at (404) 656-6578 or by email at John.Kennedy@senate.ga.gov.
For all media inquiries, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.