hb629.html
07 LC 33 1896
House Bill 629
By: Representatives Dickson of the 6th, Casas of the 103rd, and Maxwell of the 17th

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT

To amend Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to education, so as to provide that attendance reports may be provided electronically; to revise certain provisions relating to quarterly reports by principals; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

SECTION 1.
Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to education, is amended in Code Section 20-2-697, relating to the cooperation of principals and teachers in public schools with visiting teachers and attendance officers, by revising subsection (a) as follows:
"(a) Visiting teachers and attendance officers shall receive the cooperation and assistance of all teachers and principals of public schools in the local school systems within which they are appointed to serve. It shall be the duty of the principals or local school site administrators and of the teachers of all public schools to report, in writing, or to make such information accessible electronically, to the visiting teacher or attendance officer of the local school system the names, ages, and residences of all students in attendance at their schools and classes within 30 days after the beginning of the school term or terms and to make such other reports of attendance in their schools or classes as may be required by rule or regulation of the State Board of Education. All public schools shall keep daily records of attendance, either in written form or electronically, verified by the teachers certifying such records. Such reports shall be open to inspection by the visiting teacher, attendance officer, or duly authorized representative at any time during the school day; provided, however, that this provision may be complied with through making such information available to such teacher, officer, or representative through electronic access. Any such attendance records and reports which identify students by name shall be used only for the purpose of providing necessary attendance information required by the state board or by law, except with the permission of the parent or guardian of a child, pursuant to the subpoena of a court of competent jurisdiction, or for verification of attendance by the Department of Public Safety for the purposes set forth in subsection (a.1) of Code Section 40-5-22. Such attendance records shall also be maintained in a format which does not identify students by name, and in this format shall be a part of the data collected for the student record component of the state-wide comprehensive educational information system pursuant to subsection (b) of Code Section 20-2-320."

SECTION 2.
Said chapter is further amended by revising Code Section 20-2-962, relating to quarterly reports by principals, as follows:
"20-2-962.
The principal of each public school shall make a quarterly report to the local board of education immediately upon the end of each quarter of the fiscal year, and such report shall contain an account of all receipts and expenditures of such funds during the past quarter. The principal shall also make an annual report of the complete property inventory of the school. The local board may at any time during the school year inspect all receipts, expenditures, and property of each public school."

SECTION 3.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.