State Rep. Jerry Neyer this month supported the House passage of a plan to extend excused absences to students attending agricultural events, such as those sponsored by Future Farmers of America and 4-H.

“These agricultural education events are some of the most formative, important experiences a student can have,” said Neyer, R-Shepherd. “These kids should never have to play hooky just to attend the FFA or 4-H conference. These organizations are pillars of the agricultural education community, and the learning experiences they provide our kids are just as quality as the material taught in our classrooms.”

Students will only be permitted to attend the agricultural events if they are sponsored by an approved organization, like FFA or 4-H, and the student is in good academic standing. The legislation also allows the school to determine how many excused absences per school year a student can receive for this purpose.

The plan now moves to the Senate for further consideration.

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