A month-old Indiana law targeting chronic absenteeism in K-12 schools aims to collect data on student attendance to better understand and address the issue.

The law defines chronic absenteeism as missing 18 days of school, which is approximately 10% of the academic year. The initiative seeks to gather detailed data on why students are missing school, whether due to illness, travel, or other reasons, to develop strategies to reduce absenteeism.

Emil Ekiyor, a community leader and entrepreneur who is a contributor to WISH-TV, said Friday on News 8 at 5 p.m., “We need to collect data on what’s happening in this situation, why are kids missing school. It was shocking to find out that we didn’t have a strong data-collection system.”

The law does not differentiate between excused and unexcused absences when calculating chronic absenteeism. Even if a student has valid reasons for missing school, such as medical appointments or family travel, accumulating 18 absences categorizes them as chronically absent.

Indiana state Sen. Andy Zay, a Republican from Huntington, was involved in clarifying misunderstandings about the law, emphasizing that the focus is on understanding the reasons behind absenteeism rather than penalizing students.

It’s hoped the data collected will help educators and policymakers understand the correlation between absenteeism and academic performance, potentially leading to new policies or support systems to help students stay engaged in their education.

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The Madam Walker Legacy Center has elected two Indianapolis natives as board members: singer-songwriter Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds and comedian Mike Epps.

The board says the addition of Edmonds and Epps “reflects the Center’s ongoing commitment to expanding national programming and elevating the visibility of the historic venue as a cultural destination.”

Board Chair Nicole Wilson shared, “We are thrilled to welcome Babyface and Mike Epps to the board. Their influence and commitment to Indianapolis will help us amplify our mission on a national scale.”

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There have been three IMPD officers attacked and injured on the job in the last week, according to the department, as the city works to get a handle on recent high-profile shootings.

Tuesday, an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officer was shot three times while trying to arrest the driver of a stolen car.

The shooting ended with two suspects under arrest, both now charged, another suspect in the hospital in critical condition, and a fourth suspect still on the run. The officer, a four-year veteran of IMPD, left the hospital on Wednesday, surrounded by a crowd of cheering police.

Tuesday’s shooting happened in the Haughville neighborhood at an apartment complex just down the road from Pastor Dwight Harwell’s church, Latter House Ministries.

Haughville is an area where there’ve been multiple public efforts to build the relationship between police and the public. IMPD recruits helped paint over graffiti in the spring, and officers joined a show of unity when neighbors faced rampant vandalism.

IMPD has not identified the officer shot. He’s on administrative leave, pending a review of the shootout. Later Tuesday evening, IMPD said an officer broke their fibula while arresting a man for assault, marking the third line-of-duty injury in a week.

Anyone with information on the other suspect or about the shooting was asked to contact Sgt. Brian Lambert at the IMPD Homicide Office at 317-327-3475.

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