Amend SB 2103: Mississippi Kids Need More Than 5 Days
The Issue
Hi, I'm Jennifer White. My son is 10 and goes to West Hancock Elementary in Kiln. He has already missed 3 days this semester for strep throat.
My car is broken down. I live about 12 miles from Waveland and Bay St. Louis and 10 miles from Picayune. I can't always get him to a doctor for a note.
This isn't just for my family or just for Hancock County. This is for all Mississippi families who had a hard time getting their kids where they needed to be before this bill passed.
SB 2103 took effect July 1, 2026. It limits students to five excused absences per semester and allows only three to be excused with a parent note. After that, you need a doctor's note.
That may work for some families, but it doesn't reflect real life:
- When kids are sick, and parents can't get to a doctor because of transportation, work, or cost.
- When there is a death in the family, and children need to stay home to grieve. Right now, bereavement days count toward the 5.
- When there is a family emergency — a parent in the hospital, a house issue, no childcare for younger siblings.
It would be great if Coastal Family Health could see my son at school, but West Hancock is NOT one of the schools they go to, even though Hancock County School District announced on August 4, 2026, that Coastal Family Health provides school-based care in district schools. Families at schools without it, or without transportation, are penalized.
We are NOT asking for unlimited absences. We are asking for flexibility and compassion.
We respectfully ask legislators to amend SB 2103 to:
1. Allow bereavement days (death in immediate family) to be excused as administrative leave, not counted toward the 5-day limit
2. Allow parent-documented family emergencies to be excused beyond the 3 parent-note limit
3. Count school nurse visits and school-based telehealth as medical excuses, so families without transportation are not punished — and expand this care to schools like West Hancock
4. Require districts to publish a clear, simple process for principal approval for absences beyond 5 days
Students should be in school, but families should not be punished for life happening.
If you are a Mississippi parent, grandparent, educator, or neighbor who believes sick days, funerals, and family emergencies need more than 5 days a semester, please sign, comment on how this affects your family, and share.
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The Issue
Hi, I'm Jennifer White. My son is 10 and goes to West Hancock Elementary in Kiln. He has already missed 3 days this semester for strep throat.
My car is broken down. I live about 12 miles from Waveland and Bay St. Louis and 10 miles from Picayune. I can't always get him to a doctor for a note.
This isn't just for my family or just for Hancock County. This is for all Mississippi families who had a hard time getting their kids where they needed to be before this bill passed.
SB 2103 took effect July 1, 2026. It limits students to five excused absences per semester and allows only three to be excused with a parent note. After that, you need a doctor's note.
That may work for some families, but it doesn't reflect real life:
- When kids are sick, and parents can't get to a doctor because of transportation, work, or cost.
- When there is a death in the family, and children need to stay home to grieve. Right now, bereavement days count toward the 5.
- When there is a family emergency — a parent in the hospital, a house issue, no childcare for younger siblings.
It would be great if Coastal Family Health could see my son at school, but West Hancock is NOT one of the schools they go to, even though Hancock County School District announced on August 4, 2026, that Coastal Family Health provides school-based care in district schools. Families at schools without it, or without transportation, are penalized.
We are NOT asking for unlimited absences. We are asking for flexibility and compassion.
We respectfully ask legislators to amend SB 2103 to:
1. Allow bereavement days (death in immediate family) to be excused as administrative leave, not counted toward the 5-day limit
2. Allow parent-documented family emergencies to be excused beyond the 3 parent-note limit
3. Count school nurse visits and school-based telehealth as medical excuses, so families without transportation are not punished — and expand this care to schools like West Hancock
4. Require districts to publish a clear, simple process for principal approval for absences beyond 5 days
Students should be in school, but families should not be punished for life happening.
If you are a Mississippi parent, grandparent, educator, or neighbor who believes sick days, funerals, and family emergencies need more than 5 days a semester, please sign, comment on how this affects your family, and share.
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Petition created on August 19, 2026