SPRINGFIELD - Students skipping class soon could find themselves without a drivers license.

Under legislation now moving through the state Senate, high school dropouts would lose their driving privileges until they enroll again or turn 18.

"I think we all recognize the issue and the problem of dropout that we have in secondary education," said state Sen. Frank Watson, R-Greenville. "This is an attempt to try to address that."

The measure, which has won approval in the House, would target anyone younger than 18 who is a high school dropout or has 18 or more unexcused absences. Watson said dropouts are more likely to end up in jail, so these types of deterrents are needed.

Jeanelle Norman of the Illinois National Association for the Advancement of Colored People said some members initially expressed concern but now support the measure.

"Some felt that this was one more way to punish African-American students, since there is a disproportionate number of them dropping out of school and a high truancy rate," said Norman, who is president of the NAACP Decatur Branch. "Still others felt that there wasn't a need to try to legislate what they considered a right not a privilege."

Students who do lose their license but later re-enroll in school would have to notify the secretary of state's office on their own if they want to get back behind the wheel.

In the original version of the legislation, the school district would have been responsible for that. Christine Pinckard, dropout prevention coordinator for Decatur public schools, said it was changed because they wanted to make it as easy as possible on the schools.

More than 45,000 students were chronically truant in Illinois last year, and there were 85,000 dropouts, said Pinckard, who thinks this type of program will act as a deterrent.

"The state needs some type of incentive to encourage students to stay in school," Pinckard said. "This bill fits that need."

Pinckard said similar programs have shown results in 17 other states, including West Virginia and Florida.

The legislation was unanimously approved by a Senate committee Tuesday and now goes to the full Senate for a vote. It is HB1463.

Crystal Lindell can be reached at crystal.lindell@;lee.net or 789-0865.