BY DEANNA B. NARVESON | Staff writer How to get students in schools? As Louisiana continues to grapple with high rates of student absenteeism, a lawmaker wants to push districts to tackle the issue by tying funding to student attendance so that schools with low attendance rates would get less money. Currently, public school districts receive funding based on how many students they serve and those students’ needs. House Bill 185 by Rep. Barbara Freiberg, R-Baton Rouge, would instead give schools money based on attendance data that districts collect daily. Nearly 1 in 4 Louisiana students was chronically absent last year, according to state data. Proponents of the legislation say it would push schools to improve absences. Read the full story. In court: After blasting Stab's Prime Steak and Seafood on social media for refusing to serve her over its dress code last summer, a former NAACP leader has filed a civil rights discrimination lawsuit against the popular restaurant in federal court. Read the latest. | 