SB 5007
In CommitteeSenate
Chronically absent students
Supporting students who are chronically absent and at risk for not graduating high school.
This status may be delayed. See Action History below for the latest updates.
How does a bill become law?
- Introduced: The bill is filed and assigned a number.
- Committee: A subject-matter committee holds hearings, takes public testimony, and decides whether to advance the bill.
- Floor Vote: The full chamber (House or Senate) debates and votes on the bill.
- Opposite Chamber: The bill repeats the committee and floor vote process in the other chamber.
- Governor: The Governor reviews the bill and decides whether to sign or veto it.
- Signed: The bill has been signed into law.
AI Analysis
This bill strengthens Washington’s efforts to reduce chronic absenteeism and prevent student dropout by expanding early warning systems, supporting school staff with training and coaching, and enhancing funding for community-based interventions that connect students and families to academic and nonacademic supports. It updates definitions, reporting, and grant requirements to better target help to students missing 10% or more of school days.
- Creates a new statewide training and coaching program—administered through educational service districts and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction—to help schools build early warning systems for identifying chronically absent students and connecting them to support services.
- Expands the existing 'Building Bridges' dropout prevention grant program to explicitly include support for chronically absent students, and allows grant recipients (including tribes, community organizations, and community/technical colleges) to use funds for family engagement, home visits, transportation, food, clothing, health services, and attendance incentives.
- Amends data collection and reporting requirements to include attendance, truancy, and dropout/reengagement metrics, and requires reporting on student demographics (race, income, housing status, foster/juvenile justice involvement, disability, and home language).
- Clarifies that 'chronically absent' means missing 10% or more of school days for any reason—including excused, unexcused, or suspension-related absences—and updates definitions in related laws to align with this standard.
- Strengthens the 'Dropout Reengagement Program' by specifying required services (e.g., case management, health supports, transportation, academic instruction) and eligibility criteria for students aged 16–20 who are at risk of not graduating.
Who is affected
- Chronically absent students — Students who miss 10% or more of school days (including excused, unexcused, or suspension-related absences) will be identified earlier and connected to support services to help them reengage in school and avoid dropping out.
- Educators and school staff — Educators and school staff—including those designated under state law for attendance and truancy work—will receive training and coaching on using early warning systems and supporting at-risk students.
- Families and caregivers of at-risk students — Families and caregivers of chronically absent students will be proactively engaged through outreach, communication, home visits, and access to academic and economic supports.
- School districts and community partners — Local educational service districts, school districts, community-based organizations, tribes, and community/technical colleges will receive funding and technical support to implement dropout prevention and reengagement programs.
Pro/Con Analysis
Stronger case for benefits
Potential Benefits (5)
The bill explicitly funds and mandates family engagement, home visits, and nonacademic supports (food, clothing, transportation, health services) for chronically absent students—directly addressing structural barriers to school attendance that disproportionately affect low-income students, potentially improving attendance, engagement, and graduation rates.
EducationPeopleRef: Sec. 2(3)(a)-(f); Sec. 4(1)(b)(ii); Sec. 1(1)By expanding the 'Building Bridges' program to include chronic absenteeism and authorizing tribes, community organizations, and community/technical colleges to receive grants, the bill increases access to culturally responsive, community-led interventions for historically underserved students—including foster youth, juvenile justice-involved youth, and English learners.
EducationPeopleRef: Sec. 2(1); Sec. 2(3); Sec. 1(1)The strengthened Dropout Reengagement Program clarifies required services (case management, health supports, transportation, academic instruction) and expands eligibility to students aged 16–20—increasing the likelihood that disengaged youth, especially those aging out of traditional school, will reenter and complete their education.
EducationPeopleRef: Sec. 4(1)(a)-(c); Sec. 4(2)(a)-(c)Mandating granular demographic data collection (race, income, housing status, foster/juvenile justice involvement, disability, home language) enables targeted resource allocation and identifies equity gaps—critical for holding districts accountable and directing support to the most vulnerable students.
EducationPeopleRef: Sec. 3(1)(e)(i); Sec. 2(3)The statewide training and coaching program—administered through ESDs and OSPI—builds institutional capacity across districts to implement early warning systems, potentially improving consistency and effectiveness of attendance interventions statewide.
EducationPeopleRef: Sec. 1(1); Sec. 2(1)
Potential Concerns (5)
Expanding early warning systems and mandatory data collection on sensitive student characteristics (e.g., housing status, foster/juvenile justice involvement, disability) increases surveillance of vulnerable youth and may lead to over-monitoring, stigmatization, or unwarranted law enforcement or child welfare involvement—especially for students of color or in poverty—without clear safeguards against punitive use of data.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 1(1); Sec. 2(3)(a)-(f); Sec. 4(1)(b)(ii)While the bill authorizes family engagement, home visits, and transportation/food incentives, it does not mandate or fund wraparound services (e.g., stable housing, long-term mental health care) needed by many chronically absent students—especially those experiencing homelessness—limiting the bill’s real-world impact on root causes of absenteeism.
HousingPeopleRef: Sec. 2(1); Sec. 2(3); Sec. 4(1)(b)(ii)The bill relies on educational service districts (ESDs) and OSPI to deliver training and coaching, but ESDs vary widely in capacity and staffing—rural and under-resourced districts may receive less effective support, potentially worsening equity gaps rather than closing them.
EducationLean peopleRef: Sec. 2(1); Sec. 1(1)Grant funds may be used for family incentives (e.g., food, clothing, transportation), but without wage-level income support or job placement for caregivers, the bill’s economic impact on households remains marginal—benefiting service providers more than families in material terms.
Business & EmploymentLean peopleRef: Sec. 2(1); Sec. 2(3); Sec. 4(1)(b)(ii)The bill includes connecting students to behavioral and physical health supports, but does not expand Medicaid eligibility, fund clinics, or mandate health service delivery—so access remains constrained by existing infrastructure and eligibility rules, limiting health impact.
HealthcareRef: Sec. 2(1); Sec. 2(3); Sec. 4(1)(b)(ii)
Who Is Most Affected
Chronically absent students—especially those in poverty, experiencing homelessness, or in foster/juvenile justice systems—gain access to targeted, non-punitive supports (e.g., food, transportation, health services, family outreach) that address root causes of absenteeism. However, increased data collection may also lead to surveillance or stigmatization in under-resourced districts.
Educators and school staff gain access to training and coaching on early warning systems and trauma-informed outreach, which may improve capacity to support at-risk students. However, without additional staffing or reduced workloads, this may increase workload without meaningful support.
Families of chronically absent students benefit from proactive outreach, home visits, and access to economic supports (e.g., food, clothing, transportation), but low-income families may still face unmet needs if funding falls short of demand or if services are not culturally competent.
Community-based organizations, tribes, and community/technical colleges gain new funding and authority to deliver wraparound services, expanding their role in education. However, smaller or rural organizations may lack capacity to compete for grants or implement complex reporting requirements.
Local governments (especially school districts) benefit from state-level coordination and technical support but may face new administrative burdens (e.g., data reporting, staff time for home visits) without corresponding increases in staffing or funding.