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SB 5850

Supporting students who are chronically absent and at risk for not graduating high school.

2023-2024 Regular Session Introduced by John Braun and 10 co-sponsors

Expands regional training, grants, and per-student funds to identify, engage, and reengage chronically absent students and those at risk of not graduating.

By resolution, returned to Senate Rules Committee for third reading.
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Bill Summary · SB 5850

Summary — SB 5850

Title: Supporting students who are chronically absent and at risk for not graduating high school
Introduced: December 15, 2023 | Status (as of 2024-03-07): Returned to Senate Rules Committee for third reading

Purpose

To strengthen prevention, identification, and reengagement efforts for students who are chronically absent and for students at risk of not completing high school by (1) building regional training capacity for early‑warning systems, (2) creating targeted grants and expanding allowable Building Bridges program activities to address chronic absenteeism, and (3) providing flexible per‑student funds to remove barriers for students enrolled in statewide dropout reengagement programs.

Key provisions

  • Definition

    • “Students who are chronically absent” = students who miss 10% or more of school days for any reason (excused, unexcused, suspensions).

  • Regional training and coaching (new section to chapter 28A.310 RCW)

    • Each Educational Service District (ESD), subject to appropriation, must collaborate with OSPI to develop/maintain capacity to offer training and coaching to educators and district staff (including personnel designated to address excessive absenteeism/truancy) on developing robust early‑warning systems.
    • Training must cover collecting, analyzing, and reporting early‑warning data (attendance and other relevant indicators).
    • “Necessary supports” (examples): family engagement; academic, systemic and economic supports; clothing; food/nutrition; transportation; behavioral/physical health connections; incentives/celebrations.

  • Grant program to support chronically absent students (new time‑limited program)

    • OSPI, subject to appropriation, to establish a grant program to identify/locate chronically absent students and connect them to supports.
    • Eligible applicants include community‑based organizations, tribes, and (in substitute versions) community and technical colleges.
    • Allowable uses: proactive family engagement; supportive communications and family visits; academic and family supports (tutoring, barrier removal); health connections; incentives.
    • OSPI may adopt rules and require reporting aligned with the Washington School Improvement Framework.
    • This grant section expires December 31, 2026.

  • Dropout reengagement funding and supports (amendments to RCW 28A.175.105)

    • OSPI, subject to appropriation, to allocate per‑student funds to ESDs, school districts, public schools (and in some versions, community & technical colleges) for students ages 16–21 enrolled in statewide dropout reengagement programs.
    • Flexible uses: test fees, calculators, course supplies; clothing and course‑specific gear (boots, gloves); food/nutrition; transportation (bus passes, gas vouchers, parking); connections to behavioral health; option to contract with nationally recognized chronic absenteeism providers.
    • Allocations must be per‑student and include differentiated/base amounts for small or rural districts.
    • This section expires December 31, 2026.

  • Building Bridges program changes

    • Building Bridges (statewide dropout prevention grants) explicitly includes supports for chronically absent students and when grants go to community orgs, tribes, or community & technical colleges, funds may be used for the additional strategies listed above.

Who is affected

  • Primary: chronically absent students (10%+ absences), students enrolled in dropout reengagement programs (age 16–21), families/caregivers.
  • Implementers: ESDs, OSPI, school districts, public schools, community‑based organizations, tribes, community & technical colleges.
  • Indirect: community partners providing health, transportation, and economic supports.

Funding, timing, and sunset

  • Most duties and programs are explicitly “subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose” — no standing appropriation in the bill text. A fiscal note was requested.
  • Several new sections are time‑limited and expire December 31, 2026.
  • Effective date (per House report): generally 90 days after adjournment of the legislative session (standard effective date language appears in companion reports).

Legislative status & next steps

  • Passed the House (third reading) 49–0 after amendment; substituted and amended versions considered in Senate committees.
  • As of 2024‑03‑07, returned to Senate Rules Committee for third reading; further floor action in the Senate required for enactment.

Potential impacts

  • Expands regional capacity to identify and intervene with chronically absent students via training and data systems.
  • Provides new, flexible funding tools to reduce nonacademic barriers (transportation, clothing, food, supplies) that contribute to absenteeism and dropout risk.
  • Enables community organizations and tribes to access targeted grants to support family engagement and reengagement strategies.
  • Implementation depends on future appropriations and OSPI rulemaking/reporting requirements.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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