Section 28A.225.026. Community truancy boards—Memoranda of understanding with juvenile courts—Designation of school district coordinators to address absenteeism and truancy—Community-wide partnerships.

(1) By the beginning of the 2017-18 school year, juvenile courts must establish, through a memorandum of understanding with each school district within their respective counties, a coordinated and collaborative approach to address truancy through the establishment of a community truancy board or, with respect to certain small districts, through other means as provided in subsection (3) of this section.

(2) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, each school district must enter into a memorandum of understanding with the juvenile court in the county in which it is located with respect to the operation of a community truancy board. A community truancy board may be operated by a juvenile court, a school district, or a collaboration between both entities, so long as the agreement is memorialized in a memorandum of understanding. For a school district that is located in more than one county, the memorandum of understanding shall be with the juvenile court in the county that acts as the school district's treasurer.

(3) A school district with fewer than two hundred students must enter into a memorandum of understanding with the juvenile court in the county in which it is located with respect to: (a) The operation of a community truancy board; or (b) addressing truancy through other coordinated means of intervention aimed at identifying barriers to school attendance, and connecting students and their families with community services, culturally appropriate promising practices, and evidence-based services such as functional family therapy, multisystemic therapy, and aggression replacement training. School districts with fewer than two hundred students may work cooperatively with other school districts or the school district's educational service district to ensure access to a community truancy board or to provide other coordinated means of intervention.

(4) All school districts must designate, and identify to the local juvenile court, a person or persons to coordinate school district efforts to address excessive absenteeism and truancy, including tasks associated with: Outreach and conferences pursuant to RCW 28A.225.018; entering into a memorandum of understanding with the juvenile court; establishing protocols and procedures with the court; coordinating trainings; sharing evidence-based and culturally appropriate promising practices; identifying a person within every school to serve as a contact with respect to excessive absenteeism and truancy; and assisting in the recruitment of community truancy board members.

(5) As has been demonstrated by school districts and county juvenile courts around the state that have worked together and led the way with community truancy boards, success has resulted from involving the entire community and leveraging existing dollars from a variety of sources, including public and private, local and state, and court, school, and community. In emulating this coordinated and collaborative approach statewide pursuant to local memoranda of understanding, courts and school districts are encouraged to create strong community-wide partnerships and to leverage existing dollars and resources.

[ 2016 c 205 § 6.]

2016 c 205 § 6.