During the 2025 legislative session, HB 2044 proposed changes to Washington’s compulsory attendance law (Chapter 28A.225 RCW), specifically the requirement to file truancy petitions with local juvenile courts.

HB 2044 did not pass. No changes were made to the truancy law. School districts remain legally obligated to follow all attendance and truancy procedures, including parent notifications, student conferences, assessments, and interventions prior to filing a truancy petition or withdrawing a student. See the Elementary and Secondary Attendance & Truancy Required Steps for a detailed overview.   

However, there were budget cuts that will could impact service delivery and partnerships. OSPI recommends that school district personnel contact their local juvenile court directly to plan for next year. 

Washington State law (RCW 28A.225.151) requires districts to report student-level truancy actions taken under RCW 28A.225.030 to OSPI via CEDARS.

Truancy actions are submitted through CEDARS from your student information system (SIS) to CEDARS Attributes & Programs File (I), Element I06 – Attribute or Program Code. 

• Review Definitions: See CEDARS Appendix F – Student Attributes & Programs 2024–25 for valid truancy codes and reporting guidance.
• Check Your Data: Go to CEDARS > Reports > Attributes & Programs > Dynamic Attributes and Programs or Records Loaded.
• Coordinate Internally: Work with your district’s CEDARS Administrator to ensure accurate SIS data entry and reporting.

All school districts are required to designate and identify a person or persons to coordinate school district efforts to address excessive absenteeism and truancy to the OSPI (RCW 28A.225.026).

If your district is transitioning these duties to a new person for the 2025-26 school year, please update your district’s liaison information on OSPI's District Truancy Liaison Website.

Recordings from the OSPI/ESD Attendance Improvement Network Showcase are now available!

This year, OSPI partnered with ESD 101, 113, and 123 to support school teams in developing strategies to improve attendance. These teams shared their approaches during the showcase—watch the recordings on our OSPI Attendance and Truancy YouTube Channel to learn more! 

Kamiakin High School, a participant in the OSPI/ESD Attendance Improvement Network, is making impressive strides through an integrated MTSS approach. Their focus on Tier 1 interventions, data-driven strategies, and servant leadership has helped reduce tardiness—highlighted by creative efforts like a tardy reflection assignment. This short, thoughtful activity encourages students with chronic tardiness to reflect on the causes and impacts of being late, reinforcing the importance of showing up on time.

Native students continue to be undercounted and misrepresented in our state’s public education system. To address these critical data challenges, the Office of Native Education at OSPI has developed the Native Student Learner Identification Training video. This resource guides schools on how to better support Native students through accurate identification and improved data practices.

Join OSPI’s Attendance Office Hours as we close out the 2024–2025 school year! Get support, ask questions, and connect before summer break.

Submit questions by June 13 to attendance@k12.wa.us with the subject: For Attendance Office Hours. We'll share them anonymously at the start, and there will also be time for live Q & A.

 See you Tuesday, June 17, 2025, from 12–1 PM!

Join Attendance Works, the Bloomberg American Health Initiative, and Kaiser Permanente for a virtual discussion on the public health impacts of chronic absence. Experts in health and education will share strategies for using chronic absence data to build cross-sector solutions.