WA SB5007

Educational service districts must develop training and coaching capacity for educators on early warning systems to identify chronically absent students (defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason) and connect them with supports to reengage in learning

Expands the Building Bridges grant program to include supports for chronically absent students, allowing community-based organizations, tribes, and community colleges to use funds for family engagement, home visits, academic supports, barrier removal, and attendance incentives

Requires grant recipients to collect demographic data on students served, including race/ethnicity, household income, housing status, foster care/juvenile justice involvement, disability status, and primary home language

Enhances dropout reengagement programs to explicitly include nonacademic supports such as clothing, food/nutrition, transportation (bus passes, gas vouchers, subsidized parking), and connections to behavioral and physical health services

Removes outdated reporting requirements and a 2009 demonstration project provision while adding alignment with the Washington school improvement framework for measuring program impacts