Umatilla County leaders push CARE pilot to address chronic student absenteeism

Umatilla County Commissioner Cindy Timmons and other county officials testified in support of House Bill 2374, a pilot to establish the CARE program within the youth development division. Timmons told the Ways and Means Committee that persistent absenteeism is a major problem: she cited a figure of 35,000 Oregon students missing from classrooms since the pandemic and said 30–38 percent of students are chronically absent in some areas.

Timmons highlighted the CARE model's methods, which include family outreach, home visits, and multi-agency coordination. She described a component authored by a county circuit judge designed to handle cases that reach the citation or court phase: "The goal is not to cite, but this element is a tool school administrators can use to leverage students back into the classroom," she said, adding that many people who appear before Judge Daniel Hill lack a high-school education.

Andrea John (county representatives), Matt Scarf and other commissioners also spoke in support, framing CARE as a proven, replicable program with demonstrated success in Umatilla County and interest from neighboring counties.

Why this matters: Committee members heard that long-term absenteeism reduces academic and…