District discusses county task force to address attendance after 2021 policy changes
Summary
Staff told the board that in 2021 state policy removed punitive court actions for truancy and that some counties (including Malheur) have reinstated local measures; the district plans to coordinate a county task force to explore options and develop recommendations later in August.
District staff described a statewide change in 2021 that removed court‑based punitive measures for truancy and said they believe attendance has worsened since the change. The staff member said local counties have taken different approaches: "Malheur County decided... they started doing it, and they have the best attendance in the state and decided to close," and Union and Umatilla counties are exploring similar steps.
Staff proposed coordinating a county‑level task force — bringing together superintendents, county commissioners and other stakeholders — to draft recommendations and present them in late August. The board heard that the effort will require buy‑in, might involve sharing a judge among jurisdictions, and would carry some costs to implement. The transcript includes an account that the state education agency (ODE) expressed reservations about county reversion to punitive approaches.
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