All Washington School Districts to Create Truancy Boards

SEATTLE (AP) — Students at Washington schools will no longer be faced with juvenile court if they skip school as districts are now required to create community truancy boards.

The Seattle Times reports that the Legislature has passed a bill requiring the boards as a way to deal with truant students. Some school boards already have truancy programs but roughly 70 percent of the state's 295 districts do not.

If the law is signed by Gov. Jay Inslee all districts with more than 200 students would be required to start a truancy board by fall 2017. The start date was pushed back so courts and districts would have time to work out agreements.

State funds aimed at helping students improve academic skills will be used to help cover the costs.