Attendance Officer

Coordinator(s)	Robert Meikle
Supervisor:	This program falls under the general supervision of the superintendent
Purpose:	To assist schools in improving attendance by making requested home visits, counseling students with attendance problems, counseling parents of students with attendance problems, preparing truancy cases for the various school principals, presenting these cases to the prosecuting attorney, and representing the school districts at initial hearings of cases outlined. To conduct informal hearings with parents, students and administrators as a representative of the Juvenile Court.
Goals:	To counsel students with attendance problems, explaining the importance of good attendance and the negative results of poor attendance. To act as a liaison between Perry County schools, law enforcement agencies, courts, and prosecutor's office. To encourage school personnel to develop procedures whereby attendance problems are identified early and monitored closely. To remain available to area administrators as an advisor for the development and revision of attendance policies.	Strategies toward achieving goals: Meeting directly with the student either at the home school or at the student's residence. Holding court sanctioned "informal hearings" at the school involving parents, administrators and the student. Maintaining frequent contact with all agencies described. Attending bimonthly meetings held by Juvenile Court involving all listed organizations. Maintaining frequent contact with the schools, providing materials and developing forms and procedures to facilitate these actions. Maintaining a current collection of attendance policies from within the county and around the area. Networking with attendance officers from other counties.
Deliverables:	The schools are provided with an accessible resource which deals directly with students and their parents when attendance concerns arise. This provides schools with a specialist in the area of concern and frees other school personnel to deal with their assigned tasks. Informal hearings are provided for the schools which bring parents, administrators, and students together to facilitate development of strategies to improve attendance.