The Wayland Board of Education Monday evening learned about a new truancy diversion program from Director of Instruction Teresa Fulk.
She said the local district does better than many others in this area, but the numbers of truants, “are not a good percentage of kids who miss (school) too many days… If our kids are not here, they’re not learning the skills they will need to be successful.”
It was noted that Wayland’s attendance average of about 96 percent is better than average, but this new program aims to improve the situation.
“The truancy diversion program is a whole other warning system (as opposed to the traditional calendar to court procedure),” she said. “To be a truant, a student must be willfully missing school.”
The current system has parents notified by letter about five unexcused absences, another when the number is seven and the courts get involved with 10.
The diversion program emphasizes earlier intervention and inclusion of a truancy officer and community mental health, if necessary.
“It’s earlier intervention, by which we can get them services faster,” Fulk said. “It’s a more efficient use of school and court resources. It will provide students more resources to be successful.”
Fulk said the traditional system has not worked as well as teachers and officials would like, so a different approach is welcome.
She replied to a question from board member Cinnamon Mellema that indeed the program is research-based.
In other business at Monday night’s meeting, the school board:
• Was promised by Finance Director Pat Velie a thorough discussion about spending money from the Gun Lake Casino. She recommends the school district continues to earmark about 50% for building and grounds and noted she believes some adjustments will need to be made on athletics.
The last checks from the casino received in July totaled $941,584, bringing the total to $1,898,740 for the 2017-18 academic year. Revenues have steadily increased since the casino opened in 2011.
• Approved another middle school choir trip to Cedar Point May 24 at a cost of $80 per student and including a chartered bus.
• Agreed to future deliberations on whether of not to begin the academic year before Labor Day.. The State Legislature several years ago passed a law requiring schools not to start before Labor Day to improve tourism revenue, but since then it has relented so that now almost half of the districts in Michigan are starting sometime in August. Allegan County has been granted a waiver and Marrin this year opened its gleaming new facility, complete with a solar roof, in August.
• Received a presentation from Steeby Elementary teacher Emily Green about the EPIC reading application now being used on iPads.
“The students have access to a library that expands far wide,” she said.
• Was told by Fulk that NWEA testing has been completed and Wayland students scored above average in all categories and grade levels.