School district receives grant to improve attendance
By SCOTT POWELL Ledger Staff Writer spowell@gaffneyledger.com

The Cherokee County School District has received a $1,500 state grant to start an attendance incentive program for eighth graders.

Cherokee County was among several school districts that received minigrants through federal funds distributed by the state Department of Education. This will allow county middle schools to continue a truancy prevention program which has been recognized as a state model.

The school district received a 3-year truancy prevention grant in 2004 to address attendance problems in the ninth grade, said Jackie Queen, the district's director for attendance, transportation and discipline.

Blacksburg and Gaffney High administrators met with parents and students to develop attendance intervention plans.

The district targeted ninth grade students with a poor history of school attendance. The district hoped preventing truancy would encourage more students to stay in school and have a positive impact on high school graduation rates.

"Our effort to prevent truancy in the ninth grade was very successful. We saw an 8 to 10 percent increase in attendance," Queen said. "We know truancy is already a problem for some students as early as elementary school. This mini-grant is an attempt to address one phase of the problem while students are in middle schools."

The district's four middle schools will be given grant funds to promote better attendance among eighth graders, Queen said. Incentives could include a pizza party, school dance, gift cards or other awards determined by school principals and guidance counselors.

The district plans to implement the attendance incentives this spring.