state calls chronic absenteeism hurts the school’s grade card.

“So, that being said, this truancy court has been around two or three years,” Hiatt said. We really haven’t participated in it, we’ve threatened it, but this is the first year we’ve really taken part in it.”

Hiatt said there are seven students who were well below the 90% attendance requirement.

“We don’t send them to truancy court just because they’re (below the 90% attendance requirement),” Hiatt said. “I mean, these are kids where we’ve tried talking to their parents, we tried Saturday school, we tried X, Y and Z, nothing is working. So, we take them to truancy court.” Hiatt indicated that six of the students were released from truancy court as their attendance had improved dramatically, but there is one student that remains in the court system.

“Kind of how that works, the parents have to go (to court before a district judge),” Hiatt said. “Because there is nothing that can be done to the kids, they’re minors. The parents are held responsible.”

Hiatt indicated that the court is pretty strict, and will impose fines or may even send parents to jail if their kids aren’t attending school.

Hiatt said he just wanted to let everyone know that it wasn’t a school policy, but state law.

“It is what it is,” Hiatt said. “If they’re not here, we can’t teach them. The law says they have to be here 90% of the time.”

Other news Hiatt also spoke about other happenings at Allen School.

“The girls were regional runners-up in softball, that’s a big accomplishment,” Hiatt said. “... So they had a good year, I’m proud of them.”

Hiatt mentioned the schedule for the next few weeks, which included fall break this week; the next Allen Mustangs football game, which is tonight (Thursday) at 7 p.m. in Allen vs. Regent Prep; and then Homecoming and Senior night will be October 25. Senior Night will begin at 5:45 p.m. The Mustangs will host Central Sallisaw.

“Only having four home games really hurts,” Hiatt said. “And then, with one on fall break this week, it really hurts. Next year, I guess we’ll have six (home games).”

Hiatt updated the board on the roof repairs around campus, which, he said, is down to the junior high. It is estimated that it will be completed in about two weeks.

Action items In action items, all of which the board approved, one item concerned moving graduation from Friday night, May 9th, to Saturday, May 10th, at 10 a.m.

Hiatt said while it was held on Saturday mornings in the past, last year’s graduation took place on Friday night. Hiatt said this year, there is a teacher with a conflict, so he asked the board to move it to Saturday.

Also in action items was a resolution calling for the annual school board election. The seat to be filled at this election is office