We did everything from getting the county nurse to visit the home to providing shampoos. School workers picked through their hair to make sure they were OK. Once detected with head lice the children were sent home until cleared. It became routine (for Stafford) to let her kids stay home.

213

So far this school year I've had 21 hearings at the board office with parents whose children had at least 20 absences.

158

Attendance in some cases isn't what we would like it to be, and when we have extreme cases shame on us if we didn't do anything. I've signed petitions and usually parents fix the problem. We've had cases with up to 30 and 40 absences in a 180- day school year.

157

There wasn't a good answer.

147