Roughly 24% of Dothan City Schools students are “chronically absent,” according to a DCS release.
Research shows students who miss at least 18 days of schools are 7 times more likely not to graduate. Elementary students with chronic absenteeism are more likely to read below grade level as early as 3rd grade.
DCS code allows for 10 excused absences per year. Absences beyond that number must have a doctor’s note.
Parents are notified the third and fourth times a student is not in school without an excuse. The student is referred to Houston County Truancy Prevention Project or direct to early warning court upon their fifth and sixth absences.
A complaint and/or referral can then be filed with the Houston County Juvenile Court Services with subsequent unexcused absences. That referral may result in petition for arrest and prosecution by the Houston County District Attorney’s Office.
Thirteen or more absences could result in a student being held back.
“We want your children to be in school 100% of the time because we know in order for students to be academically successful they must be in school. If your child has to be out of school please make sure it is an excused absence so you can avoid Truancy Court and potentially being charged with a Class A misdemeanor,” Director of DCS Student Services Dr. Charles Corbitt explained. “This world will pay you for what you know. How do you know something? By learning from the teacher! How do you learn? From a teacher and by being in school!”
U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) on Monday reintroduced an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to impose term limits on members of Congress.
The proposal would limit U.S. Senators to two six-year terms and U.S. Representatives to three two-year terms.
Ten Republican colleagues joined them in the proposal.
Britt previously signed a proposal pledging to vote for term limits in Congress. She cosponsored a term limit bill in the last Congress, but that bill did not advance.
HOUSTON COUNTY: This week Houston County Sheriff Donald Valenza and Houston County Jail Captain David Asbill are having much-needed repairs done at the Houston County Jail.
The primary repairs are for the locks that the Houston County Commission had neglected to have repaired. That is, until inmates escaped and attacked another inmate, sending the inmate to UAB Hospital via Survival Flight, from injuries received because of the neglect of the Houston County Commission. Finally, the locks are being repaired.
Houston County Sheriff Donald Valenza had requested the Houston County Commission to fund the repairs. He was DENIED, with Chairman Shoupe saying he would rather have roads paved then the locks repaired.
Now that a lawsuit has been filed against Houston County (US – the citizens of Houston County) by Jacoby and Meyers. Alabama State Representative Paul Lee went to work and obtained $1 million in funding to assist in making the jail safe for staff and other inmates.
Sheriff Valenza and Captain Asbill are also updating the camera surveillance system in the Houston County Jail.
The jail, designed and constructed under the Sheriff Lamar Glover administration is designed for 379 inmates. Today, 8:45 AM, the Houston County Jail has 417 inmates.
DO WE NEED A NEW JAIL?
The answer is NO. About 65% of the inmates could be housed in a work camp – barracks style facility with bunk beds, an outer fence, and K-9 attack dogs within a interior fence. That would guarantee no escapes. You have enough lockup space for the inmates who need to be locked in a cell. But that takes getting out of the box and thinking.
Van Granger was named the Mayor of Cottonwood at Tuesday’s Town Council meeting.
Michael Capehart was named Mayor Pro Tem.
Cottonwood’s District 4 Town Council seat is now vacant. If you want to run, you need to notify city hall before March 3rd, and you must be a resident of that district.
From left: Houston County Commission Chairman Brandon Shoupe, Cottonwood Mayor Van Granger, Houston County D2 Commissioner Tracy Adams
