LOWELLVILLE — The local school district will partner with Mahoning County Juvenile Court and its early warning system to improve student attendance rates, Superintendent Christine Sawicki announced at last week’s school board meeting.

Students with more than 45 hours of unexcused absences by December may have an on-site EWS review hearing with a traveling Juvenile Court Magistrate at their school. Students with more than 72 hours of unexcused absences may be scheduled for a hearing at Juvenile Court. Both excused and unexcused absences count toward chronic absenteeism, which the district has struggled with the past several years.

Students with a significant number of excused absences may be contacted by a court official, who works with the EWS to provide support and guidance to families before court involvement. Parents / guardians are required to attend all hearings, and formal charges may be filed if attendance does not improve.

A letter from Mahoning County Juvenile Court with additional details about the EWS program was presented to the board.

The Lowellville Local School District had a 40.3% chronic absenteeism rate last year, which is defined as missing at least 10% of instructional time for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Sawicki detailed plans at the September meeting for a small district team to participate in a two-year, statewide professional learning program for teachers and administrators. The priority for year one will be to develop an idea on how to increase student engagement in order to decrease chronic absenteeism.

In other business at the monthly meeting, the board:

• Accepted a $585 donation from Joseph Donatelli to purchase colored paint for the football field.

• Heard from elementary principal Tracie Perry that state testing in English and language arts for third graders will be today and Wednesday.

• Learned that RISE Days throughout the district will be Wednesday and Thursday. The purpose of RISE Days is to build community, foster connections and promote inclusiveness. High school students will participate in a volleyball tournament, gaming room and pumpkin decorating. Elementary students will participate in pumpkin decorating, a bounce house maze, cider and donuts, crayon rubbings and painting on canvas.

• Learned a blood drive for students and staff, hosted by Student Council, will be Oct. 29.

• Set the annual Halloween celebrations Oct. 31, including a costume contest and elementary school parade.

• Heard from assistant principal Jeff Hammond that the following students were named Rocket Stars of the Month: Luciano Santoro and Presley Heitzenrater, kindergarten; Theo Slaven and Cason Calderon, 1st grade; Antonio Donatelli, 2nd grade; Abigail Anderson, 3rd grade; Patrick Durkin, 4th grade; Ryan Durkin, 5th grade; Lilliana Sesser, 6th grade; Roland Swanson, 7th grade; Alison Eskins, 8th grade; and Kaden Primous, 12 grade.

• Learned a Veterans Day assembly will be Nov. 11.

• Heard about a partnership between Vision to Learn, Sight for All United and the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley, for the Vision Van, which provides free vision screenings to all K-12 students and comprehensive eye exams for those in need.

• Retroactively approved Brett Bessell as an as needed custodial aide at $11.66 per hour.

• Appointed Susan Shuluga as a substitute nurse at $18.31 per hour.

• Rescinded the previously approved resolution to provide payment in lieu of transportation to Ursuline High School for Brody Daniels as he is now enrolled at Lowellville.

• Approved several athletic supplemental contracts.

• Approved the estimate as submitted from JCS Landscaping and the Tree Dudes to continue providing snow and ice removal services.