Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Support Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District reports stable attendance, rising referrals and start of DragonCare school-based health services
Summary
Pickens County support services reported a 95.29% average daily attendance for the first nine weeks, net enrollment down 11 students since early August, increased office referrals at the high school (notably for cell phones), and that DragonCare school-based health center is operational and seeing students.
Core district staff updated the board on attendance, enrollment, discipline, data and the new school-based health center at the Oct. 3 work session.
Director of Support Services Corey Thompson reported average daily attendance for the first nine weeks of the school year at 95.29%, higher than the same period in the prior two years. September’s monthly average attendance was 94.66%; Thompson said the district aims for 95% monthly attendance and noted about 30 families took private fall breaks in September, affecting that month’s rate.
Thompson said district enrollment was down 11 students overall since early August (32 new enrollments vs. 43 withdrawals in the reported period). The board was told that some high-school withdrawals reflect transfers to mountain-ed programs or homeschooling and must be processed through the high school.
Discipline data showed the district had roughly 100 more office referrals in September 2025 than in September 2024. Pickens High School accounted for a major share of the increase: high-school office referrals rose from 83 to 200, with a high proportion linked to cell-phone infractions. Thompson noted that while total referrals rose, the share resulting in state-reportable consequences (SRC) remained similar—about 36 percent this year versus 38 percent the prior September.
Thompson also reviewed administrative preparations for the state FTE (full-time equivalent) count date on Oct. 7, saying the district has worked with school leaders and the Georgia Department of Education to reduce reporting errors. He said the district will recommend a data clerk position dedicated to Jasper Middle School and is reallocating existing staff rather than requesting additional FTE.
On health services, Thompson reported DragonCare’s school-based health center opened in late September and has provided 94 student visits in the reporting period—82 telehealth and 12 in person—plus staff and one family-member visit. More than 1,000 consent forms have been returned districtwide and over 80% of Pickens Junior High students returned consent for clinic services; DragonCare has launched behavioral-health services at the junior-high campus and continues monthly advisory meetings with district staff.
No board action was required on the updates; Thompson said staff will continue FTE validation and routine monitoring of attendance and discipline metrics.
