Elmore County launches ‘Get in the Game’ initiative to curb truancy in early grades

Amanda Pevey

Elmore Autauga News

A new attendance campaign in Elmore County is putting its focus on the district’s youngest students, launching the “Get in the Game” initiative to curb truancy and build strong habits starting in kindergarten.

The program builds on the success of the previous “Stay in the Game” effort but shifts attention to children ages four to eight and their families, with an emphasis on early intervention and digital outreach.

“As a team, we discussed how Stay in the Game was very successful and how everybody was talking about it, and how it has made a difference in the truancy in the schools and overall school attendance. We wanted to focus a little bit more on the younger kids because why are we not talking about truancy from day one,” said Carter Taunton, juvenile probation officer.

Taunton said the initiative will begin even before kindergarten, working to ensure preschoolers and their families understand the importance of daily attendance.

“Even in the preschool setting, so that they are prepared when they are coming into kindergarten to know what is expected, to know that even kindergarten, daily attendance is important,” Taunton said. “Offering families wraparound services, as it relates to resources in the community, because there are so many resources that people just do not even know about.”

As part of the welcoming push, each kindergartener will receive a bright colored bracelet during the open house events to generate excitement about starting school.

“We want “Get in the Game” to be a welcoming experience for these kindergartners, so teachers will be wearing bright t-shirts that say, “Get in the Game” while the children will receive bracelets for all incoming kindergartners during open house,” Taunton said.

Organizers hope that enthusiasm will translate into stronger attendance.

The initiative will also adopt a 21st-century approach, using digital platforms and electronic devices to specifically target parents and guardians.

Judge Ben Baxley of the Elmore County Juvenile Court said the effort aligns with the court’s broader strategic plan.

“My first year, I came on the bench in May 2024. We had a strategic action plan, and that was attendance, accountability, and action. Of course, accountability is just being responsible, actions taken steps to correct your issues, whatever that may be, and attendance was focusing on truancy,” Baxley said.

“I came from a family of educators; my wife is a career educator. I just think truancy in school attendance is an issue in Elmore County,” Baxley said. “We had some success our first year with attendance accountability and action. I wanted to focus and create a theme that was dedicated to chronic absenteeism to address that issue.”

The “Get in the Game” initiative continues a partnership among the Children’s Policy Council, the District Attorney’s Office, Elmore County Public Schools, Tallassee City Schools, and the Elmore County Juvenile Court.

“This is a community effort, and everybody works together to ensure that the youth of our future succeed,” Taunton said.

Baxley said strong schools benefit the entire community.

“As a society and as a community in Elmore County, I think even though we are growing, it is still small enough to call it a close-knit community. I think we should all realize that good schools are good for everybody. It is good for property values, good for businesses. It is good for everybody’s well-being. It is good for our kids. There are just so many good things that come from having good schools, and the key to having a good school is good attendance. That is where it all begins. If you do not show up, you are not going to learn,” Baxley said.

“Our goal, at the end of the day, is to make Elmore County a better place,” Baxley said. “Just like anything else, we as human beings and children of God need to look at, we want to leave everything just a little bit better than having found it. That is our goal here, and that is what we try to do.”

Elmore County Family Resource Center will be onsite at all kindergarten open houses to provide resources; organizers hope to show families early that support is available.