Mercer County BOE Taking Students/Parents To Court

{Princeton, West Virginia}...As part of a new program aimed at reducing truancy in its schools, the Mercer County Board of Education is taking chronically truant students and some parents to court. Mercer County Circuit Court Judge Omar Aboulhosn says the board has filed 52 status offender petitions and  twenty abuse and neglect petitions. Hearings will be held January 17th and 19th. Juvenile petitions are filed when a student has more than five unexcused absences during the school year. A truant student could be referred to the state Department of Health and Human Resources or placed on probation as a status offender.