Attendance in some cases isn't what we would like it to be, and when we have extreme cases shame on us if we didn't do anything. I've signed petitions and usually parents fix the problem. We've had cases with up to 30 and 40 absences in a 180- day school year.

My client expressed extreme remorse and shame.

They played hard today, they deserved to win. It's a shame we turned it over there late. I'd like to see what happened there, but they caused a turnover; they didn't quit.

It seems a shame that all that will count from this is the stats.

We did everything from getting the county nurse to visit the home to providing shampoos. School workers picked through their hair to make sure they were OK. Once detected with head lice the children were sent home until cleared. It became routine (for Stafford) to let her kids stay home.

There wasn't a good answer.