shop online at www.missourivalleyshopper.com September 12, 2017 • Page 7 PIERRE, S.D. – With the 2017-18 school year underway, Gov. Dennis Daugaard has proclaimed September Attendance Awareness Month. “Don’t underestimate the importance of showing up,” said Gov. Daugaard. “Some absences cannot be avoided, and that is understandable. Sometimes, though, absences add up without students and families noticing. Research tells us that missing just 10 percent of a school year negatively impacts student achievement. That breaks down to missing only two or three days of school a month. So it’s easy to see how those absences can Interested in this spot? Reminder Call 665-5884 to place your ad here. To Remove Hay Bales Interested in From The this Right Of spot? Way Call 665-5884 to Reuse. Repurpose. Really Save! accumulate, yet escape to newspaper columns families’ attention.” and incentive programs The South Dakota for students.” Department of Education Students who are is working to raise awarechronically absent are ness about the importance at risk of dropping out of regular attendance of school, according to through outreach to the state Department of Take a fresh look at the schools and other stakeEducation. By 6th grade, Classifieds, the original holders. chronic absenteeism is a way to shop green! “This is the second proven early warning sign school year in which we for students at risk for have really been honing dropping out, and by 9th in on raising awareness grade, good attendance about the importance of can predict graduation consistent attendance,” rates even better than 8th said Secretary of Educagrade test scores, added tion Dr. Melody Schopp. Secretary Schopp. “School districts and comMore information about munities have just taken the importance of consistthis message and runIN THIS school attendance is INTERESTED with ent SPOT? it. I’ve665-5884 to place yourwww.missourivalleyshopper.com available at http://attendCall seen everything ad here. from billboards to videos anceworks.org. www.missourivalleyshopper.com www.missourivalleyshopper.com www.missourivalleyshopper.com In Print and Online! Call 665-5884 www.missourivalleyshopper.com There’s something for everyone... M I S S O U R I VA L L E Y Gov. Daugaard Proclaims September Attendance Awareness Month PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota saw a significant increase in the percentage of graduating seniors who took the ACT in 2017, while the state’s average composite score remained above the national average and down slightly from 2016. South Dakota’s average ACT score for 2017 was 21.8, compared to the national average of 21.0 and last year’s statewide average of 21.9. The composite score reflects sub-scores for English, math, reading and science. In South Dakota, 80 percent of graduates took the ACT in 2017, compared to 76 percent in 2016. Nationally, 60 percent of 2017 graduates took the ACT, and of the six states that tested 70 to 90 percent of their students, South Dakota had the second-highest average ACT composite score. “Four percent more of the 2017 graduating class took the ACT than their predecessors. That’s good news because it means more students are thinking about an education beyond high school, which is critically important when you consider today’s workforce demands,” said Secretary of Education Dr. Melody Schopp. According to ACT, 93 percent of South Dakota’s 2017 ACT test-takers indicated that they aspire to pursue postsecondary education. The same was true of 2016 ACT test-takers; however, only 75 percent of those 2016 graduates actually enrolled. “That’s where we have an opportunity as a state,” Schopp said. “We know we have students who are interested in postsecondary, but they may not know exactly what type of further schooling and career they want to pursue. We can help students by providing them with exposure to, and experiences with, various in-demand careers.” Efforts such as career and technical education programs, career counseling, dual credit opportunities, and school and business partnerships support this connection between students and the world of work. “At the state level, we are aiming to help school districts to offer and expand these kinds of efforts, so students have a really good understanding of – and ideally some hands-on experiences with – the opportunities available to them once they leave school,” Schopp said. For more information, visit ACT’s website at act.org. www.missourivalleyshopper.com IN THE When a debt is owed to you, sometimes it can be difficult to collect. Whether it’s a grocery store that receives a bad check, a carpenter seeking payment on a bill or a person who loans a friend $50, it’s not enjoyable or easy to recover what you are owed. Sometimes state government finds itself in the same position. Restitution payments and court-ordered child placement costs, fines for hunting violations, unpaid business taxes, reimbursements for damage to state property, or fees owed to a university can also be hard to collect. These unpaid obligations also place a greater financial burden on other taxpayers. Until a couple of years ago, each state entity tried to collect these debts on their own. The Unified Judicial System, Secretary of State’s Office, Board of Regents, Department of Revenue, and Game, Fish and Parks each had their own debt collection systems in place. That approach was inefficient and did not achieve the desired results. South Dakota now has a much more effective way to recover money owed – the Obligation Recovery Center. This new centralized system doesn’t just recover dollars owed to the state; it also helps crime victims and single parents who are owed money by convicted felons. In 2015, the Legislature established the Obligation Recover Center to improve the state’s debt-collection efforts. Now, in the instances where agency efforts to collect debts prove unsuccessful, those debts can be referred to the center, which can impose penalties for non-payment. For debts exceeding $50, hunting and fishing licenses can be suspended. For debts exceeding $1,000, the state can place blocks on driver licenses and motor vehicle registrations. And for those who still do not work toward reducing their debts, their cases are referred to thirdparty debt collection agencies. The Obligation Recovery Center is certainly a more active approach toward debt-collection. Still, it is important to understand that a debtor does not have to repay a debt in full to regain lost privileges. A debtor must simply agree to a payment plan to avoid these penalties. The results of the new system have been promising. In its year of operation, the Obligation Recovery Center has recovered more than $3.3 million. In addition, payment plans have been established that will collect another $7.6 million. Around 63,000 cases have been referred to the center and only 24 individuals have appealed their cases to an administrative hearing, which is an indication that the process is largely working as it should. For the single parent who is owed child support or the crime victim who is owed restitution, the new process is making a big difference. Just as importantly, it’s advancing fairness for the taxpayer. MV Shopper MV Shopper By Gov. Dennis Daugaard: Percent Of Grads Taking ACT Grows; Scores Remain Above National Average M I S S O U R I VA L L E Y Recovering Debts Owed To South Dakotans CLASSIFIEDS! www.missourivalleyshopper.com In Print and Online! • Call 665-5884 Visit our Web site at www.missourivalleyshopper.com www.missourivalleyshopper.com www.missourivalleyshopper.com Visit our Web site Visit www.missourivalleyshopper.com our Web site at at Do You Have These Skills? www.missourivalleyshopper.com •Motivation •Leadership •Experience •Flexibility •Quick Thinking •Caring www.missourivalleyshopper.com Visit our Web site at Visit our Web site at www.missourivalleyshopper.com www.missourivalleyshopper.com FAX IT 605-665-5882 www.missourivalleyshopper.com be detail oriented. Career advancement and benefits available. Retail experience preferred but not required. Additional $2.50 per hour for weekend hours. 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