Mandan Public Schools could have a truancy officer again, if grant funding comes through.

The Mandan School Board approved hiring a truancy officer at its meeting Monday, if a grant is awarded to the Mandan Police Department.

The police department applied for an association of counties grant for about $20,000 a year, and the district would match it.

This would fund a truancy officer for three years at the high school and junior high, high school Principal Mark Andresen said. When school is out, the officer could do other work in the community, he said.

A truancy officer acts as a liaison with families to help keep students in school. The high school had a school resource officer who handled truancy until the end of September last year, when a three-year federal grant funding the position ran out.

"I think we took a step backward not having (a truancy officer)," Andresen said. "When a grant goes away, you realize how much you miss them."

Mandan will find out if it received the grant Oct. 1, at which time, Andresen would like to have someone in place.

In other board news:

3A public comment period will be added to the regular board meeting agendas at the end of the agenda. This will give people a chance to speak to the board about any concerns they have. People are still urged to contact the superintendent or the board president before the meeting to be added to the agenda, board member Kirsten Baesler said.

3The district will hire a Power School technician. This adds a fourth person to the technology department and will be funded by the open position in this department. Training for the new student information system began Aug. 8.

(Reach reporter Sara Kincaid at 250-8261 or sara.kincaid@;bismarck- tribune.com.)