Probation

officer

tracks

students

By Fritz Busch

Staff Writer

BROWN COUNTY — Brown County commissioners got a very favorable truancy program update and learned how and why Tuesday.

Brown County Probation Director Les Schultz said he wrote and received a $180,000 two-year grant from the Minnesota Office of Justice to start a new program in the probation department.

“We created a voluntary program for students before they become truant,” Schultz said. “Probation officer Andy Braulick came on board to work on truancy, is working hard on it and doing a tremendous job. A number of schools rely on his to find students who disappeared during distance learning.”

Schultz said 82% of jail inmates are high school dropouts,

“Our goal is to get kids to graduate, not just be in school,” Schultz added.

“I think it’s money well spent. Thanks for working with this program,” said Commissioner Dave Borchert.

Braulick said most families cooperate with the program designed to work with students and families before CHIPS (Child in Need of Help or Protection) petitions need to be applied for.

“It’s voluntary for most students and parents must agree to it,” Braulick said.

Program evaluator Dr. Barbara Carson praised the program.

“It dug deeper to find the reasons why students aren’t able or willing to attend school,” Carson said. “The new program and agent (Braulick) are doing amazing work. He is able to focus entirely on children who are truant, resulting in better services provided to children before they and after they come to court.”

Carson said delinquency was reduced as 89% of students committed no further crimes after participating in the program.

The average age of referred students is 15 but range in age from 11 to 19. Sixty-four percent of the students are white, 28% Latinx and 6.56% black.

Carson said barriers to students attending school are lack of support, substance abuse, lack of household income and learning disabilities.

“Some of these students work 20 or more hours a week,” she said.

Carson said the future of students returning to school may do well to follow what is happening in China where students wear wide hats and wings to help them maintain social distancing.

Commissioners also:

• Received a Regional Center for Entrepreneurial Facilitation presentation from RCEF Executive Director Bryan Stading and Jim Jensen. The organization began part-time, late last summer in the New Ulm Chamber of Commerce Office.

RCEF provides business and sales & marketing plans, financial assistance & planning, succession, strategic and expansion planing, needs, goals and business assessments, start-up assistance, and management advice.

“We tell people not to let their customers forget about them,” Jensen said. “How you communicate with people can really make you a winner. Collaboration is one of the program’s most important strategies. We can all help each other.”

Jensen said small businesses are the heart of small communities.

“What sets you apart is what gets you ahead,” Jensen said. “Small businesses can offer services that big box stores can’t.”

Brown County has never contributed financially to RCEF, only on an in-kind basis. Blue Earth, Martin and Watonwan Counties do financially contribute.

• Unanimously approved resolution to accept a $10,000 Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs CVSO Operational Enhancement Grant, motion by Commissioner Scott Windschitl, seconded by Commissioner Jeff Veerkamp.

Counties with veteran populations between 1,000 and 3,000 receive an additional $2,500 over the annual $7,500 grant. Federal data shows Brown County has 1,685 veterans.

Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@nujournal.com.