Guzman said the tribe's education board has already met with school district personnel and school counselors to make sure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to tackling truancy.

"The (tribal court) prosecutor is creating a policy so that each school knows who to contact," Guzman said. "We are trying to do something to move the referrals along more quickly and enforcing what is in place already. We want to let parents know that this is a serious issue. Students have to be in school."

Tribe's role

Studies have shown that American Indian students at West are chronically absent on Fridays after parents — who are employed by the tribe — receive their paychecks and when dividends are distributed. Both payments are made on Thursdays. The tribe's four-day work week entices many parents to take their children and leave town on their free Friday.

Business Committee Chairman Curtis Cesspooch said that there has been some discussion about changing the dates that dividends are given out to coincide with Fridays when school is not in session.

The tribe's education board is considering the possible use of family advocates to help parents with at-risk students and hiring more truancy officers, according to Guzman.

"We are looking at different options to provide a support system for parents and to advocate for them," she said.

The tribe's education board also wants educators working at West and Todd to go through cultural sensitivity training.

"There are unique circumstances, and we want those to be taken into consideration," said Guzman.

Cesspooch said the Business Committee wants to do its part and back up some of their proposals to improve the school with money.

"We are going to try to do our part and even provide some funding to get some extra classrooms and get some teachers," he said.

Ideally the tribe would like some of the teachers at West and Todd to be American Indian and serve as role models for youngsters.

Looking to future

Cesspooch said the controversy surrounding what to do with West and Todd schools reminds him of the contention created several years ago by the proposal in Salt Lake City to build the TRAX light-rail line.

"They didn't like change," he said of the opposition to the mass-transit plan, comparing it to the votes by two Uintah School Board members against building the new school in Fort Duchesne to avoid busing students to Vernal.

"They are seeing only the bad side of everything; that is what reminded me of the TRAX proposal. They didn't want to even look a year beyond that to the future ... that's the same way I am looking at the school up here," Cesspooch said. "After TRAX was put in, they liked it so much they wanted more."

Still, Cesspooch realizes that moving the students ahead so they're no longer behind the curve will take time, energy and commitment.

"It's a challenge, let's put it that way," he said. "The parents have to walk the walk and keep the kids in school. It all boils down to education right from the very beginning of kindergarten. The teachers have to stimulate kids' minds and get them thinking."

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