A month-long initiative to ramp up attendance numbers in the Vicksburg Warren School District is working so far, said Superintendent James Price.

Each school in the district has introduced incentives to encourage children to attend class. Friday marked the 18th day of the initiative.

Incentives for students to attend school vary and include passes to wear jeans instead of uniforms, extra recess time, parties, gift cards, books and, at Beechwood Elementary, the boys and girls with perfect attendance in October and November will be in a drawing to win a bicycle.

“I really think it’s helping out,” said Beechwood Principal Jack Grogan.

The students “go by every day and look at,” the bikes and “they’re excited. Right now, we’re running about 20 students out,” each day, said Grogan. “We have gotten it down even lower than that — about 13 students.”

About 700 students in kindergarten through sixth grade attend the school on Mississippi 27.

Although Vicksburg Intermediate won’t be giving away a bike, assistant principal Miki Ginn, who was at Thursday’s school board meeting when Price gave a report on attendance, said students are responding.

“We’ve started grade competitions,” for perfect attendance, she said. “The kids are really excited.”

Some students, she said, beg their parents not to be checked out of school — even for legitimate business.

Vicksburg Intermediate is home to about 575 students this year. About 15 — or less than 3 percent — have been absent every day since the incentives have begun, said Ginn.

Attendance means dollars for the district. Under the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, state funding is calculated based on student attendance figures during the months of October and November. For the 2008 fiscal year, the district will receive $4,459 per student based on the district’s average daily attendance.

On Oct. 1, a total of 9,026 students were in school. The math is simple. If just raised by 10 students, the district gains $44,590, an amount equal to the entire salary of an experienced teacher.

Price told the board he’s received several calls this year about kids not being where they’re supposed to be during the day and that he’s asked the county’s school attendance officers to investigate.

Also Thursday, the board reviewed changes to the district’s pay policy. Salaried employees will be compensated over 12 months — although most only technically work 10 months — while hourly employees will be paid every two weeks. District financial director Dale McClung said that while this is what the district has been doing anyway, the written policy needed to be updated in order to comply with federal law.

“The August 1996 policy is well out of date,” he said. “We’re proposing that we change the policy and put in place what we’re actually doing,” said McClung. However, “if they want to be paid over a 10-month period,” they can select that,” too, he said.

The board is to vote on the measure at its next meeting.

Board member Zelmarine Murphy asked McClung if the changes were being implemented because of employee complaints. McClung said no.

“The majority (of employees) say they appreciate having their checks spread over 12 months,” he said.

Meanwhile, installation of fiber optic Internet lines, a project begun this summer, has been completed at all district buildings. Internet service was provided through the state but, last year, the service was discontinued. The added technological capacity is expected to triple the speed of online services district wide.

Homecoming at the district’s two high schools — Warren Central and Vicksburg — was Oct. 19.

Murphy said alumni and parents had asked her why the celebrations were the same day and expressed disappointment they couldn’t attend both events.

Price said the move was not meant to slight anyone. School principals select the homecoming date based on athletic schedules. When officials realized the circumstances, Price said, Warren Central principal Pam Wilbanks moved to change Warren Central’s date by was but was “asked by law enforcement not to,” since the logistical issues surrounding the parades and games had already been set. Price said it’s unlikely simultaneous celebrations will happen next year.

“It just fell that way,” he said.

The board voted to change its meeting dates for November and December due to the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday breaks. The board will meet Nov. 15 and Dec. 13.

Also at the meeting, the board:

* Accepted a bid on chillers, part of the air conditioning system, for Vicksburg High School.

* Accepted $5,510.70 from six donors.

* Recognized VHS senior Ricky Tiwari, the county’s only National Merit Scholarship semifinalist.

* Accepted an award from the American Cancer Society. The district came in third place in the state in collections for the Relay for Life, raising more than $40,000.