MOULTRIE — A Colquitt County schools report on student dropouts shows a more than 90 percent decrease for the first three months of the school year compared to four years ago.

The dropout report, prepared monthly, was presented Monday to Colquitt County School Board.

A separate report on absences showed that attendance is down for the first three months, which is attributable to a wave of influenza and illness that hit early in the school year, Superintendent Leonard McCoy said.

The dropout comparison said that four students dropped out in August through October, down from 13 for the same period in the previous school year. During the 2007-2008 school year 28 students dropped out during the first three months, compared with 43 for that period for 2006-2007, one less that the total during the entire previous school year.

The reconfiguration of the system’s schools, with the ninth grade moved from the high school campus and combined with the eighth grade at the new junior high campus, could contribute to greater success in keeping students in school, McCoy said.

“I think that something we’ll see during the course of the year is less dropouts in the ninth grade with the reconfiguration,” he said.

Previous years declines in dropouts can be attributed to an across-the-board emphasis throughout the system as well as graduation coaches, he said.

Attendance at county schools is down so far at 92.9 percent. That figure normally would be about 95 percent this time of year, McCoy said.

Illnesses and the need to prevent the spread of influenza have contributed to the decline. Students exhibiting flu-like symptoms are being sent home this year, where in previous years parents would be notified but given the option of taking them home.

The system has had better than 95 percent attendance each of the previous five school years.

McCoy said that there is still time to improve the attendance level.

“If our attendance picks up to normal level it might keep us right at 95 percent, which is going to be above the average for the state of Georgia,” he said.

In other business Monday the board:

• Approved the purchase of data protection equipment and other computer equipment totaling $37,408.

• Agreed to purchase reading kits at a cost of $16,380.