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Attendance

Regular attendance and punctuality are essential for success in school and necessary for success later in life. Each student at the school has the responsibility to attend all classes regularly and to be on time.

The required attendance of students shall conform to the minimum standards prescribed by State Law. Therefore, absences from school should be only for illness or an emergency.  In case of an absence from school:

  • The parent must notify the school before the beginning of theschool day from which his/her child will be absent. Calls are to be made to the school office.  Within 120 minutes after the beginning of each school day, the school shall make at least one attempt in compliance with ORC 3321.141 (A)(2) to contact the parent/guardian for any student absent without legitimate excuse. Parents or a designated adult will be required to sign the child out when they leave and then sign in if they return.  A sign-in/sign-out sheet is in the school office and a photo ID will be required.
  • While permission will be given to keep a dental/doctor appointment during school hours, parents are encouraged to make these appointments for times other than class hours, if possible.  Every tardy or absence (excused or unexcused) slows the progress of a child’s development.
  • Both “excused” and “unexcused” absences are counted toward the maximum allowable absences. The distinction is made between “excused” and “unexcused” absences for determining whether a student may have the opportunity to make up class work and whether disciplinary action is in order.
  • A student will be retained in their present grade level if they have been truant for more than 10% of the required attendance days of the current school year and has failed two or more of the required curriculum subject areas. A student may only be promoted under these circumstances if the school administrator and the student’s teachers of any failed subject areas agree that the student is academically prepared to be promoted. 
  • Per state law, a student will be automatically withdrawn from school if the student does not have a legitimate excuse (see below “excused” absence from class) and fails to participate in seventy-two (72) consecutive hours of the learning opportunities offered to the students.
  • Students who are habitually or excessively absent or tardy may be referred for interventions pursuant to the school’s Attendance, Truancy and Withdrawal Policy.

The term “excused” will refer to any absence from a class based on the following:

  • Medical appointment
  • Pursuant to medical advice
  • Death of an immediate family member
  • Personal illness
  • Court appearance
  • Religious observance
  • Other as deemed by the school administrator.

The term “unexcused” will refer to any absence from a class based on the following:

  • Leaving school early without proper authorization
  • Other unexcused absence defined by the school administrator.

NOTE:  Failure to attend any school function outside the regular school day will not be considered an absence.  

Truancy

Generally

Attendance at school is key to achievement. Students are expected to attend school regularly and on time.  Parents/guardians are encouraged to partner with the school to ensure attendance and timeliness. 

Parents/guardians are encouraged to make any doctor, dentist, etc., appointments for times other than school hours. 

No student shall be suspended out-of-school or expelled based solely on the number of absences. 

Excessive Absences

A student shall be considered excessively absent when the student is absent (with a non-medical excuse or without legitimate excuse) thirty-eight (38) or more hours in one school month or sixty-five (65) or more hours in one school year.

When a student is excessively absent the School, within seven days of the triggering absence, will notify the student’s parents in writing of the student’s absence.  The School will develop a truancy intervention plan which may include any applicable appropriate interventions contained in this policy.

Habitually Truant

A student shall be considered habitually truant when the student is absent without legitimate excuse for thirty (30) or more consecutive hours, forty-two (42) hours or more in one school month, or seventy-two (72) hours or more in a school year.

When a student is habitually truant:

  1. Within seven (7) days of the triggering absence:
    1. The Superintendent, Principal, or Chief Administrator shall establish an absence intervention team. The team should be based on the needs of each individual student, but the team shall include at a minimum two representatives from the School, one of whom knows the student, and the student’s parent. The team may also include a school psychologist, counselor, social worker, or representative of a public or nonprofit agency designed to assist students and their families in reducing absences.
  1. The School shall make three meaningful good faith attempts to secure participation on the team by the student’s parent.  If the student’s parent responds to any of those attempts, but is unable to participate for any reason, the School shall inform the parent of the parent’s right to participate through a designee. If seven (7) school days elapse and the student’s parent, fails to respond to the attempts to secure participation, the School shall do both of the following:
  2. Investigate whether the failure to respond triggers mandatory reporting to the public children services agency for the county in which the child resides in the manner described in section 2151.421 of the Ohio Revised Code; and
  3. Develop an intervention plan for the student notwithstanding the absence of the child’s parent.
  1. Within ten (10) days of the triggering absence, the student will be assigned to the selected absence intervention team.
  1. Within 14 days after the assignment of the team, the School will develop an absence intervention plan for that student in an effort to reduce or eliminate further absences.  Within seven (7) days after developing the plan, the School shall make reasonable efforts to provide written notice of the plan to the student’s parent.
  1. If the student does not make progress on the plan within sixty-one (61) days or continues to be excessively absent, the School will file a complaint in the juvenile court.
  1. In the event that a student becomes habitually truant within twenty-one (21) school days prior to the last day of instruction of a school year, the school may, in its discretion, assign one school official to work with the student’s parent to develop an absence intervention plan during the summer. If the School selects this method, the plan shall be implemented not later than seven (7) days prior to the first day of instruction of the next school year. In the alternative, the School may toll the time periods to accommodate for the summer months and reconvene the absence intervention process upon the first day of instruction of the next school year.

Reporting

The School shall report as soon as practical to the Ohio Department of Education: when a notice of excessive absence is submitted to a parent; when a student meets the definition of habitually truant; when a student has been adjudicated an unruly child for being an habitual truant violates the court order regarding that adjudication; when an absence intervention plan has been implemented.

If the student is violating a court order regarding the student’s adjudication as an unruly child for being habitually truant, the Board has authorized the school’s administrator or his/her designee to inform the student and parent of the violation and to notify the Juvenile Court.

The School may take legal action against the parent/guardian pursuant to ORC 3321.20 or ORC 3321.38 if a student is not attending school.

See the Board adopted Attendance, Absence, Truancy and Automatic Withdrawal posted on the school’s website for more information or contact the school’s administration.

Tardy Policy

All students reporting to school after 8:25am will be considered tardy.  Tardy arrivals are added to hours absent, and the student may be referred to Absence Intervention Team.

Tardiness to or early check-out from school will be unexcused, unless the student arrives to school late for one of the following reasons:

  • Personal illness.
  • Attendance at a required court appointment.
  • Appointment with a doctor, dentist, or other professional.
  • Late or no school bus

For a tardy to be excused, the student must present a note from the parent/guardian explaining the student’s late arrival or a written note from a doctor, dentist, or other professional.

The tardy notes from the parents/guardians shall be limited to three (3) per quarter.

Students must be in their assigned classroom by the start of school day.  Just being “in school” or “hanging around” in the restrooms, gym, or the halls is not considered ready for school and in the classroom. Students using such an excuse will be marked tardy.

Parents are encouraged to make dental/doctor appointments for times other than class hours, if possible.  Every tardiness, even if excused, slows the progress of a child’s development.

Tardiness is only excused for the same reasons as absences. Three (3) tardies equal one (1) absence (three (3) tardies = one (1) absence).