Attendance is Important!

It is important for every student to attend school regularly. Missing too much school has long-term, negative effects on students, such as lower achievement and graduation rates. In December 2016, the Ohio General Assembly passed House Bill 410 to encourage and support a preventative approach to excessive absences and truancy. 

 

Regular school attendance is an important ingredient in students’ academic success. Excessive absences interfere with students’ progress in mastering knowledge and skills necessary to graduate from high school prepared for higher education and the workforce. To support academic success for all students, the district will partner with students and their families to identify and reduce barriers to regular school attendance.

​

The district will utilize a continuum of strategies to reduce student absence which may include the following:

• Notification of student absence to the parent or guardian;

• Development and implementation of an absence intervention plan

• School-based counseling;

• Parent education and parenting programs;

• Mediation;

• Intervention programs available through juvenile authorities;

• Referral for truancy, if applicable.

 

 

Schools are required to track absences by hours not days.  Based on the new legislation, students will be considered habitually truant if they are:  a. Absent 30 or more consecutive hours without a legitimate excuse; b. Absent 42 or more hours in one school month without a legitimate excuse; c. Absent 72 or more hours in one school year without a legitimate excuse.  In addition, students will be considered to have excessive absences if they are: a. Absent 38 or more hours in one school month with or without a legitimate excuse; b. Absent 65 or more hours in one school year with or without a legitimate excuse. This new policy now allows us to intervene for excessive tardies and/or early outs.

 

Showing up for school has a huge impact on a student’s academic success starting in kindergarten and continuing through high school. Even as children grow older and more independent, families play a key role in making sure students get to school safely every day and understand why attendance is so important for success in school and in life.

 

We realize some absences are unavoidable due to health problems or other circumstances. But, we also know that when students miss too much school— regardless of the reason – it can cause them to fall behind academically.  Your child is less likely to succeed if he or she has excessive absences. Research shows:   

 

• Children chronically absent in kindergarten and 1st grade are much less likely to read at grade level by the end of 3rd grade. 

• By 6th grade, chronic absence is a proven early warning sign for students at risk for dropping out of school. 

• By 9th grade good attendance can predict graduation rates even better than 8th grade test scores. 

 

 

Clearly going to school regularly matters!

 

We don’t want your child to fall behind in school and get discouraged.  Please ensure that your child attends school every day and arrives on time.   Here are a few practical tips to help support regular attendance:

 

• Make sure your children keep a regular bedtime and establish a morning routine.

• Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.

• Ensure your children go to school every day unless they are truly sick. Complaints of headaches and stomachaches are sometimes just anxiety.

• Avoid scheduling vacations or doctor’s appointments when school is in session.

• Talk to teachers and counselors for advice if your children feel anxious about going to school.

• Develop back up plans for getting to school if something comes up.  Call on a family member, neighbor, or another parent to take your child to school.

 

Attendance letters will be sent throughout the school year. Some of these will simply inform you of the number of hours your child has missed. Other letters may require you to schedule an attendance conference and/or obtain medical documentation for absences. You may even be asked to come to school to help create an absence intervention plan for your family.  Regardless, communication is key.  If there is something we need to know, or if you need our assistance, please contact us.

 

Let us know how we can best support you and your children so that they can show up for school on time every day.   We want your child to be successful in school!  If you have any questions or need more information please contact your child’s school.

​

A few reminders:

​

1.  A student who arrives in school after 8:50 a.m. and before 9:50 a.m. is considered tardy. After 9:50 a.m. the student is absent for one-half day or a full day, whichever applies. A student who leaves school early (prior to 2:30 p.m.) will be considered absent one half (1/2) day. Students who leave after 2:30 p.m. should provide the school with a medical excuse or reason for the need to leave early.  Those who leave early on a regular basis will be required to provide a medical excuse. Students leaving for medical appointments who are gone more than 1 ½ hours will be counted as ½ day absence.  Students leaving after 2:30 pm will be considered an “Early Pick Up”.  Tardies, early and late pick ups count toward attendance records. 

 

Perfect Attendance Award -To receive this award, students MUST be at school from 8:50-3:25 EVERYDAY. 

 

2.  Excused absences are:

​

A.  personal or family illness

B.  death of a relative

C.  medical or dental appointment

D.  religious holiday

E.   weather or road conditions- If the bus cannot travel your road, your child will not be counted absent.   If the bus travels your road and you choose not to send your child the absence will be marked as an excused absence. You must notify the school in either situation.

F. educational vacation with prior parental written request and administrative approval

G. emergency or set of circumstances which, in the judgment of the school        

 administration, constitutes  a good and sufficient cause for absence from school

 

Absence for any reason other than those cited above presumably is illegal and constitutes an unexcused absence.

 

Truancy is when a student is absent without the knowledge and/or permission of the parent and/or the school.

 

3.  All absences must be validated by written documentation from the parent or guardian within three days following the absence or the absence will be considered unexcused.

 

 

Tardies can be very disruptive to the classroom and detrimental to student learning. Students developing a pattern of coming to school late may be referred to the attendance officer. Students arriving after the school start time will be considered tardy.