Dear Parent/Guardian,
Regular school attendance is an important factor in a student’s academic success. Excessive absences interfere with a student’s 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 student and their families to identify and reduce barriers to regular school attendance. In December 2016 Ohio passed House Bill 410 mandating all Ohio schools to enforce the following changes to their attendance policies:
- Attendance tracking has changed from days
to school hours of school.
- Ohio law now considers students who miss 38 hours of school in 1 month or 65 hours in a school year as excessive. School districts are required to notify you when your child reaches that threshold. Any future absences will require evidence that explains why the absence from school was necessary (e.g. court document, doctor’s note). Final authorization of an absence will be determined only after the required additional information is presented.
- If a student is absent for 30 unexcused
hours in a row, 42 unexcused hours in a month or 72 unexcused
hours in a school year a student will be considered habitually truant from
school.
- Once a student has met the threshold of habitual
truant the district will form an Absence Intervention Team. The team must consist of two school representatives (one of whom must be familiar with the child), child’s parent/guardian, and the child. Other possible team members may include a counselor, school psychologist, and even a member of a public/private agency who is providing assistance to lower absences. The student and parent are required by law to be active participants on an Absence Intervention Team and follow any subsequent plan to improve school attendance. Failure to participate and comply will result in an immediate truancy filing on the student and possible filing against the parent/guardian through juvenile court. Additionally, if the parent/guardian fails to participate, it may result in a mandatory referral to Wood County Job and Family Services.
Please be sure to report your child(ren)’s absences to school by contacting them directly and/or by sending in a written note the following day. If you have any questions regarding these changes please contact Erin Perry, Director of Student Services at 419-666-4267 or by email at [email protected].
Thank you,
Rossford Schools