Attendance Updates

Ohio recently updated their attendance laws to focus on supporting families and intervening early when attendance concerns arise. 

What you should know:

• ALL missed hours count towards Chronic absenteeism: Under the new regulations every minute a student misses school, regardless of whether the missed time is excused or unexcused contributes to their total chronic absenteeism total. 

• A student is considered chronically absent if they miss 10% or more of the total required school hours (100 hours) over the course of the school year. This equals 2-3 days missed, per month. 

• Unexcused hours count toward Habitual Truancy: Ohio House Bill 96, defines habitual truancy accumulating solely unexcused hours and totals remain the same: 

  • 30 consecutive hours, without a valid excuse (see student handbook)

  • 42 hours within one month, without a valid excuse (see student handbook)

  • 72 hours within one school year, without a valid excuse (see student handbook)

What to expect: 

• Early Communication: Schools are now required to notify families when a student reaches 5% of missed school hours (roughly 50 hours) for ANY reason. The goal is to support families and address any potential barriers including transportation or medical concerns. 

• While excuses still count towards Chronic Absenteeism, proper documentation protects your child from reaching a habitual truancy threshold. 

• Attendance is tracked in hours, arriving late or leaving early accumulated to missed hours.