Habitual and Chronic Truancy

Every student in Ohio needs to attend school every day. Missing too much school has long-term, negative effects on students, such as lower achievement and graduation rates. There are many reasons students miss school, but districts can often directly impact their students' attendance. By using data to identify and support students who may need extra resources and services, districts can target supports to get students to school every day.

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, including, but not limited to:

• Notification of student absence to the parent or guardian;
• Development and implementation of an absence intervention plan, which may include supportive services for students and families;
• Counseling, parent education, and parenting programs;
• Mediation;
• Intervention programs are available through juvenile authorities.
• Referral for truancy, if applicable

EXCUSED ABSENCE (e.g., including but not limited to)

• Personal illness or accident
• Family Illness necessitating the presence of the child
• Quarantine at home
• Death in the family
• Work at home is necessitated by the absence or incapacity of a parent or guardian
• Observation or celebration of a holiday
• Out-of-state travel (up to 24 hours) for a district-approved extra-curricular activity
• Medical or Dental appointments
• Medically necessary leave for pregnant student
• Service as a precinct officer at a primary, special, or general election with principal approval (must be 18 years old)
• Family vacation days (with prior notification)
• Others, as reviewed and approved by the Superintendent

UNEXCUSED ABSENCE (e.g., including but not limited to)

• Overslept
• Missed the bus
• Running late
• Car trouble
• Family vacations in excess of 10 days or without prior notification
• Student refusal

Medically Excused Absences and HB 410

A medically excused absence occurs any time a student is out of school due to illness or a medical visit (physician, dentist, mental health, etc.). A medical excuse for personal illness will be accepted in the form of a doctor's note within five (5) school days of the absence, or a parent call-in on the day of the absence due to illness or a doctor's visit. A student may have up to ten (10) medically excused absences without a doctor's note, provided a parent/guardian calls to confirm the absence. The district encourages medical notes to be provided for medical appointments or illness-related absences.

Absence Notification Letter Information

Habitual Truancy Letter - provided to parent/guardian as notification that their child has reached one of the following thresholds (includes unexcused absences only):

• 30 or more consecutive hours without a legitimate excuse
• 42 or more hours in one school month without a legitimate excuse
• 72 or more hours in one school year without a legitimate excuse

The purpose of the Habitual Truancy letter is to notify the parent/guardian of the habitual truancy absences and to indicate that an absence intervention plan is required. The district administration will contact the parent/guardian to set up an absence intervention meeting. Failure to participate in the creation of the absence intervention plan or carry out responsibilities may result in referral to the Juvenile Court for truancy. For questions related to habitual truancy or absence intervention plans, please get in touch with the District's Attendance Officer, Mrs. Kris Jones at krisheree.jones@gocreek.org

Ten Parent Note Letter - provided to parent/guardian as notification that 10 parent notes have been exhausted for the school year, and medical notes will be required for the remainder of the school year to excuse absences. 

For additional attendance information, please refer to your child's school building handbook and/or Board Policy 5200.