Green Local Schools
Attendance Information
Reporting Absences from School:
In accordance with the Missing Child Law of the State of Ohio, students who will be absent from school for any reason must be reported off by a parent/guardian. Please contact the Attendance Office by 9:00 a.m. each day the student will not be in attendance. The attendance line at the building is supported by voice mail 24 hours a day is available by dialing 330-896-7583.
When leaving a message on the attendance line, please leave the following information:
- Student’s full name
- Your name and relationship to the student
- Grade Level
- Homeroom Teacher
- Reason for absence
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ATTENDANCE MATTERS |
| Missing too much school has long-term, negative effects on students, such as lower achievement and graduation rates. Regular school attendance is an important ingredient in students’ academic and social success. Excessive absences interfere with students’ progress in mastering the knowledge and skills necessary to graduate from high school prepared for higher education and the workforce. Because of this, Ohio legislature passed House Bill 410 to proactively address excessive absences and truancy. | |
ATTENDANCE LAW & POLICIES
Below is a summary of House Bill 410 (HB410) and the procedures that GLS must implement during the school year. If you have any questions or concerns regarding school attendance, please call the school office. Based on HB410, GLS parents will be notified in writing when their student has:
- Met the requirement for how the state defines “excessive absences”.
- Absent 38 hours in one month (either excused or unexcused absences)
- Absent 65 hours in one school year (either excused or unexcused absences)
- Met the legal threshold as the state defines “habitual truancy”.
- Absent 30 or more consecutive hours (unexcused absences)
- Absent 42 or more hours in one school month (unexcused absences)
- Absent 72 or more hours in one school year (unexcused absences)
All time out of school is included in determining excessive absences (including “call-offs” for personal illness, doctor appointments, funerals, etc.). This means that even if the absences have been reported to the school, parents/guardians will still receive a letter notifying them of a student's excessive absences. Please note that this is a requirement of the law and not optional for schools.
The following reasons for absences are accepted* as per Board Policy and State Law. The Board of Education reserves the right to verify such absences and to investigate the cause of each single absence:
- Personal illness (a written physician's statement verifying the illness may be required)
- Critical illness in the family necessitating the presence of the child
- Quarantine of the home
- Death in the family
- Observation or celebration of a bona fide religious holiday
- Such good cause as may be acceptable to the Principal/Superintendent.
*After 65 hours have been missed from school (including an accumulation of either excused and/or unexcused absences), families will be required to present a note from a registered physician in order for absences related to personal illness to be considered “excused”. Notes will be accepted three (3) days beyond the absence. At this absence threshold, the school may develop an absence intervention plan for the purpose of improving the student’s attendance.
If a student is deemed habitually truant, the student and parent will be contacted to participate in an Absence Intervention Team (AIT). The purpose of the AIT is to partner with families to establish a student-centered absence intervention plan for every child who is habitually truant by identifying specific barriers and solutions for improving attendance. The attendance plan will be implemented for a period of sixty (60) days. Concluding the implementation of an attendance plan, the AIT will determine if there has been satisfactory progress made on the absence intervention plan.
If the student does not make satisfactory progress or continues to be excessively absent during or after the implementation of an attendance plan, the law requires GLS to file a complaint with the juvenile court. In the event that the sixty-first (61st) day after the implementation of the absence intervention plan or other intervention strategies falls on a day during the summer months, the absence intervention team may extend the implementation of the plan and delay the filing of the complaint for an additional thirty (30) days from the first day of instruction of the next school year.
ATTENDANCE PROCEDURES
GLS will record student attendance based on the cumulative record of all time out of school, beginning with the start of the school day and ending with dismissal. This record will include if a student leaves and returns during the school day. We understand that it is sometimes necessary for a student to be absent from school for medical appointments, however, parents are encouraged not to allow these mid-day appointments to become a regular habit in order to enhance a student’s probability of success and ensure the continuity of instruction.
It is also required that a note of excuse/explanation be sent upon the student’s return to school. Notes will be accepted three (3) days beyond the absence.
Students with a health condition causing repeated absences are to provide the school office with an explanation of the condition from a registered physician. If there is a pattern of frequent absence for illness, the parent will be required to provide a statement from a physician describing the health condition causing the illness.
Tardies
A student who is not in his/her assigned classroom/location when the opening bell rings is considered tardy. Any student arriving to school after the opening bell rings must sign in with the attendance officer and will be counted as tardy. Elementary students (grades KG through 6) must be accompanied by a parent when signing in tardy. Missing the bus, getting up late, or being dropped off late are not acceptable excuses for tardiness and may be marked as unexcused absences.
Make-Up of Tests and Other School Work
Students who are absent from school with an excuse shall be given the opportunity to make-up missed work. The student should contact the teacher as soon as possible to obtain assignments. The number of days for completion of make-up work will be equivalent to the number of excused days of absence. If make-up work is not completed on time, the student may earn an incomplete or failing grade for missing assignments. Any unexcused absence may result in a “0” being assigned by a teacher for any graded coursework completed or due that day.
Vacations During the School Year
It is recommended that parents not take their child out of school for vacations due to missing vital instruction of core academic content.
Students who take a vacation during the school year shall be considered absent with parental permission. It will be the obligation of the parent and the student to see that work missed is made up, and if necessary, secure a tutor without undue demand upon the classroom teacher. In addition, the following will be expected:
- Parental notification in the form of a handwritten note should be sent to the school office at least three days in advance. No more than five (5) days per year of vacation will be counted as excused absences.
- A form will be provided to the student to give to his/her teachers upon written notification from the parent or the student may pick up a copy on the office upon request. Upon completion, the vacation form shall be returned to the Attendance/Main Office.
- All work assigned will be due the first day the student returns to school. Please be aware that, at the discretion of the teacher, there may be additional assignments that need to be completed upon a student’s return. This work must be completed in accordance with the guidelines noted in the Make-up of Tests and Other Schoolwork section above.
If you have further questions, please discuss the matter with the classroom teacher and/or Principal to make necessary arrangements.