PHILOSOPHY OF ATTENDANCE
Regular quality attendance is a positive factor that develops habits of punctuality, selfdiscipline, and responsibility in students. Students who attend class regularly generally achieve higher grades, enjoy school more, and are more employable after leaving school. Even though a student may make up the actual work missed because of absences, he/she may never be able to replace the social, educational, and cultural contacts that are received only through actual classroom participation. Students must make up excused absences and CANNOT make up unexcused absences.

Parents will be informed of a student’s attendance records. In special cases (severe attendance/tardy problems), a student may be given an individualized attendance program to follow or may be referred to the Crawford County Juvenile Court. Grade cards will report attendance in increments of whole days or one half days only. Whole days and half days are calculated as follows:

1. Periods 1-4 equal the first half of the school day (7:33 a.m. – 10:26 a.m.)
2. Periods 5-8 equal the second half of the school (10:29 a.m. – 2:20 p.m.)
3. The missing of more than two periods in ½ day constitutes ½ day’s absence

NOTE: For classroom accountability purposes, truancy and unexcused absences, see the Attendance Policy.

NOTE: A tardy in excess of 15 minutes after the second tone will be considered a class period absence.

ATTENDANCE POLICY
Ohio School Law Section 3321.04 of the Ohio Compulsory Attendance Law states that every parent, guardian, or person having charge of any child of compulsory school age, (6-18 years old) who is not employed under an Age and Schooling Certificate and who has not been determined to be incapable of substantially profiting by further instruction, MUST send such child to school ON A REGULAR BASIS.

NOTE: This law simply states that EVERYONE between 6 and 18 years of age must EITHER:

1. attend school on a REGULAR BASIS
2. get a work permit and work full-time
3. have graduated

SPECIAL NOTE: Neither marriage nor pregnancy excuses a student from attending school on a regular basis. For a student to be in attendance on a regular basis, he/she shall not miss:

1. A class or classes more than five (5) times in any quarter
2. A semester class or classes more than eight (8) times in any semester
3. A class or classes more than fifteen (15) times in any school year
4. More than five (5) days for any quarter
5. More than fifteen (15) days in any school year
   (unless extenuating circumstances exist)

SPECIAL NOTE: A student absent from a class or classes eight (8) times in any quarter not deemed “extenuating circumstances” by the Attendance/Discipline Office will be denied credit for that class or classes for that quarter. Regular medical checkups or appointments are not considered extenuating. Exam days are counted as regular school days for attendance purposes. Parents or guardians may excuse a student up to the limits stated in sections a – e by writing
the student an excuse for any of the following reasons:

1. personal illness
2. work at home due to the absence of parent/s or guardian/s
3. illness in the family
4. religious observances
5. family vacations
6. appointments (doctor, dentist, etc.)

NOTE: Falsification or alteration of a written note will result in a Thursday School.

NOTE: Days missed due to family vacation are counted as days absent and may not cause the student’s absences to exceed the preceding guidelines, a – f. Vacation absences during semester or final exams are not excused and work missed cannot be made up or rescheduled.

A student will not be excused for absences beyond the guidelines, a-e and 1-5 above unless there are “EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES”. Extenuating circumstances occur when parents or guardians DOCUMENT student absence/s for the following:

1. Medical excuses verified by an M.D., dentist, etc. Absence must be three (3) or more consecutive days. Fewer than three (3) days will count as a regular absence.
2. Death of an immediate relative, i.e., parent, siblings, grandparent.
3. Reasons which the principal or his designee judge to be for a good and sufficient cause.

Absences for extenuating circumstances are excused and work missed must be made up. Therefore documentation for this type of absence must be presented to the attendance office upon the return of the student and no later than two weeks after his/her return. Absences for extenuating circumstances will not be granted after the expiration of this time period.

Truancy Process

The following process is intended to prevent or decrease the incidence of truancy. We
believe that the most effective support system is one that includes intervention early to prevent
excessive tardies or absences. Unexcused tardies and early dismissals may also count towards the accumulation of excused absences. Every three unexcused tardies/early dismissals will count as one day of unexcused absences with the following criteria.

The following steps will be taken:

1. Warning Letter (2 days of Unexcused Absences)
2. Attendance/Truancy Awareness Program for Parents and Students (5 Days of Unexcused
Absences)
3. Unofficial Hearing (8 Days of Unexcused Absences ) – Or failure and/or Refusal to
Attend Truancy Awareness Program
4. Official Truancy Hearing