Showing Up Matters: Understanding Student Attendance
Attending school is one of the most important things students can do to connect to their learning environment.
Ohio has changed to its attendance laws that impact how schools monitor attendance and how they must respond if students begin missing significant amounts of school.
What families should know
What is chronic absenteeism?
Ohio defines a chronically absent student as one who misses 10% or more of the minimum number of hours required in the school year.
Do excused absences count?
Yes. In determining chronic absenteeism, time missed for any
reason counts, including excused and unexcused absences.
This doesn’t mean students should attend school when they
are sick. Families should continue to follow the district's procedures for
reporting absences and keep students home when appropriate.
How quickly can absences add up?
A student can be on track to become chronically absent by missing only two to three days per month. By the end of the school year, that can add up to nearly a month of missed school.
Why does attendance matter?
Being present means students have more opportunities to learn, participate, build relationships and stay connected to their learning and to their school community.
What will Elyria Schools do when attendance becomes a concern?
Ohio's updated attendance framework emphasizes prevention and early intervention. Schools can work with students and families to help identify factors that may be contributing to absences and help to determine appropriate supports.
Our goal is to identify concerns early, communicate with families and assist in removing barriers to regular attendance.
Elyria Schools + Stay in the Game!
Elyria Schools is a six-year proud partner of the Cleveland Browns' Stay in the Game! Attendance Network.
Our Attendance Policy
For information about attendance requirements and procedures specific to Elyria Schools, please review the district's Board of Education Attendance Policy.
Questions?
If you have questions or concerns about your child's attendance, please contact your child's school. We are committed to working with families to help every student attend regularly and make the most of every school day.