BOARD POLICY 5113
Student Attendance And Excuses
General Statement
The Ironton City Board of Education believes that for continual student learning and academic production to take place, good school attendance is a "must." In addition, the laws of the State of Ohio require (with certain exceptions) students of school age to attend school. Thus, regular attendance is not only expected; it is required by law. However, certain mitigating circumstances arise among the student population, which may (and often do) prevent regular attendance, resulting in pupil absences from school. Such absences are classified as excused or unexcused.
Excused absence is that which has been approved by the absentee's parent or guardian and approved by the designated school official as legitimate reason or reasons as specified in the Ohio Revised Code and the State Department of Education's Regulations. Unexcused absence is that which the parent/guardian and/or the designated school officials have not given permission for or have no knowledge of, or which do not meet the criteria of the O.R.C. and/or the State Department of Education's Regulations.
It shall be the Policy of the Ironton City Schools that all children in the Ironton City System are to be excused for the purpose of education and travel; that the amount of approved absence be left to the discretion of the building principal and the superintendent when the trip is for enduring educational purposes; that the absences for the purposes mentioned be excused and the children not penalized for such absences, excepting absence at the end of a nine-weeks period and final examinations. This Policy is not to be construed as making any change in the regulations for absence caused by illness. Only one trip per school year is permitted under the terms of this Policy. Violations of this vacation provision of the Policy shall result in absences considered as unexcused.
Any student enrolled in the Ironton City School System in grades Kindergarten (K) through twelve (12) who has an accumulation of fourteen (14) or more days of unexcused absences in any school year shall be failed for that school year and shall receive no credit in any subject in which he/she is enrolled. Any student who has an accumulation of fourteen (14) or more days of unexcused absences in any single class period shall receive no credit in the subject in which he/she is enrolled. Exceptions (to the 14-day accumulation) will be out-of-school suspensions, expulsions, and court detention. No makeup is to be permitted in the case of suspensions and expulsions. Upon accumulation of twenty-four (24) days of total absences in any class, regardless of the reason, a student may be denied credit unless approved by the appeals board. An appeal hearing will be arranged within two weeks after notice of credit denial to review the excuses for absences, academic performance, and make recommendation for promotion or denial of class credit. The student and parent are required to attend the meeting.
The Ironton City School District recognizes the following (student) excused absences from school:
1. Personal illness - The approving (school) authority may require the certificate of a physician if he/she deems it advisable. After a student has been absent twice for illness in a nine-week period, physician's statement or a parental/guardian visit to the school will be mandatory. Extreme and/or emergency situations will be given proper and appropriate consideration by school officials in charge.
2. Illness in the family - Same restrictions apply here as in personal illness. (Shall not apply to children under fourteen years of age.)
3. Quarantine of the home - Limited to length of quarantine as determined by the Health Department.
4. Death of a relative - Limited to three (3) days unless reasonable cause is shown for longer absence. Must be approved.
5. Observance of religious holidays - Must be prearranged with dean or principal and approved by him/her. Limited to length of holiday.
6. Emergency, or set of circumstances which in the good judgment of the superintendent of schools or his/her designee, constitutes as good and sufficient cause for absence from school. Limits set by school official in charge for the case at hand.
7. Homework (needed at home) - Must be approved by the principal or assistant principal and will not exceed two (2) days per semester.
8. Vacation trip - As prescribed in Board Policy - Must be prearranged, or it is considered unexcused. Limit of one (1) such trip of five (5) school days in any school year.
9. Doctor or dental appointments - Should be scheduled after school or on Saturdays. Emergencies requiring such appointments during school hours will be excused only after being confirmed by dean or principal, with proof of appointment.
10.Court appearances, appointments - Must provide proof of same. Limited to length of appointment and travel time.
Absences not conforming to the reasons listed above will be considered unexcused, and dealt with accordingly. Flagrant violation and/or disregard for the rules of attendance and punctuality will result in referral to the juvenile court and/or expulsion.
1. Two half-day absences will equal one full day. Principals and/or deans shall determine the half-day.
2. Absence notes or excuses should be presented to school officials the day following an absence. After two (2) days no excuse will be accepted.
3. Class work missed because of unexcused absences shall not be made up. School or class work missed because of excused absences shall be made up within the same length of time as the length of the absence unless extended by the classroom teacher.
4. An accumulation of three (3) unexcused absences in any nine-week grading period will result in failure for that period of time. An accumulation of seven (7) unexcused absences in any semester course offering will result in failure for the semester course. The attendance officer is to become active in pupil attendance problems and conduct parent meetings for excessive truant students.
5. After the second unexcused absence, the principal and/or assistant principal shall refer the student to the truant officer for parent notification.
6. In the case of unexcused absence due to truancy (illegal absence without the knowledge and consent of the parent and school) the building principal and/or assistant principal and the attendance officer shall exhaust every remedy (including appropriate court action) to secure attendance.
7. Any and all trips sponsored by the school will not be counted as pupil absence.
8. Teachers are not permitted to ask the release of a student from another teacher's class unless; (1) an emergency exists, or (2) a written order is issued for such release by the principal or his/her designee of the school.
9. At the end of each nine-week grading period, the principals of the elementary and secondary school shall send to the truant officer an attendance report for the period, supplemented by the following: a list of all students who have been absent ten or more days (whether excused or unexcused) during that period. The list shall become progressive with each grading period during the school year.
10.After ten (10) days of absence per year excused by a parent note, the school principal or assistant principal shall have the right to declare further absences as unexcused unless a doctor or court note is provided
11.All school employees charged with the responsibility of school attendance are required to follow the mandates of this Policy, especially in the determination as to whether an absence is excused or unexcused.
The Ironton City Schools will adhere to the laws of the State of Ohio with regard to compulsory school attendance.
A child between six and eighteen years of age is of school age. Every child of compulsory school age must attend public school unless excused for one of the reasons enumerated by statute (Text 57.04, RC 3321.01). A child who graduates from the twelfth grade prior to reaching the age of eighteen is not required to attend school further.
Although compulsory school attendance is required only of children between the ages of six and eighteen, public schools are free to all residents of the school district who are at least five but under twenty-two years of age (RC 3313.64). A board of education may establish a special education program for handicapped children between three and twenty-two years of age (RC 3323.01 (A), 3323.06 to 3323.091).
A child of compulsory school age may be excused from attending the public school to which he has been assigned for any of the following reasons:
1. He/she is over sixteen years of age, holds an age and schooling certificate, and is regularly employed.
2. He/she attends a private or parochial school, which conforms to the minimum standards prescribed by the State Board of Education (Text 57.03).
3. He/she has graduated from the twelfth grade.
4. He/she receives instruction at home by a person qualified by certification.
5. His/her bodily or mental condition does not permit attendance at school or at a special education program.
6. He/she is suspended or expelled for good and sufficient reason under the education rules on discipline (RC 3321.03, 3321.04).
The superintendent of schools of the district in which the child resides (Ironton City) determines whether the child may be excused for the reasons enumerated in (1) through (6) above. All such excuses must be in writing and a copy sent to the child's parent or guardian.
9-20-82
Rev. 11-12-84
Rev. 1-14-85
Rev. 2-5-90
Rev. 12-12-94
Rev. 05-30-04
Rev. 06-20-05