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School Attendance - House Bill 410


Recently, Ohio lawmakers passed House Bill 410 which governs student absenteeism and discipline. The bill affects the way we report student absences from days instead now to hours. School districts and families also must develop an Absence Intervention Plan for students who exceed the absence limits outlined in the law.

Dear Parents/Guardians, 

Welcome to the 2017/2018 school year. It’s with great anticipation and excitement as we look forward to another exciting and successful school year.

Regular school attendance is an important ingredient in students’ academic success. Excessive absences interfere with students’ progress in mastering knowledge and skills necessary to graduate from high school prepared for higher education and the workforce. Recently, Ohio lawmakers passed House Bill 410 which governs student absenteeism and discipline. The bill affects the way we report student absences from days instead now to hours. School districts and families also must develop an Absence Intervention Plan for students who exceed the absence limits outlined in the law.  

Below is the summary of House Bill 410: 

The law defines excessive absence as a student who is:

  • Absent 38 or more hours in a month with or without an excuse – absences will now be calculated in hours not days
  • Absent 65 or more hours in a year with or without an excuse

Within 7 days of your child reaching the number of hours identified, you will receive a letter.  The school will need to work with you to develop a plan to prevent truancy in the future. 

House Bill 410 defines habitual truancy as:

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

When a student is habitually truant, the district is now required to create an Absence Intervention Team and meet with the parents/guardians to develop an Absence Intervention Plan. The purpose of the team is to identify specific barriers and solutions to attendance.  The team will be composed of staff members who are familiar with your child and the programs at school, as well as you, the parent/guardian.  Once the plan is in place, the goal will be to see an improvement in school attendance.  If the student refuses to participate in or has failed to make satisfactory progress on the plan within 61 days, the district is required, by law, to file a complaint in Juvenile Court.

To see a list of FAQ for House Bill 410, click here

If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s school building. 

Thank you.

Posted Wednesday, September 6, 2017