| Bay Village City School District |
| Bylaws & Policies |
5200 - ATTENDANCE
The educational program offered by this District is predicated upon the presence of the student and requires continuity of instruction and classroom participation. Attendance shall be required of all students enrolled in the schools during the days and hours that the school is in session or during the attendance sessions to which s/he has been assigned.
In accordance with statute, the Superintendent shall require, from the parent of each student of compulsory school age or from an adult student who has been absent from school or from class for any reason, a written statement of the cause for such absence. The Board of Education reserves the right to verify such statements and to investigate the cause of each
single absence or prolonged absence.Repeated infractions of Board policy on attendance may result in suspension or expulsion.
The Board considers the following factors to be reasonable excuses for time missed at school:
| A. | illness (a written physician’s statement verifying the illness may not be required) | |
| B. | recovery from accident | |
| C. | required court attendance | |
| D. | death in family | |
| E. | observation or celebration of a bona fide religious holiday | |
| F. | such good cause as may be acceptable to the Superintendent |
Attendance need not always be within the school facilities, but a student will be considered to be in attendance if present at any place where school is in session by authority of the Board.
The Board shall consider each student assigned to a program of other guided learning experiences to be in regular attendance for the program provided that s/he reports to such staff member s/he is assigned for guidance at the place in which s/he is conducting study, and regularly demonstrates progress toward the objectives of the course of study.
The Superintendent may excuse a student over fourteen (14) years of age from attendance at school for a future limited period for the purpose of performing essential work directly or exclusively for his/her parents or guardians. Such excuse should not exceed five (5) days and may be renewed twice if necessary in any one (1) school year.
A student will be considered habitually truant if the student is absent without a legitimate excuse for five (5) or more consecutive school days, for seven (7) or more school days in one (1) month, or fifteen (15) or more school days in one (1) school year.
A student will be considered chronically truant if the student is absent without a legitimate excuse for seven (7) or more consecutive school days, for ten (10) or more school days in one (1) month, or for fifteen (15) or more school days in one (1) year.
The only legitimate excuses for the absences of a student who is otherwise habitually or chronically truant are: (1) the student was enrolled in another school district; (2) the student was excused from attendance in accordance with R.C. 3321.04; or (3) the student has received an age schooling certificate.
If a student is habitually truant and the student’s parent has failed to cause the student’s attendance, the Board authorizes the Superintendent to file a complaint with the Judge of the Juvenile Court and/or to take any other appropriate intervention actions as set forth in this Board’s policy.
If a student is chronically truant and the student’s parent has failed to cause the student’s attendance, the Board authorizes the Superintendent to file a complaint with the Judge of the Juvenile Court.
In order to address the attendance practices of a student who is habitually truant, the Board authorizes the Superintendent to take any of the following intervention actions:
| A. | assign the student to a truancy intervention program | |
| B. | provide counseling to the student | |
| C. | request or require the student’s parent to attend a parental involvement program | |
| D. | request or require a parent to attend a truancy prevention mediation program | |
| E. | notify the Registrar of Motor Vehicles of the student’s absences |
The Superintendent is authorized to establish an educational program for parents of truant students which is designed to encourage parents to ensure that their children attend school regularly. Any parent who does not complete the program is to be reported to law enforcement authorities for neglect of parent education, a fourth class misdemeanor if found guilty.
The Superintendent shall develop administrative guidelines that:
| A. | establish proper procedures so the student and his/her parents are provided the opportunity to challenge the attendance record prior to notification and that such notification complies with R.C. 3321.13 (B)(2); | |
| B. | establish a school session which is in conformity with the requirements of the rules of the State Board; | |
| C. | govern the keeping of attendance records in accordance with the rules of the State Board; | |
| D. | identify the habitual truant, investigate the cause(s) of his/her behavior, and consider modification of his/her educational program to meet particular needs and interests; | |
| E. | provide that students whose absence has been excused have an opportunity to make up work they missed and receive credit for the work, if completed; | |
| F. | refer that any student who, due to a specifically identifiable physical or mental impairment, exceeds or may exceed the District's limit on excused absence for evaluation for eligibility either under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, or other appropriate accommodations. |
Whenever any student of compulsory school age has ten (10) consecutive days or a total of fifteen (15) days of unexcused absence from school during any semester, s/he will be considered habitually absent. The Board authorizes the Superintendent to inform the student and his/her parents, guardian, or custodian of the record of excessive absence
as well as the District's intent to notify the Registrar of Motor Vehicles, if appropriate, and the Judge of the Juvenile Court of the student's excessive absence.The notification to the student and the student’s parent, guardian, custodian shall set forth the information received by the Superintendent and shall inform the student and the student’s parent, guardian, or custodian of the schedule date, time, and place of the appearance that they may have before the Superintendent or a designee. The date scheduled for the appearance shall be no earlier than three (3) and no later than five (5) days after notification is given, provided that an extension may be granted upon request of the student or the student’s parent, guardian, or custodian. If an extension is granted, the Superintendent shall schedule a new date, time, and place for the appearance and shall inform the student and the student’s parent, guardian, or custodian of the new date, time, and place.
If the student and the student’s parent, guardian, or custodian do not appear before the Superintendent or a designee on the scheduled date and the scheduled time and place, or if the student and the student’s parent, guardian, or custodian appear before the Superintendent or a designee on the scheduled date and at the scheduled time and place but the Superintendent or a designee determines that the information the Superintendent received indicating that, during the semester or term, the student had been absent without legitimate excuse from the school the student was supposed to attend for more than ten (10) consecutive school days or for at least fifteen (15) total school days, the Superintendent shall notify the Registrar of Motor Vehicles and the Juvenile Judge that the student has been absent for that period of time and that the student does not have any legitimate excuse for the habitual absence. A notification to the registrar shall be given in the manner the registrar by the rule requires and a notification to the Juvenile Judge shall be given in writing. Each notification shall be given within two (2) weeks after the receipt of the information of the habitual absence from school without legitimate excuse, or if the child and the child’s parent, guardian, or custodian appear before the Superintendent or a designee to challenge the information, within two (2) weeks after the appearance.
R.C. 3313.664, 3321.01 et seq., 3321.13(B)(2), 3321.19, 3321.191, 3321.22,
R.C.
Revised 6/26/89
Revised 8/7/00