Sylvania 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.

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.

Excused Absence. An excuse for past absence from school may be approved on the basis of any one (1) or more of the following conditions:

 A.Personal illness. The approving authority may require the certificate of a physician if he/she deems it advisable.
 B.Illness in the family. The absence under this condition shall not apply to children under fourteen (14) years of age.
 C.Quarantine of the home. The absence of a child from school under this condition is limited to the length of quarantine as fixed by the proper health officials.
 D.Death of a relative. The absence arising from this condition is limited to three (3) days unless a reasonable cause may be shown by the applicant child, parent/guardian for a longer absence.
 E.Work at home due to absence of parents/guardians. Any absence arising because of this condition shall not extend for a period longer than that for which the parents or guardians were absent.
 F.Observance of religious holidays. Any child of any religious faith shall be excused if his/her absence was for the purpose of observing a religious holiday consistent with his/her creed or belief. The intent of this section is not to permit half or part-day absence to attend special religious services when these services can be attended before or after school hours.
 G.Emergency or set of circumstances. Any emergency or set of circumstances which in the judgment of the Superintendent of Schools constitutes a good and sufficient cause for absence.

Personal Convenience Absence (PCA): uninterrupted attendance in school is essential for student success. It is therefore expected that absences from class should occur only in unavoidable circumstances. Absence from school for student and/or parent personal convenience is not provided for under school attendance laws of the State of Ohio. Therefore, such absence will be considered unexcused. Personal convenience absences are available to parents for students participating in special trips or family activities. The absence is unexcused and must be taken in compliance with the following provisions, and the District's administrative guidelines, which shall be consistent herewith:

 A.The absence will be considered unexcused.
 B.P.C.A. forms will be issued only to parents/guardians by the principal or his/her designee.
 C.All P.C.A. forms must be completed and on file before the date(s) of absence.
 D.P.C.A. forms will not be issued for absences during regularly scheduled districtwide testing.
 E.Sylvania Schools assumes no responsibility for a drop in grades.
 F.Personal convenience absences are applicable only to trips on which students accompany their parents, or designated chaperone.
 G.It is the responsibility of the student to inform each teacher of the dates of a personal convenience absence.
 H.Teachers are not required to prepare assignments for students who are anticipating days of absence.
 I.Teachers are not required to examine or correct ungraded assignments missed during a P.C.A.
 J.Teachers are not required to grade, examine, correct, or replicate any missed activity, written work, or class experience, the completion of which is predicated upon a student's attendance or in-class participation.
 K.The student will be permitted to make up graded assignments, classroom tests, and examinations.
 L.Arrangements to make up tests must be made by the student by the second day s/he returns.
 M.Failure to abide by the above procedures and other administrative guidelines will result in denial of make-up privileges.

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 twelve (12) 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.

Legitimate excuses for the absence of a student who is otherwise habitually or chronically truant include but are not limited to:

 A.the student was enrolled in another school district;
 B.the student was excused from attendance in accordance with R.C. 3321.04; or
 C.the student has received an age and 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.provide counseling to the student
 B.notify the Registrar of Motor Vehicles of the student’s absences
 C.take appropriate legal action
 D.assignment to an alternative school (Note: If the District has established an alternative school, it must appear as an alternative intervention strategy.)

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.

The Superintendent shall develop administrative guidelines that:

 A.establish a school session which is in conformity with the requirements of the rules of the State Board;
 B.govern the keeping of attendance records in accordance with rules of the State Board;
 C.provide students whose absence has been excused an opportunity to make up work they missed and receive credit for the work, if completed;
 D.refer the evaluation any student who, due to a specifically identifiable physical or mental impairment, exceeds or may exceed the District's limit on excused absence to determine eligibility either under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, or other appropriate accommodation.

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.

R.C. 3313.664, 3321.01 et seq., 3321.13(B)(2), 3321.19, 3321.191, 3321.22
R.C. 3321.38, 3331.05
A.C. 3301-35-03(G), 3301-47-01, 3301-51-13

Revised 2/24/97
Revised 8/24/98
Revised 3/26/01