School attendance: are you accidentally breaking Ohio law when your child stays home?
Ohio parents don’t have the final say when it comes to their children’s attendance at school and assume the responsibility when they don’t go . If a parent allows their child to miss school without “valid reasons,” they are subject to truancy laws and could face some serious repercussions.
Ohio has compulsory education laws that require children, ages 6 to 18, to attend for a minimum amount of hours. Students in grades 1 through 6 must receive a minimum of 910 hours of instruction, while students in grades 7 through 12 need at least 1,001. A student is considered truant after missing 30 hours of instruction, which is roughly 5 days.
What does Ohio consider truancy?
30 or more consecutive hours of missed school
42 or more hours in one school month
72 or more hours in a school year
What happens after when you exceed the maximum number of absences?
Once a student reaches or exceeds these thresholds, the following interventions are required:
Parents must be notified, in writing, of the student’s absences within seven days of the triggering event.
An Absence Intervention Team is assembled and an intervention plan is developed
Student has 60 days to comply with the intervention plan.
Without compliance, the school will file a complaint in juvenile court on the 61st day
What are the penalties for excessive absences?
Once the child has exceeded the allowed absences, it becomes a legal matter for the parents. The consequences for truancy can be quite serious and escalate the more days that are missed.
For parents/guardians:
Charges of contributing to the unruliness or delinquency of a child
Charges of nonsupport of dependents
Fines up to $1,000
Imprisonment for up to 180 days
Mandatory parenting classes
Community service
Court-ordered counseling
Involvement of Child Protective Services
Removal of child
Permanent criminal record
For students:
Probation
Fines
Completion of alternative education programs
Counseling
Drug or alcohol testing
Community service
Removal from home and placement in the foster care system
Loss of their driver’s license
What is the difference between excused and unexcused absences?
The criteria varies from state to state, but in Mississippi excused absences are those set forth by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce and HB 410. The following circumstances are usually considered excused absences:
Personal illness or quarantine
Illness or death in the immediate family
Medical or dental appointments
Emergencies deemed necessary by school principals
It is really important for parents to educate themselves about their rights and responsibilities when it comes to school attendance. Although parents have some discretion in excusing absences, there are limits to what the school or district can allow.
This story was originally published October 4, 2024 at 12:14 PM