West Carrollton City Schools: Attendance Policy Update (PO 5200)
To comply with new state requirements under Ohio House Bill 96, West Carrollton City Schools is updating its attendance tracking and support policies for the 2026–2027 school year. Our goal is to partner with families to maintain every student's attendance at 90% or higher, ensuring uninterrupted learning and academic growth.
Attendance Policy Updates (HB 96)
Tracking Method: Under Ohio House Bill 96, attendance is now tracked as a percentage rather than total hours.
Thresholds: Missing 10% or more of school time (2–3 days/month) classifies a student as "chronically absent." Every missed hour counts, whether excused or unexcused (exceptions: official school activities).
Caregiver Limits: Parents/caregivers can excuse up to 65 hours per year. After 65 hours, official medical notes are required. Up to 3 days are permitted for religious holidays if requested in writing within 14 days of the start of school.
Communication: Families will receive automated attendance check-ins twice per Quarter.
Key Attendance Updates & Guidelines
Required Instructional Hours
Full-day kindergarten through Grade 6: 910 hours
Grade 7 through 12: 1001 hours per year
Percentage-Based Tracking: Missed school time is now tracked as an overall percentage rather than total hours. Every hour missed—whether excused, medically excused, or unexcused—counts toward a student's total attendance rate (exceptions apply only to official school activities like field trips or athletic events).
Chronic Absence Threshold: Missing 10% or more of total instructional time (roughly 2–3 days per month) places a student in the "chronically absent" category.
Caregiver Excuse Allowance: Parents and guardians may excuse up to 65 hours of absence per school year. Once this limit is reached, official medical documentation is required for any further absence to be marked as excused. (Tip: Submit doctor or dentist notes early in the year to reserve your 65 caregiver hours for unexpected needs.)
Religious Observances: Up to 3 days of excused absences are granted for religious holidays, provided written notification is submitted to the building principal within 14 days of the start of school or student enrollment.
Early Support & Intervention:
Written notifications will be sent before a student reaches 5% of missed instructional time to help identify and remove barriers to attendance.
Absence Intervention Plans (AIP) will be established before reaching 10% missed time to keep students on track.
Habitual truancy rules remain unchanged and apply strictly to unexcused absences (30 consecutive hours, 42 hours in a month, or 72 hours in a school year).
Communication & Making Up Work
Regular Updates: Families will receive automated attendance check-ins twice per quarter showing their child's attendance percentage alongside building and district averages.
Absence Reporting: Caregivers must contact the school within 120 minutes of the start of the school day to report an absence, late arrival, or early dismissal. Medical notes should be turned in within 5 days of an appointment.
Make-Up Time: Students receive a time frame equal to the duration of their absence to complete missed assignments (e.g., three days absent equals three days to make up work).
Our staff is dedicated to taking a support-first approach to keep students engaged and learning.
For questions or further assistance, please contact your child's school building office.
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