ABSENCE FROM SCHOOL AND/OR CLASS

Poor attendance disrupts the continuity of instruction. Once lost, instruction cannot be recovered. Classroom participation is an important facet of the educational process and cannot be reconstructed. A correlation exists between attendance and achievement. It is the belief of Jackson Local Schools that all students are expected to be in attendance in school, in every class, every day.

1. If it is necessary for an elementary child to be absent from school, the following expectations are to be met:

       a.  In compliance with the Missing Child Law of the State of Ohio, we ask all parents to notify the school office each day of a student's absence by calling Amherst at 330-830-8024; Lake Cable at 330-834-4673; Sauder at 330-830-8028; Strausser at 330-830-8056.  If a parent does not call to report a child's absence, the school is required to contact parents regarding the absence. 

      b.  When returning from an excused absence, it is the responsibility of the student to contact his/her teacher to arrange for make-up work. As a guideline, the student will have one day for make-up work for each day missed.  An absence may be considered unexcused when not approved or sanctioned by school administration or when the absence is not supervised by school personnel.

2. Students who are absent from school two (2) or more days may obtain their daily assignments by contacting the school secretary after the second day of absence.  If the absence is of a prolonged nature (20 consecutive days), tutoring may be arranged through the Student Services Department.

3. Homework Hotline - Parents or students may receive student's daily homework assignments by calling 330-830-8100 and entering the teacher's voicemail extension.

 ATTENDANCE POLICY

State law specifically requires that every child up to the age of 18 must attend school.

Absences are either classified as excused or unexcused.  The law is very clear on what constitutes a legal excuse for an absence from school.  No parent or guardian has the right to excuse his child or anyone else’s child from school for any other reason than those stated below.

  Reasons for excused absence from school (based on Ohio attendance laws)

1.Illness (doctors excuse may be required)

2.Illness inside the immediate family (with limitations)

3.Death in the immediate family

4.Death outside the immediate family

5.Observation of religious holidays

6.Medical appointment

7.Court appearance

Reasons for excused absence from school

Because of the wide variety of reasons for a student’s absence from school, the validity of an absence will be determined by the administration in each individual case.  When a student reaches seven (7) excused absences, a reminder letter will be sent home to the parent reviewing the excused absence policy.  After a student reaches fifteen (15) excused absences, a physician’s note will be required for medical verification in order for the absence to be excused. 

Please note: Medical verification means that a physician has treated an illness or injury and has verified to the attendance office that because of the illness or injury, the student was unable to attend school. Official medical notification (which includes the physician’s name, phone number, and specific dates of illness to be excused from school) must be submitted to the attendance office upon the student’s return to school within two (2) days following the absence.  Illness or injury that has not been treated by a physician is not verified.

Discipline procedure for absences to school (per each nine weeks):

The building administration may take disciplinary action for chronic absences. This will be enforced on a case-by-case basis.

UNEXCUSED OR RECURRING ABSENCE

Every student has a right to an education, however every student has an obligation to attend school regularly and to abide by the rules and regulations of the Jackson Local School District and the State of Ohio.

Chronic truancy means any student of compulsory school age who has unexcused  absences from school is considered truant.  Once a student accumulates five (5) unexcused absences, a letter will be sent home to the parent reviewing the unexcused absence policy and the possibility of filing truancy with the legal system as required by the Ohio Revised Code.  If the student has seven (7) consecutive unexcused absences, ten (10) or more unexcused absences in a month, or fifteen (15) or more unexcused absences in a year, truancy may be filed with the legal system as required by Ohio Revised Code.

An unexcused absence will result in the student not receiving credit for any work that is missed, and the student shall receive a failing grade for all graded work and/or assessments given during the student’s absence. 

FAMILY VACATION

Students who take vacations during the school year shall be considered absent with parental permission.  It will be the obligation of the parent and the student to see that work missed is made up, and if necessary, secure a tutor without undue demand upon the classroom teacher.  In addition, the following will be expected:

1. Parental notification (either written or phone call to the school secretary) should be given three days in advance before leaving.  No more than five (5) days per year of vacation will be counted as excused absences.  Any additional vacation days will be counted as unexcused absences. 

2. All work assigned will be due the first day the student returns to school.

3. All assessments missed during vacations will be made up following the student's return. 

FIELD TRIPS/SCHOOL-SPONSORED EVENTS

Any student who participates in a field trip/school-sponsored event must notify his/her teachers in advance that he/she will be out of class.  Participation in a field trip/school-sponsored event does not excuse a student from fulfilling his/her class responsibilities.

1. If a paper or project is due on the day of the trip, the student must turn it in to the appropriate teacher(s) prior to leaving on the trip.

2. If an assessment is missed, it must be made up as soon as possible at the teacher’s convenience.

3. A student is responsible for all work missed on a trip.  If an assessment or project is scheduled for the day following the trip, the student will be required to complete the work with the class.

All school rules apply at extracurricular activities/events.  Students are expected to behave in a manner that is respectful and supportive of the event.  Consequences are at the discretion of the administration.

RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS

It is the parents' responsibility to notify the school secretary when their child will miss school for a recognized religious holiday.  Students will not be marked absent for the time missed.

TARDINESS TO SCHOOL

A student must be on time to school and in attendance every day.  Students who arrive after 8:55 am are considered tardy and must be accompanied by a parent to sign them in at the school office.  Students are permitted five (5) tardies per nine weeks.  A letter will be sent home to the parents reviewing the tardy policy once a student surpasses five (5) tardies per nine weeks.  After 11:55 am, a student's attendance will count as a one half-day (1/2) absence.  All tardies due to doctor's, dentist's, orthodontist's, or court appointments, must have official documentation from that office.    

Discipline procedure for tardiness to school (per each nine weeks):

The building administration may take disciplinary action for chronic tardiness. This will be enforced on a case by case basis.

EARLY DISMISSALS

Once a student gets to school, he/she is required to stay the entire day or until that student is dismissed.  Each student leaving school property during school hours will be required to have a note signed by the parent or guardian.

Please note that for security purposes, students will NOT be dismissed to parents following school events held during the regular school day.   If a note was sent in with the child in the morning, students will be dismissed through the PARENT PICK UP LINE at 3:35 P.M.  Otherwise, children will take the bus home at 3:30.  THE PARENT PICK UP LINE WILL NOT BEGIN UNTIL AFTER BUS DISMISSAL.

OBTAINING AN EARLY DISMISSAL:

1. A written explanation from a parent or guardian is to be turned into the homeroom teacher on the morning of the early dismissal.  A telephone number must accompany the request so the dismissal can be confirmed.

2. If a student is granted an early dismissal, the parent must sign the student out in the school office at the designated time.

3. Even though a student is excused, it will be recorded on his/her attendance record as an absence since that student is not present in school.

4. Upon return from an early dismissal (same day), the parent will be expected to sign the student back into the office.

5. Telephone requests for excuse of a student will not be honored due to safety and security concerns.

ILLNESS DURING SCHOOL              

If a student becomes ill during the school day, he/she will be sent to the clinic.  Office personnel will follow health procedures set forth by the school nurse to determine if a child should return to class or be sent home.  If it is deemed necessary for a child to leave school, a parent or guardian will be contacted to come to school to pick-up their child. The parent or guardian will need to sign their child out in the school office. Children need to be fever-free for 24 hours prior to returning to school.  Students are not permitted to stay in the clinic during the school day.

ADMINISTRATIVE DISCRETION

The school administration has the ultimate authority in all attendance-related matters and reserves the right for discretionary deviation from the aforementioned attendance policies.