In December 2016, the Ohio General Assembly passed House Bill 410 to encourage and support a preventative approach to excessive absences and truancy. Beginning with the 2017-2018 school year, several changes take effect.  Schools cannot suspend or expel students for missing too much school.  Districts will amend or adopt policies that outline their interventions and plans for students who miss too much school.

Habitual truant refers to a child of compulsory school age who is absent from school without legitimate excuse for the following number of hours:

• 30 or more consecutive hours or
• 42 or more hours in one school month or
• 72 or more hours in a school year

School Districts shall file a complaint in juvenile court on the 61st day after implementation of an absence intervention plan if all of the following apply:

• The student has unexcused absences of 30+ consecutive hours, 42+ hours in one month, or 72+ hours in a school year
• The district has made meaningful attempts to reengage the student through the absence intervention plan or other intervention strategies and alternatives to adjudication
• The student has refused to participate in or failed to make satisfactory progress on the plan, strategies, or alternatives

If the student has absences as noted above, but the absence intervention team determines that the student has made “substantial progress” according to the plan, the school shall not file a complaint in juvenile court.

Parent Notification 

When a student is excessively absent from school, the following will occur:

The school will notify the student’s parents in writing within seven days of the triggering absence;

1. The student will follow the district’s plan for absence intervention; and 
2. The student and family may be referred to community resources. 

[ How to Generate a Parent Notification Letter ] 

[ HB410 Information for Families ]

Absence Intervention Teams

Schools may establish their own absence intervention teams. This team will meet with the student/family to develop a plan to provide personalized early outreach.  Membership of the absence intervention team may vary based on the needs of each student but shall include:

• a district or school representative,
• another district or school representative who knows the student, and
• the child’s parent (or guardian, custodian, etc.), and may include a school psychologist, counselor, social worker, or public agency representative. 

[ How to Create the Attendance Intervention Team ]  

Absence Intervention Plans

Each plan shall vary based on the needs of the student.  All plans shall notify the student of the school district's obligation to file a complaint 61 days after implementation of the plan if the student has refused to participate in or failed to make satisfactory progress on the plan or other alternative to adjudication. 

 [ How to Create an Attendance Intervention Plan ]