CLARK COUNTY — A new state policy from the Ohio Department of Education classifies students who miss more than 10% of instructional hours as chronically absent.
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Under the policy, school districts must notify families once a student misses 5% of instructional hours.
The strict attendance threshold has prompted questions from families and educators in Clark County about how the policy will affect daily student routines.
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School officials say the measure is intended to connect families with support systems, while some parents question how the rules apply during family emergencies and personal illness.
Ray Roylance, a parent in Clark County, expressed frustration regarding how the state policy handles childhood illnesses and unexpected conflicts.
“It just feels like a really frustrating situation,” Roylance said. “What happens if your kids are ill? What if you have things that are coming up like family emergencies?”
Roylance noted that the stance feels like a noticeable departure from school attendance expectations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We saw that with the pandemic, like just six years ago, it wasn’t even that long ago where we wanted to keep people home to keep people safe. And this just feels like such a strange shift,” Roylance said.
Brian Kuhn, superintendent of Clark Shawnee Local Schools, said the intent behind monitoring attendance is to identify underlying obstacles facing families.
“Why are we absent so much? Is it a transportation issue? Is there a medical issue? Is there some other factor going on to see if there are any supports and services that can be put in place?” Kuhn said. “Ultimately the goal is to work a plan for student success, not to be punitive in any way, shape or form.”
Kuhn addressed parent concerns about student health, clarifying that sick children should still stay home when necessary.
“Does that mean we want students coming to school sick? No, there are times where it is appropriate for a student to be absent when they’re ill,” Kuhn said.
Unlike truancy, chronic absenteeism does not carry legal penalties for families.
“This whole point is just to ensure that attendance, good attendance, is at the forefront of our parents’ minds,” Kuhn said.
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