Understanding Ohio’s New Attendance Requirements: What Titan Families Need to Know

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Regular attendance has always been an important part of student success. Still, changes to Ohio law are placing an even greater emphasis on identifying attendance concerns early and helping families address barriers that may keep students out of school.

Beginning with the 2026–27 school year, families may notice changes in how schools communicate about attendance.

Here are some of the most important things Titan families should know.

What is chronic absenteeism?

Under Ohio law, a student is considered chronically absent when they miss at least 10% of the minimum number of instructional hours required during the school year.

One of the most important things for families to understand is that chronic absenteeism includes time missed for any reason.

(We need to emphasize this next point...)

That means both excused and unexcused absences contribute to a student’s chronic absenteeism calculation.

For example, a student may have legitimate, excused reasons for missing school and still reach the state’s definition of chronically absent because of the total amount of instructional time missed.

This does not mean an excused absence suddenly becomes an unexcused absence. The distinction between excused and unexcused absences still matters. However, when determining chronic absenteeism, Ohio looks at the total instructional time a student has missed.

 

Missing a little can add up to a lot

Chronic absenteeism doesn’t always look like a student missing several weeks of school at once.

A day here and another day there can quickly add up.

According to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, missing the equivalent of approximately two days per month can put a student on track to become chronically absent.

That is why families may begin hearing from their child’s school about attendance earlier in the school year than they have in the past.

Those conversations aren’t intended to punish families. They’re intended to identify concerns early enough for schools and families to address them.

 

What counts as an excused absence in Ohio?

According to WKYC 3, the Ohio Administrative Code identifies several circumstances under which a student's absence may be labeled as excused but still count toward Chronic Absenteeism.

Those include:

• The student's illness
• An illness in the family that requires the student's presence
• A quarantine in the home
• The death of a relative
• A medical, behavioral health, or dental appointment
• Observance of a religious holiday
• A post-secondary school visit
• Pre-enlistment reporting to a military enlistment processing station
• Absences connected to a student's placement in foster care, a change in foster care placement or related court proceedings
• Absences because a student is homeless
• Certain absences for children of military families related to a parent's, guardian's or custodian's deployment
• An emergency or other circumstances that a superintendent determines are sufficient cause for an absence
• Additional reasons allowed under a local school board's policy

 

CLICK HERE | WKYC ARTICLE: Ohio schools begin year with new attendance requirements

 

Shifting toward earlier intervention

One of the most significant changes to Ohio’s attendance law is a greater emphasis on prevention and early intervention.

Previously, much of the state’s attendance framework focused on unexcused absences and habitual truancy.

The new approach asks schools to identify students who may be at risk of becoming chronically absent and intervene earlier.

That may mean reaching out to a family to better understand why a student has been missing school and determining whether additional support could help.

Attendance challenges can happen for many reasons, including transportation difficulties, health concerns, family circumstances or other barriers.

The goal is to work together to address those challenges whenever possible and help students return to regular attendance.

 

Chronic absenteeism and truancy are not the same

Families may hear both terms throughout the school year, but chronic absenteeism and habitual truancy are different.

Chronic absenteeism looks at the total amount of school a student misses for any reason, including excused absences.

Habitual truancy, on the other hand, is based on unexcused absences and remains subject to separate requirements under Ohio law.

A student can therefore be chronically absent without being habitually truant.

Understanding that difference is important as Ohio shifts more attention toward preventing attendance problems before they become more serious.

 

What should families do?

Families can help by monitoring their student’s attendance throughout the year and communicating with their school whenever an absence is necessary.

If your student is experiencing a challenge that is making regular attendance difficult, we encourage you to reach out to your child’s school.

The earlier we know there is a barrier, the earlier we can work together to identify possible solutions and connect families with available resources.

Most importantly, remember that attendance isn’t simply about meeting a requirement.

Every day in school gives students another opportunity to learn, build relationships, participate in activities, and stay connected to their school community.

At Lorain City Schools, we want our families to know that attendance is a partnership.

We’re here to work alongside our families so that every Titan has the opportunity to be present, engaged, and successful.

 

Every day matters. Every hour matters. Every Titan matters.