New Ohio School Attendance Policy Creates Extra Work

BY CHASE ENGEL and ISABELLE HANSON
Miami University journalism students

The Ohio House Bill 410, passed in April, is now in effect in the Talawanda School District. The Ohio General Assembly pushed the bill to improve student attendance. Schools are now told to count the hours students spend away from school rather than the days.

“Every minute counts” says a bulletin on the Talawanda school's website.

Rhonda Johnson, attendance secretary, tracks all these hours. She says that although the bill will be beneficial for attendance, it adds a lot more work to a busy office. On an average day, Talawanda High School sees 100 students either arrive late, leave early, or be absent all together.

“[House Bill 410] is good for students, “ says Johnson. “It’s just a lot of paperwork and a lot of extra things for the other people to handle.”

Letters sent home

Under the House bill, once a student is absent for more than 38 consecutive school hours, excused or unexcused, a letter must be sent home. Letters are sent again at 56, 65 and 72 hours.

For unexcused absences, intervention meetings are planned after 32 consecutive hours, 42 hours in a month, and 72 hours for the whole year.

Also, Ohio public schools can no longer expel or suspend students due to prolonged absences. Instead, consequences are to be administered in school.

Since the policy was enacted, Johnson says, there has been no difference in student behavior.

“Students do tend to come and go with early dismissals and tardies and late arrivals, partial days. But I haven’t seen a difference in students’ behavior with absences.”

Communication important

Students behavior hasn’t changed because some students don’t even know about the policy. Talawanda senior Wallace Kelly was not aware of the attendance changes until his parents, both teachers in the district, told him.

Holli Morrish, director of communications and public relations for the district, sent out emails, mailed letters, and updated the website over the summer to try to simplify the 22-page document to students and families.

“There are a lot of people [lawmakers] out there who are contributing to language in bills that are being passed in Ohio, and they may not have a good understanding of how a school day operates,” says Morrish.

She says communication between schools and state government could improve, but ultimately, this will not affect how Talawanda runs its day-to-day.

Top photo: Talawanda High School students wait in study hall for the end of the school day. -- Photo by Chase Engel