Ohio § 3321.191 Student absence policies

Ohio Statutes

§ 3321.191 — Student absence policies

Ohio § 3321.191

Title 33Education-Libraries

Ch. 3321School Attendance

This text of Ohio § 3321.191 (Student absence policies) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3321.191 (2026).

Text

(A)As used in this section, "chronically absent" means missing at least ten per cent of the minimum number of hours required in the school year under section3313.48of the Revised Code for the school a student attends.

(B)Not later than August 1, 2026, the board of education of each school district shall adopt a policy to address student absences. In developing the policy, the board shall consult with the juvenile court of the county or counties in which the district is located; the parents, guardians, or other persons having care of a student attending school in the district; and appropriate state and local agencies.

(C)The policy adopted under division (B) of this section shall do all of the following:

(1)Acknowledge that student absences from school for any reason, whether excused

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(A) As used in this section, "chronically absent" means missing at least ten per cent of the minimum number of hours required in the school year under section3313.48of the Revised Code for the school a student attends.

(B) Not later than August 1, 2026, the board of education of each school district shall adopt a policy to address student absences. In developing the policy, the board shall consult with the juvenile court of the county or counties in which the district is located; the parents, guardians, or other persons having care of a student attending school in the district; and appropriate state and local agencies.

(C) The policy adopted under division (B) of this section shall do all of the following:

(1) Acknowledge that student absences from school for any reason, whether excused or unexcused, take away from instructional time and have an adverse effect on student learning;

(2) Identify strategies to prevent students from becoming chronically absent;

(3) Include procedures for notifying a student's parent, guardian, or custodian when the student has been absent from school for a number of hours determined by the board, which number shall not exceed five per cent of the minimum number of hours required in the school year under section3313.48of the Revised Code for the school the student attends;

(4) Establish a tiered system that provides more intensive interventions and supports for students with greater numbers of absences and includes resources to help students and their families address the root causes of the absences;

(5) Provide for one or more absence intervention teams to work with students at risk of becoming chronically absent and their families to improve the students' attendance at school;

(6) Prohibit suspending, expelling, or otherwise preventing a student from attending school based on the student's absences as prescribed by section3313.668of the Revised Code.

(D) The policy shall align with any other district or school improvement plan developed pursuant to state or federal law.

(E) A district or school may consult or partner with public, nonprofit, or private entities to provide assistance as appropriate to students and their families in reducing absences.

Last updated September 30, 2025 at 5:07 AM