Policy

YOUNGSTOWN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

Student Attendance Policy

The goal of Youngstown City School District’s attendance policy is that no student miss days of school without legitimate excuse.  A significant correlation exists between school attendance and academic and lifelong success.  To ensure that our students achieve that success, Youngstown City Schools works with parents, guardians, families and students to intervene and resolve truancy and unexcused absences so that students subject to compulsory education consistently attend school when school is in session. 

The Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) authorizes and directs the Coordinators of Attendance to oversee the development and implementation of intervention strategies to address attendance and truancy at Youngstown City Schools.  These strategies will include, but are not limited to providing a truancy intervention plan for any student that is excessively absent from school without legitimate excuse, counseling for habitually truant students, requesting or requiring parents to attend parental involvement programs and/or truancy prevention mediation programs.

  1. Attendance Guidance


A. “Habitual truancy” is defined as a student subject to compulsory education who is absent without legitimate excuse for thirty (30) or more consecutive hours, forty-two (42) or more hours in a month, or seventy-two (72) or more hours in a school year.

B. “Excessive absence” is defined as a student absent 38 or more hours in one school month with or without a legitimate excuse or absent 65 or more hours in one school year with or without a legitimate excuse.  

C. The parent of each student subject to compulsory education (or an adult student) must submit within forty-eight (48) hours a written statement of the cause for such absence, which may be verified by the building Attendance ESA.  The CEO is authorized to establish a parental education program for parents of truant students.  Parents who are required to attend and who fail to attend may be reported to the local children services agency for educational neglect.

II. Excused Absence

Absence will be excused only under the following circumstances:

A. Short Term Personal Illness: The parent or guardian of a student may write an excuse for a student experiencing illness for up to sixty (60) hours in a school year or thirty (30) consecutive hours of school.  After sixty hours in a year or thirty hours consecutively, a doctor’s excuse must be provided, signed by the doctor and indicate the reason for the student’s inability to attend school.  Any absence greater than sixty (60) hours in a school year or thirty (30) consecutive hours, due to illness that is not accompanied by a doctor’s excuse as described above will be unexcused.  A doctor’s excuse must be provided to the school within forty-eight (48) hours, i.e. two business days, of the student’s return to school or the absence will be unexcused. 

B. Quarantine of the Home: Absences will only be excused for the length of quarantine as determined by health officials.  Verification from relevant health officials explaining the nature and length of the quarantine must be submitted within forty-eight (48) hours, i.e. two business days, of the student’s return to school. If an excuse is not accepted by the school, the original will be returned to the student with a notation as to why it was refused, e.g., excuse. Not provided within the property time period, excuse not written by a doctor, etc. A copy of the refused excuse will be maintained in the student’s file.

C. Death in the Family: Three days excused absence will be permitted, unless a parent or guardian offers a reasonable explanation that more school absences are necessary. The parent or guardian may provide a note to the school to advise the school of the absence, however under certain circumstances, the school may require additional documentation to confirm the student’s absence was legitimate i.e., funeral service documentation, etc.

D. Observance of Religious Holidays: Any student shall be excused if his/her absence was for the purpose of observing a religious holiday consistent with his/her truly held beliefs and the parent or guardian has notified the school in writing at least forty-eight (48) hours prior, i.e. two business days, to the absence.

E. Out of State Travel (up to a maximum of twenty-four hours per school year): To enable the student to participate in a District-approved enrichment or extracurricular activity. The student must complete classroom assignments missed due to the approved absence.  If the absence is more than twenty-four hours, a classroom teacher shall accompany the student during the travel to provide the student with instructional assistance.  

F. Good Cause:  Absence for good cause that is acceptable to the school superintendent, who must approve, at his or her discretion, the excusal of absences not otherwise covered in this section.

Students with excused absences will be permitted to make up classroom work and assignments and receive credit for completed work meeting the standards applicable to the student. Students whose physical or mental medical needs exceed the District’s excused absence policy will be referred for evaluation to determine eligibility under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act or the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or other accommodations determined applicable and necessary.

III. Unexcused Absence

A. Any absence other than those described above.

B. The Attendance Coordinators will make the final determination as to whether an absence is excused, but in general, unexcused absences include, but are not limited to:

a. Missing the school bus

b. Experiencing transportation problems at home or on the way to school

c. Remaining at home to complete school assignments

d. Missing school without legitimate illness

e. Oversleeping

f. Working at a job during the school day without a proper work permit

g. Babysitting

h. Any form of recreation

i. Personal business that can be done after school or on the weekends

j. Non-school related sports or athletics or other or non-school events

IV. Absence Notification Procedures

A. Immediate Notification:  A student’s parent/guardian is required to contact the school office between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. on the day of the absence.

i. If the school does not hear from the parent/guardian, the Attendance ESA is obligated to attempt to make contact with a parent/guardian to verify the absence.  We will attempt to contact the parent by phone.  If phone contact is unsuccessful, a District Coordinator or team member may visit the home.  

iii. A reported absence still may be determined to be unexcused according to the absence policy.

B. Methods of Reporting Absences: Absences will be considered reported if:

i. A parent or guardian calls the school the day of the absence and provides the reason for the absence;

ii. A parent or guardian writes a note or provides other required documentation to the school listing the day(s) missed and the reason for the absence(s); or

iii. One or more of the above-referenced school personnel make contact with a parent or guardian and receive a satisfactory explanation for the absence(s).