Ohio Attendance Laws Have Changed...
What Pirate families need to know about the new requirements
Overview
Ohio House Bill 96 passed on September 30, 2025 and goes in effect August 1, 2026
The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce released official guidance in mid October, requiring all school districts to align with this new law.
The Southeast Locals Schools are actively implementing these changes to ensure full legal compliance, while maintaining a commitment to fairness, transparency, and partnership with our Pirate families.
Under the new law, medical absences are no longer counted separately from other excused absences.
What this means is that ALL time missed from school—whether excused, medical, or unexcused—now counts toward a student’s total hours missed for the school year.
The new attendance requirements will take full effect with the 2026–2027 school year.
Key Changes Beginning September 2, 2026
Ohio’s updated attendance law focuses on earlier communication and greater collaboration between schools and families, with the most significant changes involving notification timelines.
What’s Changing Now
Earlier family notification – Schools will begin outreach before a student reaches 5% of total hours missed, replacing the previous 38- and 65-hour thresholds.
All absences count – “Excused,” “medical,” and “unexcused” absences now ALL count toward a student’s total hours missed.
More opportunities for family engagement – Families will have multiple opportunities to work with their child’s school before any punitive action is taken. The goal of early collaboration is to help students get back on track and maintain regular attendance.
What’s Staying the Same
Truancy thresholds apply only to unexcused absences
The state’s standards for habitual truancy remain – 30 consecutive hours, 42 hours in a month, or 72 hours in a year of unexcused absences.
Court involvement and enforcement timelines have not changed – The law requires that the court and schools will work closely together for truancy-related interventions and legal processes. We will continue to use the Absence Intervention Plans as a step in our strategy to improve attendance.
Focus on prevention and partnership – The district’s approach continues to emphasize support over punishment, using early communication and tiered interventions to promote student success.
Timeline for Implementation
September 30, 2025: House Bill 96 became law
October 2025: ODEW released statewide guidance for schools and districts
August 1, 2026: All Ohio districts must adopt updated attendance policies
2026–2027 School Year: Full implementation of all requirements under House Bill 96
Questions and Support
Families with questions about attendance, absences, or intervention plans are encouraged to contact:
Christina Kelly or Amanda Kehres
Attendance Officers
Southeast Local Schools
330.654.5841