Regular attendance by all students of the Tipp City Exempted Village Schools is very important. Many important lessons are learned through active participation in classroom and other school activities, which cannot be replaced by individual study. In Ohio, children are required to attend school from age six to eighteen unless the pupil has graduated from high school, is employed and receives an age and school certificate, or has been determined to be incapable of profiting substantially from further instruction. While it is the school’s duty to enforce the compulsory attendance law, responsibility for compliance with the law rests upon the parents, guardians, or other persons having control of the child. (Section 3321.01 of Ohio Revised Code).

MEDICALLY EXCUSED ABSENCES
Students are only permitted 65 hours of excused absence each year. After 65 hours, a physician’s note is required. If a physician note is not presented within two days after returning to school, the absence hours will be unexcused. The physician’s note documenting school absences must specify the date(s) of the excused absence. Consideration may be given for students with ongoing medical conditions (yearly updated note is required), suspensions, non-emergency trip absences, and previous doctors’ note excuses.

EXCUSED ABSENCES
1.   As cited in the Ohio Revised Code, absences from school that are excused but count as instructional time missed are:
●         Personal illness
●         Illness in the student’s family
●         Funerals
2.     Some types of excused absences do not count toward the student’s missed instructional time: (provided students follow the appropriate procedure below)
a.         College visits –The visit must be verified upon return with documentation from the college/university.
Maximum Number of Visits
Sophomores- 1 during the academic year
Juniors- 3 during the academic year Seniors- 4 during the academic year
b.        School-sponsored activities, field trips, community service, etc.

TARDIES TO SCHOOL
1.     Students who arrive at school after the morning bell, 7:40, will be considered tardy and may result in school discipline.
2.   Tardy students should report to the Attendance Window in the Main Office.
3.    Leaving the building without permission for any reason is a violation of state and local attendance laws and regulations and may result in school discipline. 

UNEXCUSED ABSENCES & TARDIES
The school administration will make the final decision whether an absence/tardy is excused or unexcused. In general, unexcused absences/tardies include (but  are not limited to):
●         Missing the school bus
●         Experiencing transportation problems at home or on the way to school. Including but not limited to flat tires and/or other mechanical malfunctions
●         Remaining at home to complete school assignments.
●         Missing school without legitimate illness.
●         Oversleeping
●         “My parent didn’t get me up.”
●         Working at a job during the school day
●         Babysitting
●         “Helping at home” or “Was needed at home”
●         Senior pictures/portraits 

ACTIVITY PARTICIPATION AND SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
A student must arrive at school before 10:55 to be permitted to participate in any extracurricular or co-curricular activity that day. This includes athletics, intramurals, clubs, organizations, plays, music performances, any recognition program, or any other school-sponsored activity not listed unless granted permission by the administration to attend. A student who leaves school early due to illness will not be permitted to participate in activities that day without administrator approval. 

REQUESTS FOR SCHOOLWORK DURING ILLNESS
Students absent from school are encouraged to monitor classroom activities through teacher contacts, websites, and/or Google Classroom. Requests for homework and assignments may be made through the counselor. Calls for homework after 9:00 am may not secure assignments until the following day.  Assignments can be picked up in the school office between 2:45 and 3:30 PM. Please call ahead to confirm that assignments are ready for pick-up. Students will be given one (1) day per day of absence to make up work, up to a maximum of five days. Make-up deadlines for illness beyond five days will be determined by the teacher(s). 

TRUANCY
Habitual Truant: A habitual truant is a student of compulsory school age who is absent without legitimate excuse from the school the student is supposed to attend for:
a.   30 or more consecutive school hours;
b.   42 or more school hours in one school month; or
c.   A total of 72 or more school hours in one school year.

Enforcement of School Attendance Law:
a.   When the Board has determined that a student in the District is truant and the parent has failed to cause the student’s attendance at school, the Board must require the parent to attend a truancy prevention mediation program, file a truancy complaint in juvenile court, and notify the registrar of motor vehicles.
b.     The high school will provide written notice to parents/guardians within seven days of a child’s excused absence of 38 or more hours in a month or 65 or more hours in a year.