You may have seen our recent District communication about changes to attendance communication this school year. As Ohio implements new attendance requirements under House Bill 96 (HB 96), families will receive more information from schools about the amount of instructional time students miss.
Our focus in Pickerington is on awareness, communication and support—not simply counting absences.
Why does attendance matter?
Regular attendance gives students consistent opportunities to learn from their teachers, collaborate with classmates, participate in classroom experiences and build the knowledge and skills that support their success.
What can families expect?
At 38 hours of missed instructional time:
Your school will contact you to make you aware of the amount of instructional time your student has missed. This early communication is intended to provide families with information before a student reaches the state's 5% attendance threshold.
What is the 5% threshold?
Ohio considers missing 5% or more of the instructional time for which a student is enrolled to be a level of absenteeism that requires additional attention and intervention.
At 65 hours of missed instructional time:
Your school will make personalized contact with your family. This provides an opportunity to talk about your student's attendance, understand any challenges that may be getting in the way of regular attendance and connect you with support or resources when needed.
Why does missed time matter?
We understand that students sometimes need to be absent. Illness, appointments, family circumstances and other situations happen, and absences will continue to be identified as excused or unexcused based on the reason for the absence and applicable District requirements.
At the same time, even an excused absence means a student misses something—a lesson, a class discussion, time with classmates, hands-on learning or an opportunity to practice an important skill.
Our goal is to recognize concerns early and work alongside families before attendance becomes a bigger challenge.
Every day a student is able to be at school is another opportunity to learn, connect and grow. Together, we can help our students make the most of those opportunities.
For more information, visit Student Attendance: What Families Need to Know on the Pickerington Local Schools website.
