Attendance Information

The Niles City School District is committed to increasing student attendance, engagement, and academic achievement. Attending school is both necessary and required by law. It is a critical concern, as students need to be present to engage with learning. Studies show student attendance directly impacts achievement and graduation and students cannot learn if they are are missing instruction, classroom participation, and valuable learning experiences. 

Starting with the 2023-24 school year, the District joined the Cleveland Browns Stay in the Game Attendance Network to improve attendance within our schools. Together we look forward to keeping our students in the game to set them up for success! Click here to learn more about the Stay in the Game initiative!

Additional information on the school's attendance policies and procedures can be found below.

Arrival & Dismissal

ARRIVAL / DISMISSAL
Drivers are to use extreme caution when dropping off and picking up students. Drivers are asked to leave students where sidewalks are provided for children to reach the building. The building Principal will provide specific building directions with regard to the parking lots and circular drives. Please to not block fire lanes, handicapped parking spaces, or the area where buses load. This will ensure every child's safety.

Attendance Definitions

In December 2016, the Ohio General Assembly passed House Bill 410 to encourage and support a preventative approach to excessive absences and truancy. The law sets forth the following criteria for Ohio schools to follow when calculating student absences. All time absent from school is calculated in hours.

  • Chronic Absenteeism: absent 10% or more of the school year for any reason. It includes excused and unexcused absences. 
  • Excessive Absenteeism:  absent, without a legitimate excuse, for 38 or more hours in one school month, or 65 or more hours in a school year.
  • Habitually Truant: absent, without a legitimate excuse, for 30 or more consecutive hours, 42 or more hours in one school month, or 72 or more hours in one school year. Habitual truancy only counts absences without a legitimate excuse. When a student meets the definition of habitually truant, the district is required to assign the student to an absence intervention team to develop a plan with the family. Only when those interventions are unsuccessful does the school or district file a truancy complaint.

Excused Absences

The following are considered excused absences:
  • Death of a family member
  • Personal illness with doctor's note
  • Quarantine of the home
  • Religious holiday
  • School field trips
  • Superintendent approval
All absences must have proper documentation submitted.

Make-up Assignment Policy

Each student who has been absent must immediately, upon return to school, make arrangements with his/her teacher(s) to make up missed work. Students are given one (1) day to make up homework/assignments, etc., for each day of excused absence. For example, if the student has been absent for three (3) days and the absence is excused, he/she has three (3) days upon return to school to make up any missed assignments. If a student exceeds ten (10) or more excused consecutive absences he/she is only allocated ten (10) days to make up any missed assignments. When circumstances warrant, a time extension may be arranged through the building administrators/ teachers.

If a student is going to be absent from school for two (2) or more days, please contact the school office to arrange a time to pick up requested assignments.

Reporting Off School

If your child is going to be absent from school, for any reason, please contact the school at 330-989-5093 to report your child off. Upon returning to school, present a written excuse dated and signed by a parent/guardian, and/or a medical excuse signed by a physician, stating the reason for being absent. Written notification is strongly encouraged. 

Auto Calls are made daily to remind parents/guardians to contact the school regarding student absences.

Signing Out Students

Students needing to leave school early must provide the classroom teacher with a note from the custodial parent stating the reason(s) for the student to leave early with the time(s), and name(s) of the person picking up the child. In the interest of student safety, no student shall leave the building without permission from the building Principal or Dean of Students.

At the elementary schools, parents and/or legal guardians listed on the Emergency Medical Forms must come into the office and sign the student out of school. Photo identification is required.

Student Illness at School

In the event a student becomes ill at school, or other circumstances arise, only those persons listed on the student's Emergency Medical Form (completed and submitted via Final Forms) will be contacted and will be permitted to pick up the student. Photo identification is required. If contact person(s) cannot be reached, the student will remain at school.

Tardy to School

Students are considered tardy if they arrive to school after 8:35 a.m. A parent/guardian must sign the student into the office upon arrival.

Excessive tardiness will result in a meeting with the school counselor and Dean of Students to discuss possible intervention and/or disciplinary action. After four (4) non-medical tardies a detention will be given to the student. 

Vacation

Parents are strongly encouraged to schedule family vacations at times as to not interfere with the adopted school calendar. If there is no alternative to a family's scheduled vacation during the time when school is in session, please notify the school as soon as possible.

NIS CALL-OFF NUMBER

P: 330-989-5093

Information needed:
  • Your name
  • Student's name
  • Reason for calling off school
A parent/guardian may call this number anytime to report their child off school for the day. You may leave a message.

If no call is received by 10:35 a.m., an automatic call will be made from the school to home about the student absence.

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