Every absence a Lakota student racks up will count toward chronic absenteeism, whether it's a sick day with a parent's phone call, a religious holiday or a skip, starting when school opens Thursday, Aug. 13,

The Lakota Board of Education voted Monday to approve updates to Policy 5200, the district's student attendance policy, bringing Lakota into compliance with Ohio House Bill 96. The state law, signed Sept. 30, 2025, requires all Ohio districts to adopt the new framework by Aug. 1.

What changes for the roughly 17,000 students and their families across West Chester Township and Liberty Township:

Earlier parent notification. Under the old state standard, schools didn't have to alert families until a student missed 38 hours in a month or 65 hours in a year. Now, parents will receive an automated ParentSquare message once a child misses 5% of annual instructional hours. For elementary students in grades K-6, that's about 45.5 hours, or roughly seven to eight school days. For grades 7-12, the threshold is 50.5 hours.

Fewer no-note sick days. Parents can now excuse up to five medically related absences per year without a doctor's note, down from ten, as long as they call the school to report the absence.

Intervention teams at every building. Each Lakota school will have a dedicated Absence Intervention Team. According to district communications, these teams will conduct direct check-ins with students and families, connect them to support resources, and develop collaborative attendance plans before any court referral is considered.

Court remains a last resort. The district said referral to juvenile court for truancy will be used only if a student is habitually absent and no progress is made on an intervention plan. Habitual truancy thresholds still apply only to unexcused absences: 30 consecutive hours, 42 in a month, or 72 in a year. Students will not be suspended or expelled for absences under the updated policy.

A student is now classified as chronically absent after missing 10% of required instructional hours regardless of the reason. National research cited by the district indicates that missing just five to 12 days can put a student at risk of falling behind in reading and math. But the truancy thresholds that could eventually lead to court still count only unexcused absences.

The district framed the changes as focused on early support rather than punishment.

School starts Thursday, Aug. 13. Families with questions can reach their building's front office or check ParentSquare for attendance notifications once the year begins.