Parents in Evendale, Woodlawn, Sharonville and Springdale should know: that doctor's note no longer keeps your child off the chronic absenteeism list.

Ohio's House Bill 96, which took effect as part of the state's 2025-27 budget, now counts all absences toward chronic absenteeism, whether excused, medically excused or unexcused. The threshold is 10% of required instructional hours, roughly 18 full school days in a standard 180-day year.

Princeton City Schools reported a 20% chronic absenteeism rate, according to WCPO 9. That means one in five students across the district's 11 buildings exceeded the threshold.

Tardies count too

Because Ohio tracks attendance by hours rather than full days, tardies and early dismissals chip away at a student's total.

"So if a student comes in 15 minutes tardy… that adds up very quickly," Ronald Fausnaugh, secondary director of teaching and learning for Princeton City Schools, told WCPO 9 on Tuesday, Aug. 25.

Under HB 96, districts must contact parents once a student hits 5% of required hours missed. Princeton set its own early-warning trigger lower: the district reaches out to families at 38 hours of absence. At 72 hours, staff hold an unofficial diversionary meeting with the family.

Each of the district's 11 buildings has a team of administrators, counselors and office staff tracking attendance. Princeton also employs two dedicated attendance officers.

Students track their own attendance

Fausnaugh said the district gives students a role in monitoring their own records through a student-facing attendance tracker. The tool lets students mark their own absences, a step Fausnaugh said builds student ownership of their attendance.

The law still distinguishes truancy from chronic absenteeism. Students can be classified as habitual truants for unexcused absences alone: 30 or more consecutive hours without an excuse, 42 or more hours in a single school month, or 72 or more hours in a school year.

Early intervention, not punishment

Kenna Haycox, deputy director for board management services at the Ohio School Boards Association, said HB 96 is not punitive. The shift moves away from truancy court and toward early intervention.

"The focus is really on understanding that and getting to the root cause of why students may be missing school," Haycox told WCPO 9.

Families seeking details on Princeton's attendance policies can visit princetonschools.net. The district's goal, Fausnaugh said, is simple: "We don't want any child to get to that 18 days. We want them in school all the time."