Attendance Matters

ATTENDANCE LAW...What Families Need to Know About Ohio House Bill 96

Ohio House Bill 96 took effect on September 30, 2025.

• The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce released official guidance in mid-October, requiring all school districts to align with this new law.
• Willoughby-Eastlake Schools have implemented these changes to ensure full legal compliance, while maintaining a commitment to fairness, transparency, and partnership with our families.
• Under the new law, medical absences are no longer counted separately from other excused absences.
• What this means is that ALL time missed from school—whether excused, medical, or unexcused—now counts toward a student’s total hours missed for the school year.
• The new attendance requirements fully take effect with the 2026–2027 school year. 

Willoughby Eastlake Schools are committed to implementing these changes in a fair, transparent, and student-centered way. Our goal is to ensure families are informed, supported, and actively involved in the process - long before any legal or punitive measures are considered. This proactive approach allows us to keep the focus where it belongs: on helping every student attend, engage, and succeed.

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