Planned Absence
Regular attendance is necessary for success in school and is required by state law. In the State of Ohio only six reasons for a student absence are recognized under school law. The reasons are as follows: personal illness with proper documentation from a doctor, illness in the immediate family, quarantine, religious holiday, death in the immediate family, medical or dental appointment with proper documentation.
Special circumstances such as a family vacation or an extracurricular event request must be made via the following forms prior to when the absence is set to occur. Completed forms must be submitted to the appropriate office at least one week prior to the absence, and if approved, those absences will be considered certified.
Building administration may deny a pre-arranged absence request if they believe an absence is unjustified or that a student has exceeded a reasonable limit of absences. The student is responsible for all work assigned over the absence. Students will assume responsibility of meeting with each teacher to make up all missed class work.
This form must be returned to the office BEFORE the student’s first day of the planned absence. Please fill out one form for each student requesting a planned absence:
Mount Gilead Middle School - Coming soon
Mount Gilead High School - Coming soon
PLEASE NOTE: The law regarding attendance has changed. Students who are absent 38 hours (approximately six and a half days) in a month or 65 hours in a school year (approximately eleven days) with or without legitimate excuse are now considered Excessively Absent. These students will receive a letter from the District and will need to follow the District Truancy Plan. These hours include planned absences. Planned absences will not be excused if your child has already met or will meet (based on this request) the absence threshold for Excessive Absence and/or Habitual Truancy.
College visits: Juniors and Seniors may go to a college visit for up to three days each year. These days will not count towards an Excessive Absence or Habitual Truancy if the student brings a signed and/or dated document from the college; general brochures will not be accepted.