Section 3321.13 | Duties of teacher and superintendent upon withdrawal or habitual absence of child from school - forms.
(A) Whenever any child of compulsory school age withdraws from school the teacher of that child shall ascertain the reason for withdrawal. The fact of the withdrawal and the reason for it shall be immediately transmitted by the teacher to the superintendent of the city, local, or exempted village school district. If the child who has withdrawn from school has done so because of change of residence, the next residence shall be ascertained and shall be included in the notice thus transmitted. The superintendent shall thereupon forward a card showing the essential facts regarding the child and stating the place of the child's new residence to the superintendent of schools of the district to which the child has moved.
The department of education and workforce may prescribe the forms to be used in the operation of this division.
(B)(1) Upon receipt of information that a child of compulsory school age has withdrawn from school for a reason other than because of change of residence or for the purpose of home education pursuant to section 3321.042 of the Revised Code and is not enrolled in and attending in accordance with school policy an approved program to obtain a diploma or its equivalent, the superintendent shall notify the registrar of motor vehicles and the juvenile judge of the county in which the district is located of the withdrawal and failure to enroll in and attend an approved program to obtain a diploma or its equivalent. A notification to the registrar required by this division shall be given in the manner the registrar by rule requires and a notification to the juvenile judge required by this division shall be given in writing. Each notification shall be given within two weeks after the withdrawal and failure to enroll in and attend an approved program or its equivalent.
(2) The board of education of a school district may adopt a resolution providing that the provisions of division (B)(2) of this section apply within the district. The provisions of division (B)(2) of this section do not apply within any school district, and no superintendent of a school district shall send a notification of the type described in division (B)(2) of this section to the registrar of motor vehicles or the juvenile judge of the county in which the district is located, unless the board of education of the district has adopted such a resolution. If the board of education of a school district adopts a resolution providing that the provisions of division (B)(2) of this section apply within the district, and if the superintendent of schools of that district receives information that, during any semester or term, a child of compulsory school age has been absent without legitimate excuse from the school the child is supposed to attend for more than sixty consecutive hours in a single month or for at least ninety hours in a school year, the superintendent shall notify the child and the child's parent, guardian, or custodian, in writing, that the information has been provided to the superintendent, that as a result of that information the child's temporary instruction permit or driver's license will be suspended or the opportunity to obtain such a permit or license will be denied, and that the child and the child's parent, guardian, or custodian may participate in a hearing at a scheduled date, time, and place conducted by the superintendent or a designee to challenge the information provided to the superintendent. The hearing may be conducted by electronic means if requested by the child's parent, guardian, or custodian.
The notification to the child and the child's parent, guardian, or custodian required by division (B)(2) of this section shall set forth the information received by the superintendent and shall inform the child and the child's parent, guardian, or custodian of the scheduled date, time, and participation method of the hearing before the superintendent or a designee. The date scheduled for the hearing shall be no earlier than three and no later than five days after the notification is given, provided that an extension may be granted upon request of the child or the child's parent, guardian, or custodian. If an extension is granted, the superintendent shall schedule a new date, time, and method for the hearing and shall inform the child and the child's parent, guardian, or custodian of the new date, time, and method.
If the child and the child's parent, guardian, or custodian do not appear before the superintendent or a designee on the scheduled date and for the scheduled hearing, or if the child and the child's parent, guardian, or custodian appear before the superintendent or a designee on the scheduled date and at the scheduled time but the superintendent or a designee determines that the information the superintendent received indicating that, during the semester or term, the child had been absent without legitimate excuse from the school the child was supposed to attend for more than sixty consecutive hours or for at least ninety total hours, the superintendent shall notify the registrar of motor vehicles and the juvenile judge of the county in which the district is located that the child has been absent for that period of time and that the child does not have any legitimate excuse for the habitual absence. A notification to the registrar required by this division shall be given in the manner the registrar by rule requires and a notification to the juvenile judge required by this division shall be given in writing. Each notification shall be given within two weeks after the receipt of the information of the habitual absence from school without legitimate excuse, or, if the child and the child's parent, guardian, or custodian appear before the superintendent or a designee to challenge the information, within two weeks after the hearing.
For purposes of division (B)(2) of this section, a legitimate excuse for absence from school includes, but is not limited to, the fact that the child in question has enrolled in another school or school district in this or another state, the fact that the child in question was excused from attendance for any of the reasons specified in section 3321.04 or exempt under section 3321.042 of the Revised Code, or the fact that the child in question has received an age and schooling certificate in accordance with section 3331.01 of the Revised Code.
(3) Whenever a pupil is suspended or expelled from school pursuant to section 3313.66 of the Revised Code and the reason for the suspension or expulsion is the use or possession of alcohol, a drug of abuse, or alcohol and a drug of abuse, the superintendent of schools of that district may notify the registrar and the juvenile judge of the county in which the district is located of such suspension or expulsion. Any such notification of suspension or expulsion shall be given to the registrar, in the manner the registrar by rule requires and shall be given to the juvenile judge in writing. The notifications shall be given within two weeks after the suspension or expulsion.
(4) Whenever a pupil is suspended, expelled, removed, or permanently excluded from a school for misconduct included in a policy that the board of education of a city, exempted village, or local school district has adopted under division (A) of section 3313.661 of the Revised Code, and the misconduct involves a firearm or a knife or other weapon as defined in that policy, the superintendent of schools of that district shall notify the registrar and the juvenile judge of the county in which the district is located of the suspension, expulsion, removal, or permanent exclusion. The notification shall be given to the registrar in the manner the registrar, by rule, requires and shall be given to the juvenile judge in writing. The notifications shall be given within two weeks after the suspension, expulsion, removal, or permanent exclusion.
(C) A notification of withdrawal, habitual absence without legitimate excuse, suspension, or expulsion given to the registrar or a juvenile judge under division (B)(1), (2), (3), or (4) of this section shall contain the name, address, date of birth, school, and school district of the child. If the superintendent finds, after giving a notification of withdrawal, habitual absence without legitimate excuse, suspension, or expulsion to the registrar and the juvenile judge under division (B)(1), (2), (3), or (4) of this section, that the notification was given in error, the superintendent immediately shall notify the registrar and the juvenile judge of that fact.
Last updated July 31, 2023 at 5:01 PM
Available Versions of this Section
- September 29, 2013 – House Bill 59 - 130th General Assembly [ View September 29, 2013 Version ]
- April 6, 2017 – House Bill 410 - 131st General Assembly [ View April 6, 2017 Version ]
- October 3, 2023 – Amended by House Bill 33 - 135th General Assembly [ View October 3, 2023 Version ]