The Board believes in the importance of trying to decrease the number of missing children. Therefore, efforts will be made to identify possible missing children and notify the proper adults or agencies.

At the time of his/her initial entry to school, a student, or if the student is a minor, a parent, shall present to the person in charge of admission (1) any records given to him/her by the elementary or secondary school she/he most recently attended (2) a certified copy of an order or decree, or modification of such an order or decree allocating parental rights and responsibilities for the care of the pupil and designating a residential parent and legal custodian of the pupil, if applicable; and (3) a certification of birth* issued pursuant to Section 3705.05 of the Ohio Revised Code or a comparable certificate or certification issued pursuant to the statutes of another state, territory, possession, or nation. Within twenty-four (24) hours of the student’s entry into the school, a school official shall request the student’s official records from the elementary or secondary school the student most recently attended.

If the school the student claims to have most recently attended indicates that it has no records of the student’s attendance or the records are not received within fourteen (14) days of the date of request, or the student does not present a certification of birth or comparable certificate or certification from another state, territory, possession, or nation, the Principal or his/her designee shall notify the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction in the area where the student resides of this fact and of the possibility that the student may, be a missing child, as this term is defined in Section 2901.30 of the Ohio Revised Code.

If the School receives notification from a law enforcement agency that it has made a missing child report for a current or a former student, then the School must mark the student’s records so that whenever a copy of, or information regarding the records is requested, any School official responding to the request is alerted that the records are those of a reported missing child. In addition, when a request of records or information is received, the person in charge of admission must immediately report the request to the law enforcement agency that notified the School that the student might be a missing child.

When forwarding a copy of, or information from the student’s records in response to a request, the School must do so in such a way that the receiving school is not able to discern that the student’s records are marked. The School must retain the mark in the records until notified that the student is no longer a missing child, at which time the School must remove the mark from the student’s records in such a way that it would be impossible to tell that the records were ever marked. See Appendix 252-A for the Missing Child Reporting and Marking Form

The School will immediately give notice to the Ohio Attorney General’s missing children clearinghouse and the law enforcement agency where the missing child resides if the School becomes aware that any missing child might be in attendance at the School. To the extent that it can, the School will also assist parents in the case of a missing student by coordinating with local law enforcement and the missing children clearinghouse.

The School has established an informational program for students, parents, and community members relative to missing children issues, which is available from the School upon request, including information regarding the fingerprinting program, if applicable. The School’s informational program is based on assistance and materials provided by the Ohio Attorney General’s missing child education program and resources available from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

• The primary responsibility for a student’s attendance at School rests with his/her parent. A parent must notify the School on the day a student is absent unless previous notification has been given in accordance with school procedure for excused absences.
  The procedure for absences is as follows:
• 1. A parent must call or email the School to inform the School that his/her child or children will be absent from School. This phone call should take place within the first hour that School is in session or as soon as practicable.
• 2. If a parent fails to call or email the School, the school’s attendance officer or his/her designee will contact the parent or other person having care of the student to inform him/her of the student’s absence. This contact shall occur within one hundred twenty minutes (120) after the beginning of each school day. Attempted contact shall be made one of the following ways:
• (a) A telephone call placed in person;
• (b) An automated telephone call via a system that includes verification that each call was actually placed, and either the call was answered by its intended recipient or a voice mail message was left by the automated system relaying the required information;
• (c) A notification sent through the school’s automated student information system;
• (d) A text-based communication sent to the parent’s or other emergency contact’s electronic wireless communications device;
• (e) A notification sent to the email address of the parent or other emergency contact; or
• (f) A visit, in person, to the student’s residence of record.

A community school, community school governing authority, or community school employee is not liable for damages in a civil action for injury, death, or loss to person or property allegedly arising from a community school employee’s good faith efforts to comply with parental notification procedures. Parents or other responsible persons shall provide the School with their current home and/or work telephone numbers and home addresses, as well as emergency telephone numbers for such purposes.

Parental notification is not necessary when students are absent with legitimate excuse, to students who are in home-based, online, or internet- or computer-based instruction, or to students who were not expected to be in attendance at a particular school building due to the student’s participation in off-campus activities, including participation in a college credit plus program.

*May substitute any of the following documents for a birth certificate: 1) a passport or attested transcript showing the date and place of birth of the child; 2) an attested transcript of a birth certificate; 3) an attested transcript of a baptism certificate or other religious record showing the date and place of birth of the child; 4) an attested transcript of a hospital record showing date and place of birth, or 5) a birth affidavit.

R.C .109.65; R.C 3313.96; R.C. 3313.672; R.C. 3321.141.Appendix 252-A Missing Child Reporting and Marking Form and Appendix 252-B Missing Child Educational Program.