Students enrolled in prekindergarten and kindergarten are required to attend school and are subject to the compulsory attendance requirements as long as they remain enrolled.

State law requires that a student between the ages of 6 and 19 attend school, as well as any applicable accelerated instruction program, extended year program, or tutorial session, unless the student is otherwise excused from attendance or legally exempt. State law requires attendance in an accelerated reading instruction program when kindergarten, first grade, or second grade students are assigned to such a program.

Parents will be notified in writing if their child is assigned to an accelerated reading instruction program as a result of a diagnostic reading instrument. A student will be required to attend any assigned accelerated instruction program, which may occur before or after school or during the summer, if the student does not meet the passing standards on the state assessment for his or her grade level and/or applicable subject area.

In an effort to collaborate with parents on behalf of students and their academic success, the school will send a notice to the student’s parent when a child between ages 6 and 19 incurs unexcused absences for three or more days or parts of days within a four-week period, as required by law, to remind the parent that it is the parent’s responsibility to monitor the student’s attendance and to require the student to come to school.

The notice will also inform the parent that the district will initiate truancy prevention measures and request a conference between school administrators and the parent. These measures will include a behavior improvement plan, school-based community service, or referrals to either in-school or out-of-school counseling or other social services. Any other measures considered appropriate by the district will also be initiated.

The truancy prevention facilitator for the district is Dr. Shannon Saylor. If you have questions about your student and the effect of his or her absences from school, please contact the facilitator or any other campus administrator.

A court of law may also impose penalties against a student’s parent if a school-aged student is deliberately not attending school. A complaint against the parent may be filed in court if the student is absent without excuse from school on ten or more days or parts of days within a six month period in the same school year.

After a student age 19 or older incurs a third unexcused absence, the district will send the student a letter as required by law explaining that the district may revoke the student’s enrollment for the remainder of the school year if the student has more than five unexcused absences in a semester.

As an alternative to revoking a student’s enrollment, the district may implement a behavior improvement plan.

A student who voluntarily attends or enrolls after his or her 19th birthday is required to attend each school day until the end of the school year. If a student age 19 or older has more than five unexcused absences in a semester, the district may revoke the student’s enrollment.

The student’s presence on school property thereafter would be unauthorized and may be considered trespassing. [See policy FEA.]

State law allows exemptions to the compulsory attendance requirements for several types of absences if the student makes up all work and submits proper documentation to the attendance clerk. These include the following activities and events:

• Religious holy days, including travel to/from
• Required court appearances
• Activities related to obtaining U.S. citizenship
• Documented health-care appointments for the student or a child of the student, including absences for recognized services for students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders, if the student comes to school or returns to school on the same day as the appointment. A note from the health-care provider must be submitted upon the student’s arrival or return to campus
• For students in the conservatorship (custody) of the state, An activity required under a court-ordered service plan; or Any other court-ordered activity, provided it is not practicable to schedule the student’s participation in the activity outside of school hours.

As listed in Section I at Children of Military Families, absences of up to five days will be excused for a student to visit with a parent, stepparent, or legal guardian who has been called to duty for, is on leave from, or immediately returned from certain deployments.

A junior or senior student’s absence of up to two days related to visiting a college or university will be considered an exemption, provided this has been authorized by the board under policy FEA(LOCAL), the student receives approval from the campus principal, follows the campus procedures to verify such a visit, and makes up any work missed.

An absence will also be considered an exemption if a student 17 years of age or older is pursuing enlistment in a branch of the U.S. armed services or Texas National Guard, provided the absence does not exceed four days during the period the student is enrolled in high school and the student provides verification to the district of these activities.

1. Perfect Attendance Rewards Each Month

1. 97.5%+ attendance each day = 10 minutes added to lunch
2. 3 absences of any type

1. SABIP
2. Email regarding SABIP
3. Parent 90% warning letter

4.          6 - 7 absences

1. Saturday School or Monday 3-hour for each to start time recovery
2. Parent Call each
3. 6 absences without excuse - Truancy Warning Letter
4. 2 weeks perfect attendance = reward (ie: coke, ice cream from machine)

5.   8 - 9 absences without excuse

1. Saturday School or Monday 3-hour for each
2. Parent Call each
3. 9 absences of any type results in parent violation letter
4. 9 absences without excuse results in truancy filing on next unexcused absence letter

6. 10 absences without excuse

1. File truancy
2. Email Notification of filing
3. Parent Call

Absences of up to two days in a school year will also be considered an exemption for a student serving as:

• An early voting clerk, provided the district’s board has authorized this in policy FEA(LOCAL), the student notifies his or her teachers, and the student receives approval from the principal prior to the absences.
• An election clerk, if the student makes up any work missed.
• An absence of a student in grades 6–12 for the purpose of sounding “Taps” at a military honors funeral for a deceased veteran will also be excused by the district.

Failure to Comply with Compulsory Attendance

ALL GRADE LEVELS:

School employees must investigate and report violations of the state compulsory attendance law. A student absent without permission from school; from any class; from required special programs, such as additional special instruction, termed “accelerated instruction” by the state; or from required tutorials will be considered in violation of the compulsory attendance law and subject to disciplinary action.

Students with Disabilities

If a student with a disability is experiencing attendance issues, the student’s ARD committee or Section 504 committee will be notified, and the committee will determine whether the attendance issues warrant an evaluation, a reevaluation, and/or modifications to the student's individualized education program or Section 504 plan, as appropriate.

Truancy Court

If a student ages 12–18 incurs unexcused absences on ten or more days or parts of days within a six-month period in the same school year, the district, in most circumstances, will refer the student to truancy court.  The offense of parent contributing to nonattendance, however, applies to parents of students who are subject to compulsory attendance, regardless of the student’s age. [See policies FEA(LEGAL) and FED(LEGAL).]

Attendance for Credit or Final Grade (Kindergarten–Grade 12)

To receive credit or a final grade in a class, a student in kindergarten–grade 12 must attend at least 90 percent of the days the class is offered. A student who attends at least 75 percent but fewer than 90 percent of the days the class is offered may receive credit or a final grade for the class if he or she completes a plan, approved by the principal, who allows the student to fulfill the instructional requirements for the class.

If a student attends less than 75 percent of the days a class is offered or has not completed the plan approved by the principal, then the student will be referred to the attendance review committee to determine whether there are extenuating circumstances for the absences and how the student can regain credit or a final grade lost because of absences. [See policy FEC.]

All absences, whether excused or unexcused, must be considered in determining whether a student has attended the required percentage of days. ALL absences accrue toward the total number of days a student is not in school, including those that are excused.

In determining whether there were extenuating circumstances for the absences, the attendance committee will use the following guidelines:

• If makeup work is completed, absences for the reasons listed above at Exemptions to Compulsory Attendance will be considered extenuating circumstances for purposes of attendance for credit or the award of a final grade.
• A transfer or migrant student begins to accumulate absences only after he or she has enrolled in the district.
• In reaching a decision about a student’s absences, the committee will attempt to ensure that it is in the best interest of the student.
• The committee will consider the acceptability and authenticity of documented reasons for the student’s absences.
• The committee will consider whether the absences were for reasons over which the student or the student’s parent could exercise any control.
• The committee will consider the extent to which the student has completed all assignments, mastered the essential knowledge and skills, and maintained passing grades in the course or subject.
• The student or parent will be given an opportunity to present any information to the committee about the absences and to talk about ways to earn or regain credit or a final grade.

The student or parent may appeal the committee’s decision to the board by following policy FNG(LOCAL).

The actual number of days a student must be in attendance to receive credit or a final grade will depend on whether the class is for a full semester or for a full year.

• The district must submit attendance of its students to the TEA reflecting attendance at a specific time each day.
• Official attendance is taken every day at 9:00AM which is during the second instructional hour as required by state rule.
• A student absent for any portion of the day, including at the official attendance-taking time, should follow the procedures below to provide documentation of the absence.

Documentation After an Absence (All Grade Levels)

• When a student is absent from school, the student—upon arrival or return to school—must bring a note signed by the parent that describes the reason for the absence.
• A phone call from the parent may be accepted, but the district reserves the right to require a written note.
• The campus will document in its attendance records for the student whether the absence is considered by the district to be excused or unexcused.
• Note: Unless the absence is for a statutorily allowed reason under compulsory attendance laws, the district is not required to excuse any absence, even if the parent provides a note explaining the absence.

Doctor’s Note after an Absence for Illness (All Grade Levels)

Within two days of returning to school, a student absent for more than five consecutive days because of a personal illness must bring a statement from a doctor or health clinic verifying the illness or condition that caused the student’s extended absence from school. Otherwise, the student’s absence may be considered unexcused and, if so, would be considered to be in violation of compulsory attendance laws. Should the student develop a questionable pattern of absences, the principal or attendance committee may require a statement from a doctor or health clinic verifying the illness or condition that caused the student’s absence from school to determine whether the absence or absences will be excused or unexcused. [See policy FEC(LOCAL).]

https://www.mytexaspublicschool.org/preparing-and-enrolling-your-child/attendance-requirements.aspx

https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.25.htm

https://tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/2019-2020%20Adopted%20SAAH.pdf