Attendance Policies

Students enrolled in Pre-Kindergarten or Kindergarten are required to attend school and are subject to compulsory attendance laws for as long as they remain enrolled

Texas law requires students who are at least six years old (or younger students previously enrolled in first grade) and who have not yet reached their 19th birthday to attend school regularly. This requirement also applies to accelerated instruction programs, extended-year programs, and tutorial sessions unless the student qualifies for a legal exemption.

Students who voluntarily enroll or continue attending school after their 19th birthday are expected to attend regularly through the end of the school year. Students who accumulate more than five unexcused absences during a semester may have their enrollment revoked.

Important: Parents and/or students in Pre-K through Grade 12 may be subject to legal action if the student is absent without an excuse for ten or more days, or parts of days, within a six-month period.

If a student ages 6–19 accumulates three unexcused absences within a four-week period, the district is required to notify the parent or guardian. The notice will:

• Remind parents of their responsibility to monitor attendance and ensure their child attends school.
• Request a conference with school personnel.
• Inform families that the district will initiate truancy prevention measures, which may include:
  • A behavior improvement plan
  • School-based community service
  • Counseling or social service referrals
  • Other appropriate interventions

Texas law allows certain absences to be excused, provided the student completes any missed work. Excused absences may include:

• Religious holy days.
• Required court appearances.
• Activities related to obtaining U.S. citizenship.
• Documented medical or health-care appointments for the student or the student’s child, including autism-related services, provided the student returns to school the same day and submits documentation from the healthcare provider.
• Serious or life-threatening illnesses or related treatments certified by a physician.
• Court-ordered activities for students in state conservatorship.
• Activities required under a court-ordered service plan.
• Up to five days for children of military families to visit a parent, stepparent, or legal guardian who is deploying, on leave, or returning from certain deployments.
• Students in grades 6–12 who miss school to play “Taps” at a military honors funeral for a deceased veteran.
• Serving as a student early voting clerk.
• Participation in the student’s own U.S. naturalization oath ceremony.
• College visits for juniors and seniors.
• Military enlistment activities for students age 17 or older.
• Obtaining a driver’s license or learner permit for students age 15 or older who are enrolled in high school.
• Career investigation visits for juniors and seniors.

The District will excuse up to five absences per semester with a parent note. Absences beyond the fifth parent note are subject to campus approval. Submission of a parent note does not automatically guarantee that an absence will be excused.

If a student with a disability experiences attendance concerns, the student's ARD Committee or Section 504 Committee will determine whether additional evaluations or modifications to the student's Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 Plan are necessary.