Attendance

Texas law requires students subject to compulsory attendance to attend school each instructional day unless exempt or excused by law. Parents and guardians are responsible for ensuring their child attends school regularly.

Ages 6-18

State law requires that a student who is at least six years of age, or who is younger than six years of age and has previously been enrolled in first grade, and who has not yet reached their 19th birthday, shall 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.

A student will be required to attend any assigned accelerated instruction program before or after school or during the summer if the student does not meet the passing standards on an applicable subject area state assessment.

Age 19 and Older

A student who voluntarily attends or enrolls after their 19th birthday is required to attend each school day until the end of the school year. If the student incurs 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 for more information.] 

Compulsory Attendance - Exemptions

All Grade Levels

State law allows exemptions to the compulsory attendance requirements, as long as the student makes up all work, for the following activities and events:

• Religious holy days
• Required court appearances
• Appearing at a governmental office to obtain U.S. citizenship
• Taking part in a US naturalization oath ceremony
• Serving as an election clerk
• Health-care appointments for the student or a child of the student, including absences related to autism services and mental health appointments
• Absences resulting from a serious or life-threatening illness or related treatment that makes a student’s attendance infeasible, with certification by a physician on the district’s form
• Absences for attendance in a released time course in religious instruction
• For students in the conservatorship of the state:
  • An activity required under a court-ordered service plan
  • Any other court-ordered activity, provided it is not practicable to schedule the student’s participation in the activity outside of school hours

For children of military families, absences of up to five days will be excused for a student to visit a parent, stepparent, or legal guardian going to, on leave from, or returning from certain deployments. [See Children of Military Families]

Note that documented health-care appointments may include telehealth appointments. Students who are physically on campus will not be allowed to participate in telehealth or other online appointments without specific authorization from an appropriate administrator. Students should not use district-issued technology, including Wi-Fi or internet, for telehealth appointments because use of district-owned equipment and its network systems is not private and may be monitored by the district. For more information, see Personal Communications and Other Electronic Devices (All Grade Levels).

Secondary Grade Levels

The district will allow a student who is 15 years of age or older to be absent for one day to obtain a learner license and one day to obtain a driver’s license, provided that the board has authorized such excused absences under policy FEA(LOCAL). The student will be required to provide documentation of the visit to the driver’s license office for each absence and must make up any work missed.

The district will allow junior and senior students to be absent for up to two days per year to visit a college or university if the following conditions are met:

• The board has authorized such excused absences under policy FEA(LOCAL)
• The principal has approved the student’s absence
• The student follows campus procedures to verify the visit and makes up any work missed

The district will allow a student 17 years old or older to be absent for up to four days during the period the student is enrolled in high school to pursue enlistment in the U.S. armed services or Texas National Guard, provided the student verifies these activities to the district.

The district will allow a student to be absent for up to two days during the student’s junior year and two days during the student’s senior year for a career investigation day to visit a professional at that individual’s workplace to determine the student’s interest in pursuing a career in the professional’s field, provided the student verifies these activities to the district.

The district will allow a student to be absent for up to two days per school year to serve as:

• An early voting clerk, if the district’s board has authorized this in policy FEA(LOCAL), the student notifies their teachers, and the student receives approval from the principal prior to the absences
• An election clerk, if the student makes up any work missed

The district will allow a student in grades 6-12 to be absent for the purpose of sounding “Taps” at a military honors funeral for a deceased veteran.

Compulsory Attendance - Failure to Comply

All Grade Levels

School employees must investigate and report violations of the compulsory attendance law.

A student who is absent without permission from school, any class, any required special program, or any required tutorial will be considered in violation of the compulsory attendance law and subject to disciplinary action.

The District will provide required notices and implement truancy-prevention measures when a student develops a pattern of unexcused absences. Continued nonattendance may result in additional interventions, referral to truancy court, or other action permitted by law.

Students with Disabilities

If a student with a disability is experiencing attendance issues, the student’s ARD or Section 504 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.

Ages 6-18

When a student age 6-18 incurs three or more unexcused absences within a four-week period, the law requires the school to send notice to the parent.

The notice will:

• Remind the parent of their duty to monitor the student’s attendance and require the student to attend school
• Request a conference between school administrators and the parent
• Inform the parent that the district will initiate truancy prevention measures, including a behavior improvement plan, school-based community service, referrals to counseling or other social services, or other appropriate measures

The truancy prevention facilitator for the district is:

Cynthia De La Garza Gonzales, M.Ed., MSW, CSC, NCTS
Director of Special Programs
100 Med High Dr., Mercedes, TX 78570
956-260-2260

For any questions about student absences, parents should contact the facilitator or any other campus administrator.

A court of law may impose penalties against the parent if a school-aged student is deliberately not attending school. The district may file a complaint against the parent if the student incurs 10 or more unexcused absences within a six-month period in the same school year.

If a student age 12-18 incurs 10 or more unexcused absences within a six-month period in the same school year, the district, in most circumstances, will refer the student to truancy court.

[See policies FEA(LEGAL) and FED(LEGAL) for more information.]

Age 19 and Older

After a student age 19 or older incurs a third unexcused absence, the district is required by law to send the student a letter 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.

To receive credit or a final grade in a class, a student must attend the class at least 90 percent of the days it is offered unless an attendance committee awards credit or a final grade under applicable law and District procedures. A student who attends at least 75 percent but fewer than 90 percent of the days may receive credit or a final grade if they complete a plan, approved by the principal, that allows the student to fulfill the class’s instructional requirements. If a student is involved in a criminal or juvenile court proceeding, the judge presiding over the case must also approve the plan before the student receives credit or a final grade.

If a student attends fewer than 75 percent of the class days or does not complete the principal-approved plan, then the attendance review committee will determine whether there are extenuating circumstances for the absences and how the student can regain credit or a final grade. [See policy FEC for more information.]

Except for absences due to serious or life-threatening illness or related treatment, all absences, excused or unexcused, may be held against a student’s attendance requirement. To determine whether there were extenuating circumstances for any absences, the principal or attendance committee will consider:

• Whether the student has mastered the essential knowledge and skills and maintained passing grades in the course or subject.
• Whether the student has completed makeup work satisfactorily. If the student completes makeup work, absences listed under Compulsory Attendance — Exemptions and absences for extracurricular activities will be considered extenuating circumstances.
• Whether the student or the student’s parent had any control over the absences.
• Any information presented by the student or parent to the committee about the absences.

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

Meeting the 90-percent requirement does not eliminate compulsory-attendance consequences arising from unexcused absences.

Official Attendance-Taking Time (All Grade Levels)

The district will take official attendance every day at 10:55 a.m.

A student absent for any portion of the day should follow the procedures below to provide documentation of the absence.

Documentation After an Absence (All Grade Levels)

When a student is absent, the parent must provide an explanation for the absence and submit documentation in accordance with district procedures. The student or parent must submit a written note, signed by the parent, within five school days of the student’s return to school.

The district will accept up to five parent notes per student per school year to document absences. Once the five-parent-note limit has been reached, additional absences must be supported by official documentation from a healthcare provider or other documentation acceptable under applicable law, Texas Education Agency requirements, Board policy, or district procedures in order to be considered for an excused absence.

Submission of a parent note, healthcare provider documentation, or other documentation does not automatically make an absence excused. The district will determine whether an absence qualifies as excused in accordance with applicable law, Board policy, and district procedures.

A note signed by the student will not be accepted unless the student is age 18 or older or is an emancipated minor under state law.

The campus will document in its attendance records whether the absence is excused or unexcused.

Note: The district is not required to excuse an absence solely because a parent provides a note explaining the absence. Absences that qualify for an exemption from compulsory attendance or are otherwise required to be excused by law will be handled in accordance with applicable law and Board policy.

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

Within five days of returning to school, a student who is absent for more than three 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 absence. Otherwise, the absence may be considered unexcused and in violation of compulsory attendance laws.

If the student develops 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 absence to determine whether an absence will be excused or unexcused.

Certification of Absence Due to Severe Illness or Treatment

If a student is absent because of a serious or life-threatening illness or related treatment that makes a student’s attendance infeasible, a parent must provide certification from a physician licensed to practice in Texas specifying the student’s illness and the anticipated period of absence related to the illness or treatment on the district’s form. A parent may access the required form through the district website.