EXCUSED ABSENCES
Acceptable excuses for absences are listed below and require a parent and/or doctor’s note:
Personal Illness (must provide documentation after 3 consecutive days)
Dental or doctor appointments, or health services provided to Medicaid-eligible students
Death in the family (immediate family only)
Quarantine (as determined by a medical official) – must provide documentation
Observance of religious holy days (must provide documentation)
Suspensions (no parent note required)
Please note that planned vacation days are not excused absences and will be counted as unexcused.
We must have every student that is well at school every day. It is each parent’s duty to monitor their child’s attendance and request a conference with school officials to discuss any attendance concerns. In HISD schools, a student must attend at least 90% of the days the course meets during the school year to receive credit for a course. 90% attendance is a promotion standard. Students will be required to attend summer school if not attending at least 90% of the school days. All absences count (whether excused or unexcused) towards earning class credit. This means that an elementary school student will fail to meet the State of Texas promotion standards of being in class at least 90% of class days if their attendance rate falls below 90% for the year.
State law provides that if a student is absent from school without excuse for any portion of the school day for three days in a four-week period or for ten or more days in a six-month period, the student and the student’s parent or legal guardian are subject to prosecution by the Harris County Justice of the Peace Courts or Municipal Courts.
Parents can help their child(ren) and our staff by sending a note each and every time that a child returns to school after an absence. The note should have the following information:
Date
Child’s first and last name
Date of the absence(s)
Reason for the absence
Please support your child by ensuring that any absences are unavoidable and are followed with a written excuse when he/she returns to school.
COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE LAW
The Texas Legislature has passed laws stating that a student shall be required to attend school for the entire instructional period (school year). If a student is absent from school without excuse for any portion of the school day for three (3) days in a four-week period or for ten (10) or more days in a six-month period, the student and the student’s parent or legal guardian are subject to prosecution by the Harris County Justice of the Peace Courts. The student may also be referred to a juvenile court.
Absences may be considered “excused” according to Board Policy (see Attendance). Vacations and trips out of the country during the time school is still in session are not considered excused absences.
It is a parent’s duty to require the student to attend school, monitor the student’s attendance and request a conference with school officials to discuss any concerns about attendance.
Recent legislation requires school districts to file truancy complaints with an appropriate court within seven school days of a student’s tenth (10th) unexcused absence when all the ten (10) unexcused absences occurred within a six-month period during the same school year.
MAKE UP WORK
Students with excused absences will be allowed to make up all work within five days of their return to school. Students absent due to a documented lengthy illness or emergency will be handled on an individual basis.
HISD Attendance Policy: https://www.houstonisd.org/Page/71976