Skip To Main Content

 

Every Day Counts

When it comes to school, students who miss school miss out. Parents who want their child(ren) to succeed in school make daily attendance a priority.  There is much research to support the fact that there is a very strong connection between student attendance and student performance in school.  When a student is absent from school, he/she misses out on experiences and opportunities to learn, build lasting friendships, and develop the skills and attitudes needed to become successful adults, productive citizens and valued employees.

For every day of school missed, it takes two or more days for a student to catch up. Except in the case of illness, many school absences can be avoided with a little extra effort. 

Parents, join forces with us to eliminate absences that can be prevented by making every effort to schedule medical and other appointments outside school hours and by making sure your children get plenty of sleep so they arrive at school on time ready and eager to learn.

Texas Attendance Laws

Regular school attendance is essential for a student to make the most of his or her education—to benefit from teacher-led and school activities, to build each day’s learning on the previous day’s and to grow as an individual.  Absences from class may result in serious disruption of a student’s mastery of the instructional materials; therefore, the student should make every effort to avoid unnecessary absences.

Two state laws are discussed below:  one dealing with the required presence of school-aged children in school (Compulsory Attendance) and the other dealing with how attendance affects promotion/retention and the awarding of a student’s final grade or course credit (Attendance for Class Credit or 90% rule).

Compulsory Attendance

  1. A child who is required to attend school under this section shall attend school each school day for the entire period the program of instruction is provided.

  2. Unless specifically exempted by Section 25.086, a child 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 the child's 19th birthday shall attend school.

  3. On enrollment in prekindergarten or kindergarten, a child shall attend school.

  4. Unless specifically exempted by Section 25.086, a student enrolled in a school district must attend:

    1. an extended-year program for which the student is eligible that is provided by the district for students identified as likely not to be promoted to the next grade level or tutorial classes required by the district under Section 29.084;

    2. an accelerated reading instruction program to which the student is assigned under Section 28.006(g);

    3. an accelerated instruction program to which the student is assigned under Section 28.0211;

    4. a basic skills program to which the student is assigned under Section 29.086;  or

    5. a summer program provided under Section 37.008(l) or Section 37.021.

  5. A person who voluntarily enrolls in school or voluntarily attends school after the person's 19th birthday shall attend school each school day for the entire period the program of instruction is offered.  A school district may revoke for the remainder of the school year the enrollment of a person who has more than five absences in a semester that are not excused under Section 25.087, except a school district may not revoke the enrollment of a person under this subsection on a day on which the person is physically present at school.  A person whose enrollment is revoked under this subsection may be considered an unauthorized person on school district grounds for purposes of Section 37.107.

  6. The board of trustees of a school district may adopt a policy requiring a person described by Subsection (e) who is under 21 years of age to attend school until the end of the school year. Section 65.003(a), Family Code, does not apply to a person subject to a policy adopted under this subsection. Sections 25.093 and 25.095 do not apply to the parent of a person subject to a policy adopted under this subsection.

  7. After the third unexcused absence of a person described by Subsection (e), a school district shall issue a warning letter to the person that states the person's enrollment may be revoked for the remainder of the school year if the person has more than five unexcused absences in a semester.

  8. As an alternative to revoking a person's enrollment under Subsection (e), a school district may impose a behavior improvement plan described by Section 25.0915(a-1)(1).

Between Ages 6 and 19
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.  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.

Age 19 and Older
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.]

Failure to Comply with Compulsory Attendance 
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.

Between Ages 6 and 19
When a student between ages 6 and 19 incurs unexcused absences for three or more days or parts of days within a four-week period, the school will send a notice to the student’s parent, as required by law, to remind the parent that it is the parent’s duty to monitor his or her child’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.

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 for truant conduct.  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, and the parent is subject to prosecution for parent contributing to non-attendance.  [See policy FEA (LEGAL).]

Age 19 and Older
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.