Absences

Parents have three days following their child's return to school to submit documentation to the school's attendance clerk for a recent absence. 

Parents and guardians can report a student absence or provide an excuse using one of the methods below.

ParentSquare

When an elementary student is marked absent for the day, or a middle or high school student is marked absent for one or more class periods, an automatic notification is sent to the parent(s) at 11:30 AM (AVC, CE, JJA, REACH, TRUCE) or 3:30 PM (IMMS, CHS, REACH). 

Parents are encouraged to respond to the notification to document and excuse the absence on the student's record.

Phone

Call your child's school and speak with the attendance clerk. They will update the absence in Skyward.

Important Note:

Sending a message your child's teacher about their absence from school is appreciated, but it will not ensure the information is communicated to the front office and updated in Skyward. To ensure the absence is documented correctly on the student's record, please be sure to also report using one of the two methods above. Thank you for your understanding.

General Information

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. A parent must provide an explanation for any absence upon the student’s arrival or return to school. The student must submit a note signed by the parent. The campus may accept a phone call from the parent but reserves the right to require a written note.

Texas has a law that requires children of specific ages to attend school, typically referred to as the compulsory attendance law. Parents have certain rights that exempt their child from compulsory attendance or authorize excused absences. The state requires a student to be present for 90 percent of the days a class is offered in order to receive credit for a course or a final grade. A parent can, however, petition a district’s attendance committee for their child to regain credit for a course or a final grade in certain cases if the child’s attendance is below 90 percent. While students are still responsible for missed work, parents may request that their child be excused for 1 to 5 hours per week to attend religious instruction. Parents may also remove their child from a class or activity that conflicts with their religious or moral beliefs by submitting a written request to their child’s teacher. These are discussed in the Student Handbook Code of Conduct.