Regular school attendance is essential. Absences from class may result in serious disruption of a student’s education. The student and parent should avoid unnecessary absences. 

Two important state laws deal with compulsory attendance and how attendance affects the award of a student’s final grade or course credit.

Compulsory Attendance

Prekindergarten and Kindergarten
Students enrolled in prekindergarten or kindergarten are required to attend school and are subject to the compulsory attendance requirements as long as they remain enrolled.

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.

State law requires a student in kindergarten–grade 2 to attend any assigned accelerated reading instruction program. Parents will be notified in writing if their child is assigned to an accelerated reading instruction program based on a diagnostic reading instrument.

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 his or her 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 for the following activities and events, as long as the student makes up all work:

• Religious holy days;
• Required court appearances;
• Activities related to obtaining U.S. citizenship;
• Documented healthcare appointments for the student or a child of the student, including absences related to autism services, if the student returns to school on the same day of the appointment and brings a note from the healthcare provider; 
• Absences resulting from a serious or life-threatening illness or related treatment that makes a student’s attendance infeasible, with certification by a physician; 
• For students in the conservatorship of the state,
• An activity required under a court-ordered service plan; or
• 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. For more information, click here.

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 must provide documentation of his or her visit to the driver’s license office for each absence and make up any work missed. For more information, click here.

The district will allow junior and senior students to be absent for up to two days per year to visit a college or university, provided: 

• The board has authorized such excused absences under policy FEA(LOCAL);
• The principal has approved the student’s absence; and
• 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 per school year to serve as:

• An early voting clerk, provided the district’s board has authorized this in policy FEA(LOCAL), the student notifies his or her teachers, and the student receives approval from the principal before the absences; or
• 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 absent without permission from the 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.

Students with Disabilities
Suppose a student with a disability is experiencing attendance issues. In that case, 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 ages 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 his or her duty to monitor the student’s attendance and require the student to attend school;
• Request a conference between school administrators and the parent; and
• 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:

Misty McWilliams, Principal
misty.mcwilliams@roby.esc14.net
325.776.2222

Parents should contact the facilitator or any other campus administrator for any questions about student absences.

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 ten or more unexcused absences within a six-month period in the same school year.

If a student aged 12–18 incurs ten 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. The district may implement a behavior improvement plan as an alternative to revoking a student’s enrollment.

Attendance for Credit or Final Grade

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. A student who attends at least 75 percent but fewer than 90 percent of the days may receive credit or a final grade if he or she completes a plan approved by the principal that allows the student to fulfill the class’s instructional requirements. Suppose a student is involved in a criminal or juvenile court proceeding. In that case, the judge presiding over the case must also approve the plan before the student receives credit or a final grade.

Suppose a student attends fewer than 75 percent of the class days or does not complete the principal-approved plan. In that case, 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 attendance committee will use the following guidelines:

• Absences listed under Compulsory Attendance for Exemptions will be considered extenuating circumstances if makeup work is completed.
• A transfer or migrant student incurs absences only after he or she has enrolled in the district.
• The attendance committee will consider absences incurred due to the student’s participation in board-approved extracurricular activities as extenuating circumstances if the student makes up the work missed in each class.
• The committee will consider the acceptability and authenticity of documented reasons for the student’s absences.
• The committee will consider whether the student or the parent had any control over the absences.
• The committee will consider the extent to which the student has completed all assignments, mastered the essential knowledge and skills, and maintained passing grades in the course or subject.
• The student or parent will be allowed to present any information to the committee about the absences and discuss ways to earn or regain credit or a final grade.

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

Official Attendance-Taking Time
The district will take official attendance every day at 9:30 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
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. 

A note signed by the student will not be accepted unless the student is 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.

Be aware the district is not required to excuse any absence, even if the parent provides a note explaining the absence, unless the absence is an exemption under compulsory attendance laws.

Doctor’s Note after an Absence for Illness
Within 3 days of returning to school, a student absent for more than 3 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 violates compulsory attendance laws.

Should the student develop 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 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.