General Attendance Information
Attendance
Poor attendance can directly contribute to poor academic performance and lead to failure. Therefore, it is the responsibility and duty of both the school and the home to jointly encourage students to establish a good attendance record. Prompt, daily attendance in school and in every class should be a characteristic of all GISD students. Good attendance is a must to students that want to receive the maximum benefit from their educational experience.
Texas State Compulsory
Attendance Law
The Texas State Compulsory Attendance Law, Section 25.085, requires a child to attend school each school day for the entire period the program of instruction is provided, unless exempted by law, including students who have voluntarily enrolled in prekindergarten, kindergarten or after their 18th birthday. Violation of the law occurs when a child accumulates unexcused voluntary absences on 10 or more days or parts of days within a six-month period or three or more days or parts of days within a four-week period. Violation of the compulsory attendance law may result in referral(s) for court proceedings against the parent, guardian or student to enforce the law should the child not meet attendance exemption requirements for absences. More details are available in the handbook provided to students at each campus at the beginning of the school year. If you have questions pertaining to specific absences, please call the attendance office at the campus where your student is enrolled.
Notification of Absences
The District would ask the parent/guardian to call the school office when his/her student is absent from school. Within three days of the child’s return to school, he/she should bring a written statement which is signed by the parent/guardian giving the date and reason for the absence(s) and the student’s ID#. A parent’s/student’s failure to clarify an absence with the school office can have both academic and disciplinary consequences. If the parent/guardian knows in advance that his/her student will be absent from school, he/she should inform the school office prior to the absence; a written note from parent/guardian must still follow within 3 days of student’s return to school. School will have a notification system (i.e., warning letters, master phone system) to apprise the parent/guardian of his/her student’s attendance.
Parental Notes Regarding Absences
When a student’s absences are deemed excessive by the school, the school may notify the parent/guardian/student that a personal note from home will no longer be acceptable to excuse the student’s absence(s). The notice will identify for the parent/guardian/student the expected procedure for having absences for the student excused. The school may request a doctor’s note or convey to the parent/guardian/student another appropriate method to help the student avoid circumstances that could result in unexcused absences.
Partial Day Absence
A partial day absence occurs when a student is not present for a certain period of the school day. The school should convey to parents/guardians/ students the time when the school day begins and ends. A student’s unauthorized “late arrival to” or “early dismissal from” school can be deemed a partial absence by the school. The excused/unexcused status of a partial absence should be determined by the school using the same standards for determining the status of full day absences. The compulsory attendance law requires that a child attend school each day for the entire period that a school’s program is provided.