Calling in for absent students:  A parent or guardian must call the school by 10:00 am on the day of the absence in order for it to be excused. All calls should be directed to the attendance office at 972-882-7888. If we do not receive a call on the day of the absence, the absence will be unexcused. In addition, we do not accept written notes for absences.

Excused absences:  Student illness, medical appointments, court appointments, funerals, and religious holy days are considered excused absences. Students who are home due to illness are excused if the parent calls on the day of the absence. If the student misses three consecutive days of school, a doctor’s note will be required to excuse the absences. After 3 call-ins due to student illness, a doctor’s note will be required to excuse all absences.

According to the State of Texas, a student who is in attendance for a portion of the school day (in our case, 45 minutes of one period) and then attends a medical appointment will be counted present if the student submits a dated doctor's note upon his or her return. This also applies for mandatory court appointments. Students must have the note submitted within one week of the appointment in order for it to be excused.

Students who attend funerals are required to submit a funeral program or obituary for documentation upon return.

Religious holy days do not count as an absence for the student if documentation is submitted. You can find further information about religious holy days under Texas Education Code Section 25.087.

Unexcused absences:  Going out of town, DMV appointments, job interviews, visiting family, running errands, or other personal matters are considered unexcused absences according to state law. Students are not allowed to make up any worked missed for unexcused absences. If a student is attending a family event out-of-town, please contact the attendance office to make prior arrangements. In certain circumstances we may allow one day to be excused, but only if prior arrangements have been made.

Late arrivals and early dismissals:  All students who arrive to school after 9 a.m. must sign-in in the Attendance Office. Students that have early release must sign-out at the Kiosk. Students who arrive late or leave early without signing in/out will be marked “unexcused” from the classes and disciplinary action will be taken.

If a student feels ill during the school day he/she must go through the clinic to be excused. The school nurse will contact the parents and arrange for the student to be released.

Students are not allowed to sign themselves out, regardless of age. Parental notification must be received in the office before any students will be released, and students must sign out when they are leaving.
Oversleeping and personal reasons for late arrivals will not be considered excused. If you feel the circumstances for late arrival are extenuating, please contact the attendance office to discuss the matter; otherwise, the absence will be considered unexcused. to top

Tardies: Students will be given a 5 minute transition period between each period during the school day. A “Warning” bell will ring during each transition, notifying students that they have 1 minute to make it to class before the Tardy bell. Any student that arrives to class after the Tardy bell will be required to sign the teacher’s Tardy Log.
     Students that arrive to class 5 minutes after the Tardy bell are considered to be Excessively Tardy. These students should be sent to the office with a referral at the conclusion of Prime Time.
     Students that arrive to class 25 minutes after the Tardy bell should be sent to the office to sign in, at which point they will also receive appropriate disciplinary action. See Tardy Policy for appropriate Disciplinary Action

College Days:  Juniors and seniors will be allowed to take two college days and still maintain their exemptions. Upon returning, students must submit an original letter on the college’s letterhead that verifies the student’s visit. Any days beyond the two will be considered excused absences, but the student will lose their exemptions.

Truancy Laws:  According to the State of Texas, any child between the ages of 6 and 18, or a person who voluntarily enrolls in school or voluntarily attends school after the person's 18th birthday shall attend school each school day for the entire period the program of instruction is offered. Students who accumulate 3 or more unexcused absences in a 4 week period or 10 or more absences in a 6 month period are considered truant according to state law. When this occurs, it is the legal responsibility of the school district to file a complaint with the proper court against the student and/or parent or guardian. All of this information can be found in Chapter 25 of the Texas Education Code or in the Student Code of Conduct.

Exemption policy: A student may be exempt from semester exams if he or she meets the following criteria:

• Perfect attendance (class by class basis)
• Passing the course with a minimum of a 70
• No alternative educational placements (ISS, ISIP, or Challenge)
• No more than 3 tardies per class per semester (class by class basis)

Students who are exempt must still attend their classes on exam days during the fall semester but do not have to attend school if they are exempt in the spring semester.

Recoup dates for the 1st semester are as follows:

• October 19, 2011 thru December 20, 2011
  
• RECOUP hours are Wednesdays 4-5 pm and Saturdays from 9-12.
  

Recoup dates for the 2nd semester are as follows:

Recoup 2nd Semester -

• March 21, 2012 thru May 31, 2012
  
• RECOUP hours are Wednesdays 4-5 pm and Saturdays from 9-12.
  

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Recoup Policies

• There are no recoup days after final exams or before school. If you have to work or have early release, it is YOUR responsibility to make arrangements to attend the times offered. (If you attend recoup on Saturdays, you will receive credit for 4 classes) You must stay the entire time.
• Students understand it is their responsibility to check with the attendance office from this date forward. If a student is denied credit, letters will be sent to the home at the address the office has on file. Students will not be called down every time they miss another day.
• If you have to work or have early release, YOU need to make arrangements to attend the times offered. If the student is denied credit, letters will be sent to the home at the address the office has on file.  Students will not be called down every time they miss another day.  It is the student’s responsibility to keep up with absences and hours they need.

Rules:

1. No talking or passing notes
2. No sleeping or heads on desks
3. No late arrivals
4. If removed, no credit will be given and disciplinary actions will occur if merited.
5. All school rules apply.
6. Must have schoolwork to do or an appropriate book to read.

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View written district policy

If you have any questions regarding the attendance policy,
please contact Mr. Waller at 972/882-7800 or E-mail Attendance.