2026-27 Elementary Attendance Challenge
2026-27 Elementary Attendance Challenge
Beginning Sept. 1, Mesquite ISD elementary students have another reason to make every school day count with the More Than a School Day Attendance Challenge.
Students can celebrate along the way with monthly campus celebrations, and students who maintain perfect attendance throughout the challenge can earn an end-of-year trip to Urban Air Adventure Park.
The Mesquite ISD Education Foundation and a generous $22,500 donation from BJ’s Wholesale Club made the challenge possible.
Be Here Every Day and Celebrate at School
Each month, Pre-K through fifth-grade students with perfect attendance will take part in a special celebration at their school. Attendance toward the first monthly celebration will be counted beginning September 1, 2026.
To qualify, students must:
- Have perfect attendance for the entire month.
- Be at school on the first school day of the following month.
Each campus plans its own monthly celebrations, so families should watch for details from their child's school.
Be Here All Year and Celebrate at Urban Air
Keep it going all year!
Kindergarten through fifth-grade students who maintain perfect attendance throughout the challenge can earn an end-of-year field trip to Urban Air Adventure Park in Mesquite.
Eligible Pre-K and Special Education students will receive a certificate for a free visit to Urban Air with their families at a time that works best for them.
Perfect Attendance for This Challenge
For the More Than a School Day Attendance Challenge, perfect attendance is based on these guidelines:
Present by 9:30 a.m.
Students who are present by 9:30 a.m. will be counted as present for the challenge. Students who arrive after the start of the school day will still be marked tardy for TEA reporting purposes.
Thank You, BJ’s Wholesale Club!
The More Than a School Day Attendance Challenge is made possible through a generous $22,500 donation from BJ’s Wholesale Club to support student attendance in Mesquite ISD. We appreciate BJ’s Wholesale Club for helping us celebrate the importance of being at school every day.
FAQs
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- If the student is present at 9:30 a.m., the student is considered present (P) with the state, district and campus.
- If the student is not present at 9:30 a.m., the student is considered absent (A) with the state, district, and campus.
- If the school receives proper documentation and the student attends part of the school day, the student will be present (O) and eligible for the attendance incentive.
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With documentation from the healthcare provider, the student's present (P) or absent (A) will be changed to an O, according to district procedures aligned with state guidelines cited in the SAAH (State Attendance and Accounting Handbook).
- If the student is present at 9:30 a.m., the student is considered present (P) with the state, district and campus.
- If the student is not present at 9:30 a.m., the student is considered absent (A) with the state, district and campus.
- If proper documentation is received by the school and the student attends part of the school day, the student's absence will be changed to an O, and the student will be eligible for the attendance incentive.
According to the SAAH (State Attendance and Accounting Handbook), the student must attend part of the school day.
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- If the student is not present at 9:30 a.m., the student is considered absent (A) with the state, district and campus.
- If proper documentation is received by the school and the student attends part of the school day, the student's absence will be changed to an O, and the student will be eligible for the attendance incentive.
According to the SAAH (State Attendance and Accounting Handbook), the student must attend part of the school day.
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No, tardies do not affect eligibility for the perfect attendance incentive as long as the student arrives before 9:30 a.m.
Students who arrive at school after 9:30 a.m., the elementary official attendance submission time, are marked absent (A).
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- If the student is present at 9:30 a.m., the student is considered present (P) with the state, district and campus.
- An early release does not count against perfect attendance unless the student is not present at 9:30 a.m.
- There are exceptions for documented medical appointments and some other state-provided circumstances.
Documented medical appointments and other specific state-provided reasons may be allowed. Parents should follow up with the campus for more information.
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A full-day absence, whether excused or unexcused, would make the student ineligible for the perfect attendance incentive. In this case, the student did not attend any part of the school day.
If the student is not present at 9:30 a.m., the student is considered absent (A) with the state, district and campus.
According to the SAAH (State Attendance and Accounting Handbook), the student must attend part of the school day.
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No. The attendance incentive is only happening at the elementary level this year.
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Yes. Attendance classifications and incentive eligibility requirements are standardized districtwide.
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For example, several elementary campuses have a school day from 7:50 a.m. to 3:20 p.m. and classify leaving before 3:00 p.m. as a partial absence. If your child attends school from 7:50 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. and then leaves for a documented doctor's appointment, how does that affect their attendance record and eligibility for the incentive?
- If the student is present at 9:30 a.m., the student is considered present (P) with the state, district and campus.
- The student would remain eligible for the incentive. For the incentive, a partial absence like the one described in this example would be treated much like a tardy.
- However, regarding truancy, recoup and other non-incentive situations, this would not be the case.