In accordance with Texas Education Code (TEC), Section 25.085, children between ages 6 through 18, are required to attend school unless otherwise exempted by law. Under this law, “A child who is required to attend school under this section shall attend each school day for the entire period the program of instruction is provided.” In addition, per TEC Section 25.085(d), students enrolled in a school district must attend:

1. An extended-year program for which the student is eligible that is provided by the district for students identified as likely not to be promoted to the next grade level or tutorial required by the district under Section 29.084.
2. An accelerated reading instruction program to which the student is assigned under Section

28.006 (g).

3. An accelerated instruction program to which the student is assigned under Section 28.0211.
4. A basic skills program to which the student is assigned under Section 29.086; or
5. A summer program provided under Section 37.008(l) or Section 37.021.

School employees investigate and report violations of the state compulsory attendance law.

Parents/guardians have a duty to monitor their child’s school attendance and require their child to attend school daily. Failure to do so will necessitate the need for you and your child to be subject to truancy prevention measures requiring the school, you, and your child to develop an individualized attendance plan (IAP) for your child.

At the beginning of the school year all parents/guardians will be notified in writing of the state attendance requirements. Under the law, if the student is absent from school on ten (10) or more days or parts of days within a six-month period in the same school year:

1. • The campus shall impose an individual attendance plan (IAP) in accordance with TEC 25.0915 beginning at three (3) unexcused absences.
   • May refer the student to counseling, mediation, mentoring, a teen court program, community- based services, or other in/out of school services aimed at addressing the student’s truancy.
   • The student’s parent/guardian is subject to prosecution in accordance with TEC 25.093.
   • The student, if age appropriate, is subject to referral to a truancy court for truant conduct under Section 65.003 Family Code.

Parents/guardians are asked to call the school to report when students are absent. If the school is not notified early, school personnel will attempt to call the parent/guardian. In addition to a phone call to the school, students who have been absent must also bring a written, signed statement by parent/guardian explaining the reason for the absence following their return to school after students were absent.

Students may also be required to have a note from the physician if the absences are excessive or as additional documentation for extenuating circumstances.

Should the student develop a questionable pattern of absences, the principal and/or attendance committee may require a statement from a doctor or health clinic verifying the illness or condition that caused the student’s absence from school to determine whether the absences will be excused, extenuating, or unexcused.

Attendance Warning Notice

In accordance with TEC 25.095, a school district shall notify a student’s parent/guardian if the student has been absent from school, without an excuse, on three (3) days or parts of days within a four-week period. The notice must:

1. 1. 1. Inform the parent that:
         1. It is the parent’s duty to monitor the student’s school attendance and require the student to attend school; and
         2. The student is subject to truancy prevention measures under Section 25.0915; and
      2. Request a conference between school officials and the parent/guardian to discuss the absences.

To satisfy this law, North East ISD sends an automated written warning notice either by email or regular mail when a student accrues three (3) unexcused absences. To avoid receiving this automated notice, it is imperative that the parent/guardian turn in to the school proper documentation daily to excuse each absence.

Enforcement of Attendance

Excessive absences from school shall be investigated by the District Attendance Officers or designated school officials. The District will issue a warning notice when a student accumulates unexcused absences as specified in Section 25.095b. With the accumulation of unexcused absences, the Attendance Officer shall file a complaint against the parent(s)/guardian(s) in an appropriate court. It is not a defense to prosecution that the student has engaged in attendance recovery, credit retrieval, or that the parent has not received the notice of unexcused absences (Section 25.095c).

The district must submit attendance of its students to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) reflecting attendance at a specific time each day. The official state accounting time shall be determined by the absences recorded at the following times each day:

Middle School: 9:45 a.m. High School: 10:15 a.m.

State law requires that a student may not be given credit for a class unless the student is in attendance for at least 90 percent of the time the class is scheduled to meet. If students’ attendance is less than 90 percent of the days the class meets, students will lose credit unless each class is made up in an acceptable manner, such as Saturday School, after school hours, or an arrangement of time that is approved by the campus administrator. For high school, students may lose credit on the 10th absence from a class. When students' attendance drops below 90 percent but remains at least 75 percent of the days the class is offered, they may earn credit for the class by completing a plan to meet the instructional requirements of the class as determined by the principal. If students fail to successfully complete the plan, or when their attendance drops below 75 percent of the days the class is offered, students and parents/guardians may request award of credit by submitting a written petition to the appropriate attendance committee at the campus. Unusual extenuating circumstances would be a basis for appeal to the attendance review committee.

The structure of the review committee, the procedures, and criteria to be considered are available from the campus administration.

Acceptable Reasons for an Absence as Defined by State Law with approved documentation to verify absence:

• Required court appearance (including travel time if necessary - one day to and one day from county/city of the court requesting the student's attendance).
• Religious holy day(s) (including travel time if necessary).
• For the purpose of sounding “Taps” at a military honors funeral held in Texas for a deceased veteran.
• A portion of a school day is missed for a doctor/dentist appointment and the absence is verified by a signed note or form by the doctor within the time allotted for the student or the student’s child.
• Activities related to student obtaining United States citizenship.
• Student serving as an election clerk (maximum of two (2) days per school year).
• Documented health-care appointments, including absences for recognized services for students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders.
• Maximum of two (2) days per year for a junior or a senior to visit a college/university (the appropriate school form is complete and returned to the attendance office for verification).
• A student 17 years of age or older is pursuing enlistment in a branch of the U.S. armed services or Texas National Guard, provided the absence does not exceed four (4) days and the student provides verification to the district of these activities.
• District approved school business based on State guidelines and required documentation.
• Meets requirements as outlined in the Military Interstate Compact (maximum of five (5) days per school year within a window of 60 days prior to deployment and 30 days after the date of return from deployment).
• A student who is 15 years of age or older may not excuse more than one day of school during the period the student is enrolled in high school to visit a driver’s license office for each of the following reasons: to obtain a learner’s permit or driver’s license (proof of the DMV visit must be provided to the school for verification).
• Admission to an outpatient day treatment program or partial hospitalization program, under the care of a health care professional licensed, certified, or registered to practice in Texas, for the authorized treatment period. The discharge summary must include treatment, admission and discharge dates to be provided to the school by the family upon return to school as documentation to excuse absences.

• Shadowing district magnet programs
• The district will allow a student to be absent for up to two days during the student’s junior year and two days during the student’s senior year for a career investigation day to visit a professional at that individual’s workplace to determine the student’s interest in pursuing a career in the professional’s field, provided the student verifies these activities to the district.

Acceptable Reasons for an Extenuating Absence as Defined by the District with approved documentation to verify absence:

• Hospitalization.
• Death in the family.
• Sport related competitions for approved off-campus physical education credit.
• Olympic try-outs.
• Visit by a religious leader or a major religious event that is not considered a holy day.
• Visa renewals-up to three (3) days only if necessary for the travel (one day to, day of renewal, and one day return).
• A full day’s absence due to a doctor/dentist appointment that is verified by a signed note or form by the doctor within the time allotted.

Acceptable Reasons for an Excused Absence as Defined by the District with approved documentation to verify absence:

• Personal or family illness verified by a note from parent/guardian following the absence.
• Natural disasters, weather or road conditions as declared by the District making travel dangerous.
• Death outside the family.
• Attending a special school function, without a school sponsor and identified by the District (ex: State play-offs).
• Emergencies recognized and approved by the principal or District.

Unacceptable Reasons for an Absence and will be documented as an unexcused absence:

• Truancy.
• Any absence not listed above. Examples of a common unexcused absence:
  • Vacations/pleasure trips.
  • Missing the bus.
  • Car problems.
  • Over slept.
  • Babysitting.
  • Birthday or other personal celebrations.
  • Jobs.
  • Rare special circumstances not approved by the principal in advance.
  • Youth programs not associated with the District, including but not limited to, athletics, cheerleading, dance, theater, fine arts, and other similar programs.

Excessive absences will result in loss of credit unless students make up the missed work in an acceptable alternative manner, including but not limited to, Saturday School or after school hours (in-person or asynchronously by logging into the District’s Launchpad and completing work). Time made up allows for credit to be given but does not remove the absence documented by the school to meet state compulsory attendance requirements.

Pregnant students under a physician's care should be referred to the School Age Parenting Program.

Students with a physician's note requesting them to remain at home due to pregnancy must have the approval from the School Age Parenting Program Coordinator for enrollment into Pregnancy Related Services (PRS-054). PRS consists of regular academic instruction with an altered schedule during prenatal and/or postpartum recovery times designated by a physician.

If pregnant students decline enrollment into PRS-054, they will be required to complete all assignments due during their absence period without the assistance of PRS-054. Credit will be denied if students do not complete the required assignments in a reasonable time.

Petitions for credit may be filed at any time students receive notice, but in any event, no later than 15 days after the last day of classes for the semester in which the attendance was below 90 percent. The attendance committee shall review students' entire attendance record and the reasons for absences and shall determine whether to award credit or a final grade.

The committee may also, whether a petition is filed or not, review the records of all students whose attendance drops below 90 percent of the days the class is offered. Students who have lost credit or have not received a final grade because of excessive absences may regain credit or be awarded a final grade by fulfilling the requirements established by the attendance committee. [FEC (Local)].

The due process steps to appeal non-credit due to excessive absences are as follows:

Level One: A parent/guardian may appeal in writing to the Campus Attendance Committee composed of an assistant principal, a counselor, and a minimum of three (3) teachers. The committee will provide a written response to the appeal to the parent/guardian within ten (10) school days.

Level Two: A parent/guardian may appeal in writing to the Principal within ten (10) school days following the receipt of the Attendance Committee's response.

Level Three: A parent/guardian may appeal in writing to the Executive Director of Student Support Services within ten (10) school days following the receipt of the principal's response. The District Attendance Review Committee is composed of an administrator from Pupil Personnel Services, a school administrator, a counselor, and a minimum of four (4) teachers from either the elementary or secondary level based on the enrollment of the student in question. The District Attendance Review Committee shall have the authority to uphold, overturn or alter the decision of the principal.

Level Four: A parent/guardian may request an appeal in writing to the Superintendent for a Board review of the District Attendance Review Committee's decision within ten (10) school days following the receipt of the District Attendance Review Committee's response.

Students shall be permitted to do make-up assignments and tests after absences. [EIAB (Local)].

Students who leave and/or arrive to the campus during school hours have the responsibility to sign in/out at the campus attendance office. All students are expected to follow the school's procedures regarding notes, absences, and other reasons for being absent from class

For safety reasons, students will be released ONLY to parents/guardians or persons listed on the emergency form. Picture identification is required prior to students being released. A parent/guardian or approved adult must sign the student out in the attendance office and wait until the student reports to the attendance office prior to departure from the campus.