IT’S THE LAW!
Any child at the age of 6 by Sept. 1 (2010) must attend school until his or her 18th birthday.
Any child who is younger than 6, once enrolled, is also subject to Compulsory Attendance Laws.
WHEN IS A STUDENT IN VIOLATION OF THE COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE LAW?
A student who has three unverified absences in a 4-week time period or 10 unexcused absences in a 6-month period is determined to be in violation of the Compulsory Attendance Law.
WHAT HAPPENS IF A STUDENT IS IN VIOLATION OF THE COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE LAW?
Parents are subject to prosecution for contributing to non-attendance:
· If their child has 10 or more days of unexcused absences within a 6-month period,
· or 3 or more days of unexcused absences within a four-week period.
WHAT IS AN ‘UNEXCUSED’ ABSENCE?
An unexcused absence is an absence that does not fall within the state or district guidelines (see excused absences below). An unexcused absence also occurs when the parent cannot produce any document that explains the absence or they present documentation that doesn’t meet district criteria.
WHAT IS AN ‘EXCUSED’ ABSENCE?
The following are approved district absences (if documented):
· Medical illness (After 3 consecutive days or habitual absences, students must have documentation from a medical professional.)
· Board-approved extracurricular activities
· Medical appointments, screenings, etc.
· Juvenile or other court proceedings
· Absences required by state or local welfare authorities
· Approved college visitations
· Death and-or serious illness of a family member
· Religious holy days
· Family emergencies
· Weather and road conditions that make traveling dangerous
· Quarantine
Loss of Significant Instructional Time (LOSIT)
If a student is habitually late or frequently leaves early, the school can take court action to ensure your child receives the maximum amount of instructional time daily. The TEC (Texas Education Code): Sec.25.094 states, “(a) An individual commits an offense if the individual fails to attend school on 10 or more days or parts of days within a six-month period in the same school year or on three or more days or parts of days within a four week period.”
In grades Pre K-5, “parts of days” may be defined as 15 minutes or more of instructional time throughout the day. If a student consistently misses any part of the school day including, but not limited to coming in late or leaving early, a Clear Creek Intermediate School letter will be sent to parents warning them of possible court action if the LOSIT continues.
As always, we appreciate your continued support of Clear Creek Intermediate School. Please contact the school at (940)-458-7476 if you have any questions concerning your child’s attendance.
