The following information is very important; we want to make sure all of our families are aware of attendance laws.

ATTENDANCE

It is the responsibility of the parent to ensure their child attends school and arrives on time and keeps up with their child’s attendance. School doors open at 7:30 am. Students must be at school by 7:45 a.m. and in class no later than 7:50. If a student arrives 10 minutes after class has begun, he/she is considered absent for that class and the absence will remain unexcused. Dismissal bell rings at 3:20 p.m. A student who misses more than 9 days per class per semester, excused and unexcused, will not receive credit for each class with accumulated absences of 9 or more.

All parents must send a written excuse note or proof of the reason the student was absent.

Excuse notes must be sent within 3 days of the students return to school and turned in to the attendance office. One note per student must be submitted.

1.     The note should include students name, school ID number, date of absences, reason of absence and parent or guardians signature.

2.     Absences of 3 or more consecutive days, if due to illness, require doctor’s note.

3.     Students that reach 10 hand-written notes from the parent will need to provide medical excuse or the absences will not be excused.

Absences will be excused only for the following reasons:

1.     Student is ill

2.     Death in the immediate family (Only 3 consecutive days will be excused)

3.     Religious Holidays (Only 3 consecutive days will be excused)

4.     Extenuating Circumstances (Documentation must be provided)

5.     Medical/Dental/Court Appointments (Documentation must be provided)

Absences will not be excused for the following reasons:

1.     Transportation problems

2.     Out of town with no valid excuse

3.     Family Illness without a doctor’s note

4.     Bad Weather (Unless DISD has cancelled classes)

5.     Note is received after the 3rd day allowance.

6.     Student walked out of class

7.     Student was skipping

Excessive absences limits are defined as the following:

1.     Three or more unexcused absences

A warning letter will be sent out once you have reached this limit on behalf of the courts of the City of Dallas. If the absences continue, following the warning letter, a court referral will be made and you may be fined up to $50 per unexcused absence. Unexcused and Excused absences are monitored by the State of Texas.