Attendance is an important part of your child’s education. Students who are excessively absent
from school miss important instructions, opportunities to ask questions, and participation in daily
activities. There have recently been new changes in the truancy laws that will become effective
9/1/01. This letter will hopefully inform parents and students of the importance of attending
school each day and the consequences involved if they do not.

For a child to be enrolled in a public school, the child must be enrolled by the child’s parent or
by the child’s guardian or other person with legal control of the child under a court order. A
school district will record the name, address, and date of birth of the person enrolling a child.
Children are required, under Section 21.032 of the Texas Education Code, to attend 90% of the
days of each semester in order to be given credit for a course. Section 25.095 of the Education
Code, states that any child who is absent for (10) or more days, or parts of days, in a six-month
period or three (3) or more days, or parts of days, in a four-week period without an excuse as
provided by Section 21.035 of the Texas Education Code will be considered truant.
Parents are required to monitor attendance and require their children to attend school on a regular
basis. Parents who do not monitor attendance can be subject to prosecution as well as the
student.

Each school will send warning letters home to the parent/guardian at 5 and 10 days of
accumulated absences. Parents are required to bring a note with an explanation of the student’s
absence to the school upon the student’s return from being absent. Students who exceed the
required 90% attendance rule will be required to attend a conference with the school to explain
any extenuating circumstances for absences. Those students who do not have extenuating
circumstances will have truancy charges filed against the parent and/or the child under Section
25.093 and Section 25.094 of the Education Code.

Students are given the opportunity to make up days exceeding the 90% attendance requirement at
each school. If these days are made up, truancy charges will not be filed.
We realize that children will be absent from time to time throughout the school year. We hope,
through communication between the parents and the school, efforts will be made to make up
attendance.

Our goal is to provide your child with the very best education possible which requires that he/she
be in attendance every day. If you have questions about any of the attendance requirements,
please do not hesitate to contact your child’s campus administrator.