Frisco Independent School District (Frisco ISD) has recently reaffirmed its attendance policies, shedding light on the details of Texas law about student absences.
Under Texas law, a student must be present for at least 90% of the time a class is offered. Students who don’t meet this requirement, regardless of the reason for the absence, will lose credit in the class.
To ensure accountability, the district highlighted the necessity of adherence to the attendance rules and the steps required to excuse absences.
According to the law, a parent’s note/email or doctor’s note is required to excuse the absence. The office must receive notes/emails within 3 school days of the absence.
The district mentioned the importance of medical documentation for prolonged illness and clarified the process for parental notification.
The law states that if a student is absent due to illness for more than 4 consecutive days, a doctor’s note is required to excuse the remaining days of the illness. The parent email for illness will be considered a parent note unless a medical note is submitted.
Furthermore, the district detailed the allowance of parent notes, limitations on their usage, and the repercussions for exceeding the permitted number.
According to the district’s policy, students have 8 parent notes a year, 4 allowed per semester. Once all 8 parent notes have been used, absences are unexcused unless a doctor’s note is received.
In addressing extended absences, particularly for trips or family vacations, the district shared its perspective.
Frisco ISD understands circumstances may occur to make it necessary for a student to miss more than 3 consecutive days of school. However, the website mentions that extended absences for trips or family vacations are highly discouraged.
The district also stressed the consequences of repeated unexcused absences, as per Texas law, and the interventions implemented by the school system.
Under Texas law, a student who experiences more than three unexcused absences in four weeks or 10 unexcused absences in six months will engage in truancy prevention efforts. This includes unexcused late arrivals and early pickup. In Frisco ISD, families are referred to attend a truancy tribunal. County court charges may also be filed against the parent in these circumstances.
The district further outlined specific exemptions to compulsory attendance requirements under state law, allowing students to miss school for certain activities with appropriate documentation.
The state law allows exemptions to the compulsory attendance requirements for the following activities and events, as long as the student makes up all work.
Additionally, the district clarified its stance on students obtaining learner and driver’s licenses, visiting colleges or universities, pursuing enlistment in the U.S. Armed Services or Texas National Guard, and participating in civic duties.
The district’s policy will allow a student who is 15 years of age or older to be absent for one day to obtain a learner’s license and one day to obtain a driver’s license.
Finally, the district policy allows a student in grades 6–12 to be absent to sound “Taps” at a military honors funeral for a deceased veteran.
