Highland Park ISD

Highland Park ISD is committed to partnering with parents to ensure the success of our students. Campus and district administrators will be proactive in providing support and resources for families so that attendance is a priority. Please do not hesitate to contact us if we can be of any assistance.

Texas law requires students ages 6-19 to attend school each day that instruction is provided. This also applies to students who are younger than six and have previously been enrolled in 1st grade and to students younger than six who are voluntarily enrolled in pre-kindergarten or kindergarten.

Texas law requires students to be in attendance at least 90% of the time in order to receive credit for the semester.
90% means a student cannot miss more than 8 days in a semester for a class that meets every day.
Attendance can be a better predictor of whether students will graduate from high school than test scores.
Students in kindergarten and 1st grade who are chronically absent will not likely read at grade level by the 3rd grade.
Parents/guardians can check their student’s attendance through the Parent Portal

Texas Education Code Section 25.092 ~ MINIMUM ATTENDANCE FOR CLASS CREDIT OR FINAL GRADE

What Does The 90% Rule Mean For Your Child?

In addition to Texas compulsory attendance laws, districts are required to enforce the 90% rule which states that students in grades Kindergarten through 12th must attend a class for 90% of the time it is offered to receive credit or a final grade. This rule applies even if your child has an IEP or 504 Plan.
A student who is in attendance for at least 75 percent, but less than 90 percent, of the days a class is offered, may be given credit or a final grade if the student completes a plan approved by the principal that provides for the student to meet the instructional requirements of the class.
The 90 percent rule applies to all absences (excluding those exempt by law), including excused absences.
For elementary students, this means they could repeat a grade if they are in school less than 90% of school days. A middle or high school student may have to repeat a class that they received a passing grade in if they did not attend that class at least 90% of the days of the class.

What Can You Do If Your Child Falls Below 90% Compulsory Attendance?

If the student drops below 90% attendance but attends class at least 75% of the days the class is offered, the student may earn credit for the class by completing a plan approved by the principal or campus attendance review committee which allows the student to fulfill the instructional requirements for the class.
If a student falls below the 75% attendance rate or has not completed the plan approved by the principal, the student will be referred to the Campus Attendance Review Committee and they will review the reasons for your student's absences, review performance, and determine if there are extenuating circumstances for the absences. If extenuating circumstances exist, the committee will develop a plan that will allow the student to regain credit or a final grade lost due to attendance. Each plan will be unique and based on individual students' circumstances.
The student or parent may appeal the Attendance Review Committee's decision to the building principal.

Which Absences are Exempt From The 90% Rule?

State law allows for exemptions to the compulsory attendance requirements for several types of absences if the student makes up all assigned work and turns in the appropriate documentation. In addition, the appointment must be for the student. The following activities are exempt:

All Grade Levels

Religious Holy Day
Required Court Appearance
Activities Related to US Citizenship
Documented Health Care Appointments (must attend school on the same day as the appointment)
Students in the Conservatorship of the State
Students of Military Families

Secondary Grade Levels

College Visit (11th & 12th Grade Only)
Students Pursuing Enlistment in the Armed Services
Serving as an Early Voting or Election Clerk
Sounding Taps at a Funeral

Texas Education Code 25.085 and 25.0915

Highland Park ISD enforces the Texas compulsory attendance laws in the following ways:

Automated phone calls and emails are sent to parents or guardians daily notifying them when a student has been marked absent. It is the parent’s or guardian’s responsibility to ensure that the most current and up-to-date contact information is on file at their child’s school. Parents and guardians may refer to the district’s Student & Parent Handbook, the Attendance Website, or the campus their child attends for resources, information and support regarding attendance.
All students will be issued a warning letter when attendance records show that the student has absences without an excuse on three days or parts of days in a four-week period. This is also when the campus will begin implementation of Truancy Prevention Measures for the student. Truancy prevention measures (TPM) are required by law to assist parents and prevent the filing with the court for compulsory attendance.

Truancy Prevention Measures will include, but are not limited to:

Parent and/or Student Conference
Attendance Contract
Warning Letters mailed to parent
Student Detention
Referral to Administration, Counselor, or Attendance
Liaison
Saturday School
In-School Suspension
Home Visits
Summer School

When Truancy Prevention Measures fail to solve the attendance problem, referral to a truancy court becomes an option. If a student fails to attend school on 10 or more days or parts of days within a six-month period in the same school year and those absences have been verified by the campus as unexcused, students ages 12 and older may be referred to the prosecutor of the truancy court of Potter County.

At this point, the campus may also file a criminal complaint against parents who contribute to the nonattendance of their child, regardless of the age of their child. The goal of each campus is to provide truancy prevention measures for students who exhibit attendance issues in a way that meaningfully addresses the student’s overall attendance.

Tips For Good Attendance

Establish and stick to the basic routines (early bedtime, set wake up time, laying out outfits, etc.) that will allow your child to develop a habit of on time attendance.
Consistently talk to your child about why going to school every day is important. Help your child get excited about going to school.
Do not allow your child to stay home unless they have a contagious illness or are too sick to be confortable. Sometimes your child may not feel well, but are not sick enough to stay home.
Come up with a "plan B" for who you and your family can rely on to help get your child to school when something comes up.
Schedule doctor, dentist, or other health care appointments on early release days, school holidays, or at the beginning or end of the school day.
Schedule vacations or other non-school related activities during days when students are not scheduled to attend school.
If your family runs into personal setbacks (car trouble, loss of income, divorce, family illness, etc.) or anything that will affect how your family functions, reach out to the school and ask for help. The campus can help you connect with needed resources.
Stay involved and in constant communication with your child's school. Read all information that is sent home with your child.
When your child is absent, work with teachers to provide your child with additional opportunities to learn and make-up work.
Follow district policy for reporting absences and submitting absence documentation within 3 school days of your child's return to school.
Monitor your child's attendance through the Parent Portal. If an absence is marked incorrectly, contact the campus attendance clerk.