Attendance

More information coming soon!

90% RULE
Texas Education Code Section 25.092; FEC (Legal) FEC (Local)

(a)Except as provided in this section, a student in any grade level from kindergarten through grade 12 may not be given credit for a final grade for a class unless the student is in attendance for at least 90% of the days the class is offered.

*This is regardless of whether the student’s absences are excused or unexcused.    

*Exceptions:

1. Students who have a serious life-threatening illness
2. Absences related to observance of religious holidays

TRUANCY
TEC Section 25.085; Family Code Section 25.093

Definition: When a child who is required to attend school fails to attend school without an excuse on 10 or more days or parts of days within a six-month period.

Exceptions:

1. Pregnancy
2. Being in state foster care system
3. Experiencing homelessness
4. Having a severe or life-threatening illness or related treatment
5. Being the principal income earner for the student’s family

Types of truancy court filings:

1. Parent contributing to non-attendance:  Campuses may file a criminal case on a parent or parents for contributing to non-attendance of a minor if the student is enrolled or should be enrolled in school, Pre-K to 12th grade.
2. Student truancy: Campuses may file a civil case on the student for truancy if the student is between 12 and 19 years of age and is enrolled or should be enrolled in school.

Campuses may file on both the parent(s) and the student (age 12-19) if they believe both are contributing to the truancy.

Steps before filing:
Campuses must implement at least one of the following Truancy Prevention Measures (TPM) to improve attendance before filing against the student or parent:

1. Impose a “behavior management plan” on the student
2. Impose school-based community service on the student
3. Refer the student to counseling, mediation mentoring, teen court program, community based services or other in-school or out of school services aimed at preventing student’s truancy

FUNDED ABSENCE REASONS

Lockhart ISD receives approximately $45 per day per student for students either attending school or having a funded reason for being absent. This revenue, called Average Daily Attendance, accounts for most of our operating budget. Last spring, Lockhart ISD lost roughly $1 million due to unfunded absences. 

Funded absences are defined by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and are outlined below. Unfunded absences are any other absences not specifically described.

There are often valid reasons for unfunded absences, and parents are strongly encouraged to provide documentation and communicate with the school around any absence. This documentation can be factored into discussions around school district attendance processes including determining grades and course credit, truancy, chronic absenteeism and final exam exemption considerations at the high school level.

Below are the TEA-approved Funded absence codes:
For more detail see the Student Attendance Accounting Handbook