Attendance

Good attendance is important for many reasons. Your child receives the maximum benefit of education
by being in school every day, and numerous studies show a strong link between academic
performance and consistent attendance. Because attendance is so critical for the quality of your
child’s education, Texas has a compulsory attendance law.

COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE LAW

State law requires children to attend school each day that instruction is provided. The law applies to
children ages 6–19. If you voluntarily enroll your child in prekindergarten or kindergarten before age 6, school
attendance laws apply to your child, too. A person who voluntarily enrolls in or attends school after turning 19 is
also required to attend for the entire period of the program of instruction.

The following are a few exemptions:
● Children who are enrolled in a private or parochial school
● Children who are home-schooled
● Students who are 17 years old and enrolled in a GED (high school equivalency) program
● Students who are 17 years old and have received a high school diploma or GED certificate
● Most other school-aged children in Texas must comply with the compulsory attendance law.

The Bullard ISD Student Handbook (pages 21-25) explains your school’s guidelines on absences, tardies, and
making up missed schoolwork. Becoming familiar with the school’s policies will help you manage your child’s
attendance and ensure that he or she avoids too many missed school days.

UNEXCUSED ABSENCES

Both the child and parent are responsible for unexcused absences. Yes, even if your child is 16 years old
and skips class without you knowing, you are considered responsible!

After too many unexcused absences, the school is required to notify the parent. A compulsory attendance
notification will be sent to the parent if a student has unexcused absences on three days or parts of days
during a four-week period. Notice it says “parts of days.” This means that leaving school early, or arriving
excessively late in the day, even if the child attended for some of the day, may count as an absence. The
compulsory attendance letter gives the parent notice that the student has accumulated too many unexcused
absences and gives the parent a chance to correct the child’s attendance record.

A student with excessive absences may also be subject to truancy prevention measures. These measures may
include an attendance improvement plan, school-based community service, or a referral to counseling, mediation, or teen court. A student who is between the ages of 12 to 18 may also be referred to a truancy court within 10 school days of the student's 10th unexcused absence. In addition, parents may be criminally charged or fined if their child continues to miss school.

THE 90% RULE

In addition to compulsory attendance law, districts are required to enforce the 90 percent rule, which states that
students in grades K-12 must attend class for 90 percent of the time it is offered to receive credit or a final
grade. The 90 percent rule applies to most absences, including excused absences. If the student doesn’t meet this requirement, an attendance committee may grant the student credit or a final grade, depending on the
circumstances.

Bullard ISD Attendance & Truancy Information Presentation

Bullard ISD Attendance & Truancy Course

2024-2025 Student Handbook