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  1. FAMILIES & STUDENTS
  2. Attendance

Attendance

Compulsory Attendance Law

State law (Texas Education Code Section 25.085) requires that all students at least 6 years of age and not yet 19 attend school each day. Compulsory attendance also applies to students who are younger than six who have been voluntarily enrolled in pre-kindergarten or kindergarten. [FEA] Compulsory Attendance Policy.

State law provides that if a student is absent from school without parental consent for any portion of the school day for three days in a four-week period or ten or more days in a six-month period, the student and/or the student’s parent or legal guardian are subject to civil prosecution by the truancy court.

According to the compulsory attendance law, “parts of days' means that leaving school early or arriving after school begins (being tardy), even if the child attends some of the day, may count against the student. Acceptable reasons for excused tardiness are the same as those for excused absence.

District of Innovation (DOI)

Texas Education Code Section 25.092 states that to receive credit or a final grade for a class, a student must attend class 90 percent of the days the class is offered, regardless of whether the absences are excused (see FEA) or unexcused. As a District of Innovation, Beeville ISD does have a benefit of exemption to this requirement by “not penalizing students who miss class due to extracurricular activities, academic activities, or extenuating circumstances”. The District can exercise local discretion in awarding credit to students who successfully complete course objectives.

“Relief from Section 25.092 does not in any way impact or alter existing compulsory attendance requirements or University Interscholastic League (UIL) rules.” High expectations for attendance will be maintained throughout BISD, and dropout prevention measures have been implemented for all campuses. Campuses will continue to have an attendance action plan to account for truancy and chronic absenteeism. 

Click here to view our district's Innovation Plan.

We work collaboratively with students, families, schools, community stakeholders, and district resources to improve attendance and enhance student success.
 

Attendance Matters

Regular attendance in elementary school is a strong predictor of academic performance at the grade level. Attending school regularly helps students feel better about school and themselves. Begin building this in preschool so they learn that going to school on time, and every day, is important.

Starting in kindergarten, missing about 18 days, or 10 percent of the school year, can make it more difficult to learn to read. That equates to missing a day or two every few weeks.

Students who frequently miss kindergarten are less prepared than their peers for first grade and often struggle to read at grade level throughout elementary school.

Absences add up in elementary school. Research shows that missing 18 days in a school year or 2 days every month can result in lower test scores and possible retention in later grades.

By sixth grade, chronic absenteeism is one of the three signs that a student may drop out of high school.

By freshman year, attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than eighth-grade test scores.

How YOU Can Help Improve Attendance

  • Build regular routines for bedtime and the morning.
  • Seek support from school staff or community groups to help with transportation, health and safety, food bank distribution and more
  • Avoid medical appointments and extended trips when school is in session
  • Develop backup plans for getting to school in case of an unexpected issue. Ask a family member, neighbor or another parent for help.
  • Follow the proper school guidelines for reporting excused absences in a timely manner.
  • Allow your child to stay home only when they have a contagious illness or are too sick to be comfortable.
  • Ensure your child exercises regularly, eats a balanced diet, and gets sufficient sleep. This will help them be mentally and physically ready to learn and strengthen their immune system.
  • Read all the information sent home by the school. Post important dates on a family bulletin board or the refrigerator.
  • Give your child enough time to get ready for school in the morning. Prepare lunches, pack school bags, and lay out clothing the night before.
  • Monitor your child’s attendance through Parent Portal.
  • Discuss the importance of regular attendance and your child's feelings about school.
  • Ensure that students and their families feel welcome and supported. Greet them when they arrive.
  • Let students know that when they are not in school, they are missed. Talk to them about why they were gone, and if there is anything you or the school can do to help.
  • When a student is absent, please contact a family member by personal phone call during the day or evening.
  • Create an environment of mutual respect in which students feel comfortable speaking up.
  • Assignments and tests should be scheduled on Mondays and Fridays to encourage attendance on those days.
  • Seek referrals to other agencies or district support when students face challenging family problems or connect them with the campus counselor / social worker.
  • Set high expectations for all students. Help them focus on their strengths and challenge all children to work to their full potential.
  • Create learning opportunities for students to work together, either during whole-group or small-group lessons, or through peer tutoring.
  • Re-engage students through mentoring.
  • Limit hall passes and period absences.
  • Notify parents of student absences in a timely manner.
  • Follow-up on uncleared absences.
  • Be an active participant on your school’s attendance committee team to help students improve their attendance.
  • Establish protocols for the early identification, support, and tracking of “at-risk” students.
  • Actively engage all key stakeholders, including parents, students, businesses, social service agencies, and higher education institutions.
  • Arrive at school and all of your classes on time every day.
  • Come to school each day ready to learn with homework and materials in hand.
  • Actively participate in class and ask questions.
  • Notify the attendance office of your absence in a timely manner.
  • Review your attendance and grades regularly to ensure you are passing all your classes.
  • Assume responsibility for behaviors that support regular attendance.
  • Find at least one adult, other than a parent, who will support your success in school.
  • If you are working after school, ensure that your work hours do not conflict with your homework time.
  • Make sure the school is a place where parents and students feel welcome and want to be.
  • Be clear with your students and let them know at the beginning of the year and periodically throughout the year that attendance is very important.
  • Teachers, administrators, and other school personnel should set a good example for students and strive to minimize the use of sick leave and vacation days during instructional days whenever possible.
  • Meet with parents at the beginning of the school year to inform them of the importance of attendance.
  • Ensure that the entire school is adhering to the policy and following the same guidelines regarding absences. It is very confusing for students when one teacher is lenient and does not mind absences, and another teacher is strict. Support consistency.
  • Incentivize both perfect attendance and improved attendance throughout the year.
  • Discuss with students why they were absent and let them know they were missed. If students are missing school attendance, address the problem promptly.
  • Identify the underlying reasons for poor attendance, so you can address the root cause.
  • Forge a relationship with our district or local law enforcement and make them allies in showing the community, families, and students that school is the place to be.
  • Forge a relationship with local businesses to encourage them to cooperate in discouraging students from congregating at their establishments during school hours.
  • Invite parents and students to campus events in support of attendance.

    • Build regular routines for bedtime and the morning.
    • Seek support from school staff or community groups to help with transportation, health and safety, food bank distribution and more
    • Avoid medical appointments and extended trips when school is in session
    • Develop backup plans for getting to school in case of an unexpected issue. Ask a family member, neighbor or another parent for help.
    • Follow the proper school guidelines for reporting excused absences in a timely manner.
    • Allow your child to stay home only when they have a contagious illness or are too sick to be comfortable.
    • Ensure your child exercises regularly, eats a balanced diet, and gets sufficient sleep. This will help them be mentally and physically ready to learn and strengthen their immune system.
    • Read all the information sent home by the school. Post important dates on a family bulletin board or the refrigerator.
    • Give your child enough time to get ready for school in the morning. Prepare lunches, pack school bags, and lay out clothing the night before.
    • Monitor your child’s attendance through Parent Portal.
    • Discuss the importance of regular attendance and your child's feelings about school.

    • Ensure that students and their families feel welcome and supported. Greet them when they arrive.
    • Let students know that when they are not in school, they are missed. Talk to them about why they were gone, and if there is anything you or the school can do to help.
    • When a student is absent, please contact a family member by personal phone call during the day or evening.
    • Create an environment of mutual respect in which students feel comfortable speaking up.
    • Assignments and tests should be scheduled on Mondays and Fridays to encourage attendance on those days.
    • Seek referrals to other agencies or district support when students face challenging family problems or connect them with the campus counselor / social worker.
    • Set high expectations for all students. Help them focus on their strengths and challenge all children to work to their full potential.
    • Create learning opportunities for students to work together, either during whole-group or small-group lessons, or through peer tutoring.
    • Re-engage students through mentoring.
    • Limit hall passes and period absences.
    • Notify parents of student absences in a timely manner.
    • Follow-up on uncleared absences.
    • Be an active participant on your school’s attendance committee team to help students improve their attendance.
    • Establish protocols for the early identification, support, and tracking of “at-risk” students.
    • Actively engage all key stakeholders, including parents, students, businesses, social service agencies, and higher education institutions.

    • Arrive at school and all of your classes on time every day.
    • Come to school each day ready to learn with homework and materials in hand.
    • Actively participate in class and ask questions.
    • Notify the attendance office of your absence in a timely manner.
    • Review your attendance and grades regularly to ensure you are passing all your classes.
    • Assume responsibility for behaviors that support regular attendance.
    • Find at least one adult, other than a parent, who will support your success in school.
    • If you are working after school, ensure that your work hours do not conflict with your homework time.

    • Make sure the school is a place where parents and students feel welcome and want to be.
    • Be clear with your students and let them know at the beginning of the year and periodically throughout the year that attendance is very important.
    • Teachers, administrators, and other school personnel should set a good example for students and strive to minimize the use of sick leave and vacation days during instructional days whenever possible.
    • Meet with parents at the beginning of the school year to inform them of the importance of attendance.
    • Ensure that the entire school is adhering to the policy and following the same guidelines regarding absences. It is very confusing for students when one teacher is lenient and does not mind absences, and another teacher is strict. Support consistency.
    • Incentivize both perfect attendance and improved attendance throughout the year.
    • Discuss with students why they were absent and let them know they were missed. If students are missing school attendance, address the problem promptly.
    • Identify the underlying reasons for poor attendance, so you can address the root cause.
    • Forge a relationship with our district or local law enforcement and make them allies in showing the community, families, and students that school is the place to be.
    • Forge a relationship with local businesses to encourage them to cooperate in discouraging students from congregating at their establishments during school hours.
    • Invite parents and students to campus events in support of attendance.