Per Texas Education Code Section 25.092 (Attendance for Credit 90% Rule); A student at any grade level from kindergarten through grade 12 shall not be given credit or final grade for a class unless the student is in attendance 90 percent of the days in which the class is offered.

Any student served by the school district is considered enrolled in the district. When attendance is taken, a student is absent if he is not physically in school. Absences are considered unexcused unless an acceptable written excuse is provided by the parent/guardian of the student or by the child’s physician.

The only acceptable excuses for absences are:

· Personal illness

· Sickness

· Death in the family

· Quarantine

· Weather or road conditions making travel dangerous

· Participation in school activities with permission of the principal

· Juvenile court proceedings documented by a probation officer

· Approved college visitation

· Emergencies

· Any other cause acceptable to teacher, principal, or superintendent

Written excuses should be in the school's possession no later than three school days after the date of the absence. The three-day period begins with the day the student returns to school. Submit the written excuse to the attendance office by email or by a handwritten note signed by the parent/guardian of the student or by the child’s physician. The excuse should include the student’s first and last name, school ID number, the days to be excused, and the reason for the absence. It should also include the parent/guardian’s name and phone number.

Students must be given the opportunity to make up work missed due to all absences. Reasonable time frames for the completion of assignments must be established. Please contact our campus at (713) 787 – 1700 for more information.

Students leaving campus:

According to HISD board policy, no student under 18 years of age may leave campus during school hours for any reason without prior approval in writing or by documented phone call from the student’s parent or guardian. This applies to lunch, extracurricular activities, field trips, and any other activity supervised by campus or district personnel. Such excuses must be approved by the principal or principal’s designee.

For students who exceed 10% excused and unexcused absences, HISD will automatically designate failure for the grade level. The School Attendance Committee will review the student’s grades and number of absences for the student, and, if necessary, will create an attendance recovery plan. At the end of the school year, the committee may or may not override the failure, depending upon the student’s grades, completion of the plan, and/or special circumstances.