Attendance

attendance
Campus Attendance Clerks 

 Calhoun High School
Kayla Calzada
[email protected] 
361-552-3775 ext.2614
 Hope High School
Rebekah Reyna
[email protected]
361-552-7084 ext.2668
 Travis Middle School
Jordan Lopez
[email protected]
361-552-3784 ext.2751
Seadrift School
Robin Guice
[email protected] 
361-785-3511 ext.2801
J-R Elementary
Mimi Bordovsky
[email protected] 
361-552-3317 ext.2523
HJM Elementary
Carolina Dowell
[email protected]  
361-552-5253 ext.2687
 Port O'Connor School 
Carol Rosenboom
[email protected]
361-983-2341 ext.2830
District Truancy Officer
Mary Martinez
[email protected]  
361-552-3775 ext.2624

Texas Attendance Laws

Two state laws are discussed below:  one dealing with the required presence of school-aged children in school (Compulsory Attendance) and the other dealing with how attendance affects promotion/retention and the awarding of a student’s final grade or course credit (Attendance for Class Credit or 90% rule).

Compulsory Attendance

  1. A child who is required to attend school under this section shall attend school each school day for the entire period the program of instruction is provided.
  2. Unless specifically exempted by Section 25.086, a child who is at least six years of age, or who is younger than six years of age and has previously been enrolled in first grade, and who has not yet reached the child's 19th birthday shall attend school.
  3. On enrollment in prekindergarten or kindergarten, a child shall attend school.
  4. Unless specifically exempted by Section 25.086, a student enrolled in a school district must attend:
    1. an extended-year program for which the student is eligible that is provided by the district for students identified as likely not to be promoted to the next grade level or tutorial classes required by the district under Section 29.084;
    2. an accelerated reading instruction program to which the student is assigned under Section 28.006(g);
    3. an accelerated instruction program to which the student is assigned under Section 28.0211;
    4. a basic skills program to which the student is assigned under Section 29.086;  or
    5. a summer program provided under Section 37.008(l) or Section 37.021.
  5. A person who voluntarily enrolls in school or voluntarily attends school after the person's 19th birthday shall attend school each school day for the entire period the program of instruction is offered.  A school district may revoke for the remainder of the school year the enrollment of a person who has more than five absences in a semester that are not excused under Section 25.087, except a school district may not revoke the enrollment of a person under this subsection on a day on which the person is physically present at school.  A person whose enrollment is revoked under this subsection may be considered an unauthorized person on school district grounds for purposes of Section 37.107.
  6. The board of trustees of a school district may adopt a policy requiring a person described by Subsection (e) who is under 21 years of age to attend school until the end of the school year.  Section 65.003(a), Family Code, does not apply to a person subject to a policy adopted under this subsection.  Sections 25.093 and 25.095 do not apply to the parent of a person subject to a policy adopted under this subsection.

Between Ages 6 and 19
State law requires that a student between the ages of 6 and 19 attend school, as well as any applicable accelerated instruction program, extended year program, or tutorial session, unless the student is otherwise excused from attendance or legally exempt.  A student will be required to attend any assigned accelerated instruction program, which may occur before or after school or during the summer, if the student does not meet the passing standards on the state assessment for his or her grade level and/or applicable subject area.

Age 19 and Older
A student who voluntarily attends or enrolls after his or her 19th birthday is required to attend each school day until the end of the school year.  If a student age 19 or older has more than five unexcused absences in a semester, the district may revoke the student’s enrollment.  The student’s presence on school property thereafter would be unauthorized and may be considered trespassing. 

Failure to Comply with Compulsory Attendance 

School employees must investigate and report violations of the state compulsory attendance law.  A student absent without permission from school; from any class; from required special programs, such as additional special instruction, termed “accelerated instruction” by the state; or from required tutorials will be considered in violation of the compulsory attendance law and subject to disciplinary action.

Between Ages 6 and 19
When a student between ages 6 and 19 incurs unexcused absences for three or more days or parts of days within a four-week period, the school will send a notice to the student’s parent, as required by law, to remind the parent that it is the parent’s duty to monitor his or her child’s attendance and to require the student to come to school.  The notice will also inform the parent that the district will initiate truancy prevention measures and request a conference between school administrators and the parent.  These measures will include a behavior improvement plan, school-based community service, or referrals to either in-school or out-of-school counseling or other social services.  Any other measures considered appropriate by the district will also be initiated.

Calhoun County ISD has a District Truancy Officer, Mary Martinez,  who can answer questions about student absences and the effect of those absences from school. Questions or concerns may also be addressed by a campus administrator. 

If a student ages 12–18 incurs unexcused absences on ten or more days or parts of days within a six-month period in the same school year, the district, in most circumstances, will refer the student to truancy court for truant conduct.  A court of law may also impose penalties against a student’s parent if a school-aged student is deliberately not attending school.  A complaint against the parent may be filed in court if the student is absent without excuse from school on ten or more days or parts of days within a six-month period in the same school year, and the parent is subject to prosecution for parent contributing to non-attendance. 

Age 19 and Older
After a student age 19 or older incurs a third unexcused absence, the district will send the student a letter as required by law explaining that the district may revoke the student’s enrollment for the remainder of the school year if the student has more than five unexcused absences in a semester.  As an alternative to revoking a student’s enrollment, the district may implement a behavior improvement plan. 


Attendance for Credit or Final Grade (All Grade Levels)

To receive credit or a final grade in a class, a student must attend the class at least 90 percent of the days it is offered. A student who attends at least 75 percent but fewer than 90 percent of the days may receive credit or a final grade if he or she completes a plan, approved by the principal, that allows the student to fulfill the class’s instructional requirements. If a student is involved in a criminal or juvenile court proceeding, the judge presiding over the case must also approve the plan before the student receives credit or a final grade.

If a student attends fewer than 75 percent of the class days or does not complete the principal-approved plan, then the attendance review committee will determine whether there are extenuating circumstances for the absences and how the student can regain credit or a final grade. [See policy FEC for more information.]

All absences, excused or unexcused, may be held against a student’s attendance requirement. To determine whether there were extenuating circumstances for any absences, the attendance committee will use the following guidelines:
 If makeup work is completed, absences listed under Exemptions to Compulsory Attendance on page 30 will be considered extenuating circumstances.
 A transfer or migrant student incurs absences only after he or she has enrolled in the district.
 Absences incurred due to the student’s participation in board-approved extracurricular activities will be considered by the attendance committee as extenuating circumstances if the student makes up the work missed in each class.
 The committee will consider the acceptability and authenticity of documented reasons for the student’s absences
 The committee will consider whether the student or student’s parent had any control over the absences.
 The committee will consider the extent to which the student has completed all assignments, mastered the essential knowledge and skills, and maintained passing grades in the course or subject.
  The student or parent will be given an opportunity to present any information to the committee about the absences and discuss ways to earn or regain credit or a final grade.

The student or parent may appeal the committee’s decision to the board by following policy FNG(LOCAL).

Eligibility for exam exemptions will include student attendance recorded according to the Texas Student Attendance Accounting Handbook. Additionally, local criteria such as fines, fees, and the number and severity of disciplinary incidents may be considered. If a student does not meet the eligibility criteria, an appeal may be submitted to the attendance committee on or before a date published by the campus.


2021-2022 CCISD Campus Attendance Plans

Jackson Roosevelt Elementary
Calhoun High School
HJM Elementary
Seadrift School
Port O'Connor School
Travis Middle School
Hope High School

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