Attendance Matters!

Attendance impacts students and the district in several ways:

• Students learn more when they attend school consistently
• Students who miss significant instructional time are at greater risk of academic difficulties
• Texas funds school districts based on student attendance, not enrollment
• Improved attendance supports student achievement and provides additional resources to benefit all students

This FAQ is designed to give campus leaders clear, consistent talking points that align with both Texas law and Aledo ISD attendance practices.

An excused absence is an absence that meets the requirements outlined in the Texas Education Code and the Aledo ISD Student Handbook (e.g., documented illness, medical appointments, religious holy days, court appearances, certain military-related absences, etc.).

The following is a list of reasons an absence shall be considered excused/absent:

• Illness including serious illness or death in the immediate family of the child [See DEC(Local) for definition of immediate family]
• Weather or road conditions making travel dangerous
• Aledo ISD Post-District UIL event
• Sibling of a junior or senior student visiting a college or university (up to two days allowable)

The following is a list of reasons an absence may be considered unexcused/absent (not an exhaustive list):

• Shopping
• Personal
• Vacation
• Non-Aledo ISD sponsored sports tournament and activities
• Car trouble
• Non-medical appointment
• Missed bus
• Rehearsal or performance of a non-Aledo ISD event

Important: Whether an absence is excused or unexcused, it is still an absence for purposes of the 90% attendance law unless it qualifies as a specific state attendance exemption. Both excused and unexcused absences count toward loss of credit and chronic absenteeism.

Texas Education Code §25.092 requires students to attend at least 90% of the days (or class periods) a course is offered in order to receive credit or a final grade.

If attendance falls below 90%,  which is 17 days or more for elementary and 9 per semester at the secondary level, students may still earn credit through district-approved attendance recovery or by appealing to the Attendance Committee if extenuating circumstances exist.

Official attendance is taken once each school day at a designated time established by each campus. Students should be present at the official attendance time to be counted present for state attendance purposes, unless a statutory exception applies. 

The following are the times attendance will be taken each day by each Aledo ISD campus:

• Aledo High School/Daniel Ninth Grade: 9:40 a.m. (Grad My Way Virtual Attendance time 11:20 a.m.)
• Aledo Middle School: 9:40 a.m.
• McAnally Middle School: 9:40 a.m.
• Annetta Elementary: 9:30 a.m.
• Coder Elementary: 9:30 a.m.
• McCall Elementary: 9:30 a.m.
• McKinney Elementary: 9:30 a.m.
• Stuard Elementary: 9:30 a.m.
• Vandagriff Elementary: 9:30 a.m.
• Walsh Elementary: 9:35 a.m.
• Early Childhood Academy: 9:30 a.m.

A Verification of Enrollment (VOE) is required for students under age 18 applying for or renewing a Texas driver's license.

Students may request a VOE through their campus office. To request a VOE, please submit your request here to receive a VOE, students must generally:

• Meet attendance requirements established by the Texas Education Agency
• Be currently enrolled
• Meet district eligibility requirements

Students should allow sufficient time for processing before visiting the Department of Public Safety.

The Texas Education Agency defines chronic absenteeism as missing 10% or more of the school year for any reason. Aledo ISD has instructional days so we round that to 17 days absent. Excused and unexcused absences both count toward chronic absenteeism. Chronic absenteeism is an accountability indicator monitored by the state because of its impact on academic success
 

Students must attend at least 90% of the instructional time for each course.

For a typical semester course:

• Missing more than approximately nine class periods (depending on the calendar) may place the student below the 90% attendance requirement.

Students who fall below 90% may be required to complete attendance recovery before credit is awarded.

Yes. Attendance is recorded every class period at middle school and high school.

Loss of credit is determined by individual course attendance, not simply by overall daily attendance. A student who frequently misses the same class period may fall below the required attendance threshold for that specific course even if they attend school the rest of the day.

No. A parent note explains the reason for the absence, but it does not automatically make the absence excused. The district determines whether the absence qualifies as excused under Texas law and the Aledo ISD Student Handbook. Some campuses also limit the number of parent notes accepted each semester according to campus handbook procedures.

The following is a list of reasons an absence shall be considered excused/absent:

• Illness including serious illness or death in the immediate family of the child [See DEC(Local) for definition of immediate family]
• Weather or road conditions making travel dangerous
• Aledo ISD Post-District UIL event
• Sibling of a junior or senior student visiting a college or university (up to two days allowable)

The following is a list of reasons an absence may be considered unexcused/absent (not an exhaustive list):

• Shopping
• Personal
• Vacation
• Non-Aledo ISD sponsored sports tournament and activities
• Car trouble
• Non-medical appointment
• Missed bus
• Rehearsal or performance of a non-Aledo ISD event

Yes. Below is a list of absences that would not count against the student’s 90% attendance requirement:

Exemptions to Compulsory Attendance All Grade Levels:

State law allows exemptions to the compulsory attendance requirements for the following activities and events, as long as the student makes up all work. 

• Religious holy days
• Required court appearances
• Appearing at a governmental office to complete paperwork required in connection with the student’s application for U.S. citizenship
• Taking part in the student’s own US naturalization oath ceremony
• Serving as an election clerk
• Health-care appointments for the student or a child of the student, including absences related to autism services and mental health appointments
• Absences resulting from a serious or life threatening illness or related treatment that makes a student’s attendance infeasible, with certification from a physician on the district’s form
• Absences for attendance in a released time course in religious instruction
• For students in the conservatorship (custody) of the state
• An activity required under a court-ordered service plan
• Any other court-ordered activity, provided it is not practicable to schedule the student’s participation in the activity outside of school hours

First, please use Bearcat Care.  This is a quick and easy way for your child to access a virtual doctor that will save you time and money.

Check out Bearcat Care Today!

If your student has an absence, and the doctor has deemed it infeasible for them to return to school for consecutive days. Please have the doctor complete this form for your student's absence and return to your campus attendance clerk.

Download the Form Here

Once submitted, this absence will not count against your child’s compulsory attendance.  Without this form, even with a doctor’s note, the absence will count towards the 90% attendance requirement (17 days in a year for elementary, 9 days each semester for secondary students).

Texas State law requires students (when healthy) attend school each day that instruction is provided. A parent/guardian commits an offense of thwarting compulsory attendance under Texas Education Code Sec. 25.093. Unexcused absences on 10 or more days or part of the days is a Class C misdemeanor.

Minimum Attendance for Class Credit or Final Grade. (a) Except as provided by this section, a student in any grade level from kindergarten through grade 12 may not be given credit or a final grade for a class unless the student is in attendance for at least 90 percent of the days the class is offered.

Schools in Texas are funded based on student attendance, not enrollment. State withholds funding to Aledo ISD for each day the student is absent from school. Click here to learn more about Aledo ISD budget and funding.

Just one percentage tick up on average attendance for the school year in AISD (from, say, 94% to 95%) would mean an additional $400,000 in funding for our district!