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Home » Departments » Student, Family and Community Services » Discipline » Attendance
Attendance
 School Attendance is NOT a choice. It is the LAW!
The law in the State of Texas requires that a child go to school. Up to $500.00 per offense.
Texas Education Code §25.085 Compulsory Attendance states:
The State of Texas requires that children attend school who are at least six years old through their eighteenth birthday. State law also requires that a child be five years old by September 1 to enroll in kindergarten and six years old by September 1 or has been enrolled in first grade, or completed kindergarten in the public schools of another state prior to moving to the District to enroll in first grade. For the pre-kindergarten program, students must be four years old by September 1 of the current school year and meet other eligibility requirements to enroll.
A child who is required to attend school shall attend each school day for the entire period the program of instruction is provided. Once a child is enrolled as a student in pre-kindergarten or kindergarten, the child must attend school.
Temporary Absence
A child required to attend school may be excused for a temporary absence resulting from any cause acceptable to the teacher, principal, superintendent or school in which the child is enrolled. Education Code §25.087
Non-Attendance
Students of compulsory education age are required to be in school. The absence of a child from school on ten or more days or parts of days within a six month period, or from school on three or more days or parts of days within a four week period, without consent of parents, pursuant to Family Code 51.03 (b) (2) is "conduct indicating a need for supervision (CINS)" under the Juvenile Justice System.
Consequences
 If a parent fails to require the child to attend school according to the law, the School Attendance Officer shall warn the parent in writing that attendance is immediately demanded. If, after that warning, the parent fails to require the child to attend school as required by law, and the child has an absence, the District Attendance Officer will file a complaint against the parent in a justice court of any precinct in the county in which the parent resides or in which the school is located, or a municipal court of the municipality in which the parent resides or in which the school is located. Texas Education Code §25.093 - Parent Contributing To Non-Attendance.
- 'A child's failure to attend school as mandated by law may constitute the offense of Failure to Attend School, which is defined in the Texas Education Code §25.094.
- An offense under this section is a Class C Misdemeanor.
Duties of the District Attendance Officer
- To investigate each case of a violation of the compulsory school attendance requirements referred to the Attendance Officer
- To enforce compulsory school attendance requirements by:
- Referring a student to a juvenile court or filing a complaint against a student in a juvenile or municipal court if the student has unexcused absences for the amount of time specified under §25.094 or under §51.03 (b)(2) of the Family Code, and
- Filing a complaint in a justice or municipal court against a parent who violates §25.093
- To monitor school attendance compliance by each student investigated by the Officer
- In some cases make a home visit or contact the parent of a student who is in violation of compulsory school attendance requirements, except that the Attendance Officer may not enter a residence without permission of the parent or of the owner or tenant of the residence.
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