Attendance for Elementary Students

Arrival/Dismissal:

Classes will begin at 7:35 AM. We ask that those students who ride with parents arrive at school no earlier than 7:00 AM, when adult supervision will begin. Commercial daycare shuttles and bus riders will be dismissed at 3:10, and car riders will be dismissed at 3:15.   If you are picking your child up, please be on time.

Attendance:

In Texas, a child between the ages of 6 and 17, depending on when the child’s birthday falls, is required to attend school unless otherwise exempted by law. A student enrolled in Kindergarten, Pre-K, Headstart, or the Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities (PPCD) must attend school under the same compulsory attendance law Education Code 25.085©. School employees must investigate and report violations of the state compulsory attendance law. Now is the time to let your child know that school is important. 

Ennis ISD requires that a student must be in attendance at least ninety-five percent (95%) of the instructional days during the year. All assignments missed during any absence must be made up. When a student has accumulated three absences, a warning letter will be mailed to the parent or guardian. After six absences , a certified letter will be sent to the parent or guardian. When a student is in danger of violating the 95% attendance policy (9 days), the parent or guardian will receive legal notification by letter that a "Failure to Attend" complaint and a "Thwarting Compulsory Attendance" complaint have been filed with the Justice of the Peace against the student and parent.

Students are expected to be in school and will receive an unexcused absence except in cases of emergency or for reasons explained below:

1. personal illness, illness or death in the immediate family, quarantine, severe weather or road conditions making travel dangerous, or any other reason acceptable to the administration;
2. medical and dental appointments;
3. days of suspension;
4. participation in court proceedings;
5. observance of a religious holiday;
6. migrant student's late enrollment or early withdrawal; or
7. late enrollment of a student under the Texas Youth Commission.

If a student is out three or more consecutive days, a doctor’s note or verification is needed for an excused absence. Notes written by parents requesting an excused absence will be limited to 5 total days per semester. If the total number of days exceeds 5, the student must have a doctor’s note to maintain an excused absence or must see the school nurse to decide if the student should stay at school or go home.

State law does not penalize a student who has a medical or dental appointment if the following steps are taken.

1. If a student has an early morning medical/dental appointment, signs in late for school (with documentation) and attends school for the rest of the day, no absence or tardy is recorded on the student's permanent record.
2. If a student attends school all morning, signs out for a medical/dental appointment after lunch period and brings documentation to the office upon his/her return to school the next day, no absence or tardy is recorded on the student's permanent record.

Attendance (Parent Responsibility):

The following steps are to be taken when an absence occurs:

1. Parent or guardian is to phone and inform the school office of student's absence before 10:00 a.m. on the day of the absence.
2. Parent or guardian is to send to the school, upon the first day of returning, a doctor's certificate or other verification, giving the student's name, date, days of absence, and reason for absence. The student then presents certificate to the teacher. 
3. The parent or guardian is to notify the school prior to the absence, if absence is due to work, travel, etc.

Ennis ISD realizes that certain illnesses such as the flu warrant lengthy absences. Parents need to contact the school office if a situation occurs that warrants extended absence.

Tardies:

Tardiness interrupts instructional time. A note should accompany the student, explaining the reason for his/her tardiness. The teacher will contact parent or guardian if tardiness becomes excessive. Excessive tardies may be considered truancy. Students with more than three(3) tardies per nine weeks or per year will not qualify for nine weeks or yearly perfect attendance. Repeated instances of tardiness could result in truancy action. A child is considered tardy after 7:35 AM.