It is important that you contact your child’s school if your child is absent from school. 

On the day of your student’s absence, you will receive a notification via phone call, text, or email even if the absence has been reported via our district system. Contacting parents and guardians of students who are not in class is an important measure undertaken by the District to ensure the safety of all of our students.

Absences that are not excused may result in disciplinary action. 

All absences are considered unexcused, until the school receives a note or email documenting a valid reason for the absence.  If the reason isn’t valid, the absence is still considered unexcused. Unexcused absences are considered “unlawful absences” if the student is of compulsory school age.

Lamar CISD recognizes that there may be legitimate reasons for absences, such as illness, family emergencies, or religious observances. Parents/guardians are required to provide documentation to excuse absences. Documentation must be submitted right after the absence occurs. 

A student absence is considered excused under the following circumstances:

• Personal Illness
  • When a student is absent from school due to personal illness, the student upon return, or within 5 days of returning to school, must submit a note signed by a parent giving the date(s) and describing the reason for the absence. Parent notes may be sent by email but must come from a parent’s verified email account. The note or email must be sent to the campus attendance clerk. Excuse notes turned in after 5 days are subject to approval by the campus principal. An excessive number of absences will be referred to the Campus Attendance Review Committee (ARC).  
• Death of an immediate family member
  • Students are eligible for up to 5 days of excused absences due to death or attending the funeral of a parent, guardian, grandparent, or sibling.  A parent note or email must be sent to the attendance clerk within 5 days of the student’s return to school. 
• Medical or dental appointment
  • Documented healthcare appointments for the student or a child of the student, including absences related to autism services shall be excused if the student returns to school on the same day of the appointment and brings a note from the healthcare provider.   A consultation over the phone or via video (telemedicine) is considered an appointment with a healthcare professional. However, an appointment with a school nurse does not count as an appointment with a health care professional. 
• Religious Holy Day
  • A student who is observing religious holy days is allowed up to one day of excused travel to and one day from the site where the student will observe the holy days. To be considered a religious holy day, the day should be recognized by the student’s religious denomination as a holy day that is required to be observed by all members of that denomination. Cultural holidays, church retreats, camps, mission trips, and individual religious rites do not qualify as religious holy days. For an excused absence, a note must be sent to the school explaining the absence. The student will not be penalized for that absence, i.e., perfect attendance awards, exam exemptions, etc. FEA (Legal).  
• Court hearing
  • A student who is attending a required court appearance is allowed up to one day of excused travel to and from the site where the student will attend the required court appearance.  Important Note: Absences to meet with probation officers and other absences related to court‐ordered activities outside the courtroom do not qualify as required court appearances.  
• Parent, Stepparent, or Legal Guardian who is an active-duty member of the uniformed services 
  • If absent to visit with a parent, stepparent, or legal guardian who is an active-duty member of the uniformed services and has been called to duty for, is on leave from, or is immediately returned from continuous deployment of at least four months outside the Locality where the parent, stepparent, or guardian regularly resides. The district is required to excuse up to 5 days for this purpose in a school year. An excused absence for this purpose must be taken no earlier than 60 days before the date of deployment or no later than 30 days after the date of return from deployment.  

Students who miss a significant number of school days, regardless of the reason, are considered chronically absent and may face academic and social challenges. Lamar CISD is committed to working with families to address chronic absenteeism and support student success. We are committed to your child’s success and we are your partner. Together, we can set your student up for success! 

Review the Texas Compulsory Attendance Law here. 

The Board requires that school-aged pupils enrolled in District schools attend school regularly in accordance with state laws. The educational program offered by Lamar CISD is predicated upon the presence of the pupil and requires continuity of instruction and classroom participation. 
 

Does the school send out parent communication when a student has unexcused absences?

Yes, the school district will start sending attendance letters when a student has received 3 unexcused absences. Another letter will be sent when there have been 6 unexcused absences. These letters may be in the Family Access Portal of the parents’ Skyward account.

How many unexcused absences must a student incur before truancy is filed?

Under Texas Law, a school has the right to file truancy on a student who has incurred ten unexcused absences (full or partial day) in a six-month period during the same school year.

May an absence be deemed excused but still be used to file truancy charges?

No. Texas Education Code Section 25.091 provides that a complaint or referral for failure to attend school is to be filed after a student has a certain number of absences “without excuse”.

How should I notify my child’s school if he/she is going to be absent?

When a student is absent it is best to notify the campus’s attendance office via phone call or email on the day or dates of the absences. Any student absences greater than 5 school days must be accompanied by a doctor’s note to be excused.