Prekindergarten and Kindergarten

Students enrolled in prekindergarten or kindergarten are required to attend school and are subject to the compulsory attendance requirements as long as they remain enrolled.

Ages 6-18

State law requires that a student 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 their 19th birthday, shall 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.

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 the student incurs 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. [See policy FEA for more information.]

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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.
• Activities related to obtaining U.S. citizenship.
• Documented health-care appointments for the student or a child of the student, including absences related to autism services, if the student returns to school on the same day as the appointment and brings a note from the healthcare provider.
• For students in the conservatorship of the state.
• An activity required under a court-ordered service plan; or
• Any other court-ordered activity provided it is not practicable to schedule the student’s participation in the activity outside of school hours.
• For children of military families, absences of up to five days will be excused for a student to visit a parent, stepparent, or legal guardian going to, on leave from, or returning from certain deployments. 

Secondary Grade Levels

The district will allow a student who is 15 years of age or older to be absent for one day to obtain a learner license and one day to obtain a driver’s license, provided that the board has authorized such excused absences under policy FEA(LOCAL). The student will be required to provide documentation of his or her visit to the driver’s license office for each absence and must make up any work missed.

The district will allow junior and senior students to be absent up to two days per year to visit a college or university, provided this:

• The board has authorized such excused absences under policy FEA(LOCAL
• The principal has approved the student’s absence; and
• The student Follows the campus procedures to verify the visit; and
• Makes up any work missed.

The district will allow a student 17 years old or older to be absent for up to four days during the period the student is enrolled in high school to pursue enlistment in the U. S. armed services or Texas National Guard, provided the student verifies these activities to the district.

The district will allow a student to be absent for up to two days per school year to serve as:

• An early voting clerk, provided the district’s board has authorized this in policy FEA(LOCAL), the student notifies his or her teachers, and the student receives approval from the principal prior to the absences; or
• An election clerk if the student makes up any work missed.

The district will allow a student in grades 6–12 to be absent for the purpose of sounding “Taps” at a military honors funeral for a deceased veteran.

Students with Disabilities

If a student with a disability is experiencing attendance issues, the student’s ARD or Section 504 committee will determine whether the attendance issues warrant an evaluation, a reevaluation, and/or modifications to the student's individualized education program or Section 504 plan, as appropriate.

[If a student pre-k through 12th grade is absent from school for 10 or more days or part of days without an excuse within a 6-month period, the parent and/or student are subject to legal prosecution.]

Ages 6 -18

When a student ages 6 -19 incurs 3 unexcused absences within a four-week period, the law requires the school to send notice to the parent. The notice will: • Remind the parent of his or her duty to monitor the student’s attendance and require the student to attend school. • Request a conference between school administrators and the parent; and • Inform the parent that the district will initiate truancy prevention measures, including a behavior improvement plan, school-based community service, referrals to counseling or other social services, or other appropriate measures. If a student ages 12–18 incurs ten or more unexcused absences within a six-month period in the same school year, the district, in most circumstances, will refer the student to truancy court.

Age 19 and Older

After a student age 19 or older incurs a third unexcused absence, the district is required by law to send the student a letter 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.

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• Judson ISD has adopted a multitude of truancy prevention/intervention measures to meaningfully address student conduct related to truancy or non-attendance.
• If a student is absent without a valid excuse three or more days or parts of days in a four-week period, the designated campus attendance facilitator, as mandated by law will schedule a conference with the student and parent/guardian to issue an attendance warning notice (WN) and develop an individual attendance plan (IAP). TEC Sec. 25.095 and Sec. 25.0915
• The individual attendance plan herein constitutes a behavior improvement plan in that the student and or parent/guardian agree to implement the truancy measures outlined for a period or not fewer than 45 school days to become effective on the date signed.
• If a student continues to be absent without a valid excuse after the issuing of the warning notice and development of the individual attendance plan, the student and or parent/guardian may be subject to a complaint filed in a county, justice, or municipal court. Specifically, if a student accumulates 10 unexcused absences in a six-month period, a student and parent/guardian may be referred for legal action.

A court of law may also impose penalties against both the student and his or her parents if a school-aged student enrolled and is deliberately not attending school. A complaint against the parent and/or student may be filed in court if the student: Is absent from school on ten or more days or parts of days within a six-month period in the same school year, or for a student younger than 12 years of age, the student’s parent could be charged with an offense based on the student’s failure to attend school. If a student age 12 through age 17 violates the compulsory attendance law, both the parent and the student could be charged with an offense.

Is absent from school on ten or more days or parts of days within a six-month period in the same school year, or for a student younger than 12 years of age, the student’s parent could be charged with an offense based on the student’s failure to attend school. If a student age 12 through age 17 violates the compulsory attendance law, both the parent and the student could be charged with an offense.

(Kindergarten–Grade 12)

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.]

With the exception of absences due to serious or life-threatening illness or related treatment, 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 Compulsory Attendance-Exemptions on page 31 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 the 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)

(All Grade Levels)

A parent must provide an explanation for any absence upon the student’s arrival or return to school. The student must submit a note signed by the parent. The campus may accept a phone call from the parent but reserves the right to require a written note. A note signed by the student will not be accepted unless the student is age 18 or older or is an emancipated minor under state law. The campus will document in its attendance records whether the absence is excused or unexcused.

Note: The district is not required to excuse any absence, even if the parent provides a note explaining the absence, unless the absence is an exemption under compulsory attendance laws. 

Doctor’s Note after an Absence for Illness
(All Grade Levels)

Within 3 days of returning to school, a student absent for more than 3 consecutive days because of a personal illness must bring a statement from a doctor or health clinic verifying the illness or condition that caused the absence. Otherwise, the absence may be considered unexcused and in violation of compulsory attendance laws.

Should the student develop a questionable pattern of absences, the principal or attendance committee may require a statement from a doctor or health clinic verifying the illness or condition that caused the absence to determine whether an absence will be excused or unexcused.

Certification of Absence Due to Severe Illness or Treatment

If a student is absent because of a serious or life-threatening illness or related treatment that makes a student’s attendance infeasible, a parent must provide certification from a physician licensed to practice in Texas specifying the student’s illness and the anticipated period of absence related to the illness or treatment.

Positive Covid/Covid Symptoms

• Students who have tested positive for Covid and provide a positive test result or a doctor’s note will be counted as having an excused absence.
• Students who have symptoms and do not provide a doctor’s note or positive Covid test can be excused for 3 days with a parent note and will be counted as an unexcused absence for the additional days. Attendance committee can meet to determine if other absences will be excused.

Close Contact or Quarantine

• If a parent chooses to keep their child home due to receiving a close contact letter and the student does not have symptoms then the parent letter can be submitted for 3 excused absences. All additional absences will be unexcused and the Attendance Committee can meet to determine if other absences will be excused.
• If a student has been in close contact with someone that has Covid and the parent chooses to keep the child home from school then the parent can submit a note for up to 3 excused absences. All additional absences will be unexcused and the Attendance Committee can meet to determine if other absences will be excused.