Attendance FAQs
Attendance Frequently Asked Questions
- My student was or will be absent from school. What should I do?
- How does the district notify families regarding absences?
- I sent in an attendance note. Why did I still receive a phone call/email/letter about my student's attendance?
- What types of absences count against my student's attendance?
- What type of absences DO NOT count against my student's attendance?
- Why does my student have different attendance rates for each course?
- My student is at least 15-years-old and I want to get my student a driving permit or a driver's license. What do I need?
- My student is going on a college visit. Is this ok?
- What should we do if my student refuses to go to school?
My student was or will be absent from school. What should I do?
How does the district notify families regarding absences?
I sent in an attendance note. Why did I still receive a phone call/email/letter about my student's attendance?
What types of absences count against my student's attendance?
What type of absences DO NOT count against my student's attendance?
Why does my student have different attendance rates for each course?
My student is at least 15-years-old and I want to get my student a driving permit or a driver's license. What do I need?
My student is going on a college visit. Is this ok?
What should we do if my student refuses to go to school?
Report An Absence
Parent/guardian should Report an Absence and any documentation should be submitted as soon as possible (recommended within 48 hours after the absence has occurred). Documentation must support the reason for the absence to be coded correctly.
East Central ISD is required to submit its attendance to the Texas Education Agency reflecting student attendance at a specific time each day. Please try to schedule appointments for your student after school, but if that is too difficult, try and schedule medical appointments after 10:30 AM.
Note: Phone calls are not required to report an absence in advance, per policy we can’t address absences in advance. Phone calls also cannot count as documentation.
You will receive an automated phone call/text/email from ECISD that your student was absent.
Your student’s campus, CANNOT accept phone calls or voicemail messages as documentation for a student's absence.
Parent/guardian notes may be used to excuse a total of 10 absences for the school year. If exceeding 10 parent/guardian notes, parent/guardian encouraged to communicate with your campus principal to discuss the reason(s) for absences and whether future parent/guardian notes will be accepted.
- Do not falsify documentation. Falsifying documents is a criminal offense. Penalties for falsifying medical records in the state of Texas is a misdemeanor, a sentence up to one year in jail and a fine up to $4000. Penalties for tampering with government records can range from a misdemeanor to a Second Degree Felony offense; up to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000.
- Excessive absences may result in a violation of compulsory attendance laws* and the Student Code of Conduct. Such violations may result in the loss of course/grade credit, court action, and/or monetary fines. 10 to 20 consecutive full-day unexcused absences can lead to withdrawal of your student and filing of “Parent Contributing to Nonattendance.”
*The Texas Compulsory Attendance Law indicates that a child who is required to attend school, must attend school each school day for the entire period the program of instruction is provided. If a student is absent from school on 10 or more days or parts of days within a six month period, or on 3 or more days or parts of days within a four week period- the parent is subject to prosecution for "parent contributing to nonattendance" and the student is subject to prosecution for "failure to attend school."