ATTENDANCE POLICY

We understand situations arise which will require a student’s absence from school. We strongly
encourage parents/guardians to be mindful of the difference between unexcused and excused
absences and the limitations to both. In high school, there are very strict requirements for seat time
and excessive absences of any kind could lead to the loss of credits needed to graduate.
In high school, attendance is taken at each class period not just for attendance purposes but for
credit awarding as well. Students must be present for at least 30 minutes of a 45-minute class or 60
minutes of a 90-minute class to be considered present for the class. Additionally, the campus takes
official ADA attendance at 10:30 a.m. each school day regardless of the day’s schedule. When a
student is marked absent for the ADA period, they are considered absent for the school day for
federal and state reporting purposes.

Excused Absences
All students will have the opportunity to make up work when absent. A student will have no more
than one week to make up the work unless the student receives special permission from the teacher.
It is the responsibility of the student to find out what assignments were missed.
When a student is absent from school, they must submit to the attendance office a written
parent/guardian or doctor’s note within five (5) days from the absence. The note must contain the
following information:
● Student’s full name and ID number
● Date of absence
● Reason for absence
● Signature of parent/guardian and phone number for contact
● A doctor’s note is required for an absence of five or more days.

The following are examples of reasonable excused absences:
● Personal illness
● Death in the family
● Medical/dental appointments
● Certain weather conditions that make travel hazardous
● College visits during the junior and senior year (no more than two per school year)
● Absences related to the legal system
● Religious holidays
● Suspension

Unexcused Absences
Unless pre-coded, all student absences default as unexcused absences. If a student is absent from
school and does not submit an approved note within the five-day window, the absence will remain
unexcused. Additionally, the absence will remain unexcused if: the note submitted is not approved by
the attendance committee or the limit of permissible excused absences has been reached.
We ask that parents/guardians help us to avoid absences for non-essential events. The following
events will not be approved to excuse absences:

● Hair, nail, massage, etc. appointments
● Party preparations
● Taking a family member to an appointment
● Waking up late for school
● Family vacation
● Any other non-essential activity or non-emergency

Absences for Extracurricular Activities
Absences for extracurricular activities do not count as absences as they apply to the HISD
attendance policy unless a student accumulates more than five for one semester in a particular
class or subject. If a student accumulates more than five absences for extracurricular activities for
one semester in one class or subject, each absence over five becomes an unexcused absence, and
these unexcused absences apply to the HISD attendance policy.
Excessive Absences – Loss of Credit

The Texas Education Code (25.092) sets a minimum attendance requirement of 90 percent of class
meetings for the award of course credit regardless of whether the student’s absences are excused or
unexcused. Additionally, HISD policy states students with five or more unexcused absences in any
credit course will have their credit withheld and an asterisk (*) will appear on their report card.
The campus attendance committee will track the absences of students on a weekly basis. Once a
student accumulates more than three (3) excused or unexcused absences, the student management
system will automatically revoke credit and the grade earned will display as “NG” (no grade) on the
report card regardless of the grade earned. All NG’s earned during the school year must be cleared
by the last day of summer school of the same year. Students who do not clear NG’s by the last day
of summer school of the year credit was revoked will be required to retake the original credit version
of the course.
Students with excessive excused and unexcused absences (more than three) are subject to
placement on an attendance contract by the appropriate administrator, which could lead to the
non-renewal of the student’s transfer to Eastwood for the following school year.
Appealing Loss of Credit (NG)

A school may not adjust the excessive absence limit used to deny credit. If the student has
exceeded the absence limit, the student will not receive credit for the course unless the passing
average is appealed. If the School Attendance Committee decides to award credit for a passing
average with an NG, then the school registrar will remove the NG, allowing the credit to be awarded
to the student. The following options may be considered when assigning students their NG removal
requirements. Only school personnel may decide which option is assigned to which students.
● APEX course work online
● In-person instructional hours
● Other expectations assigned by the Principal

Early Check-Out Procedures
The student or parent/guardian initiates the procedure by presenting themselves to the office.
No student may call a parent/guardian on the cell phone to be checked out. The office verifies
the validity of the check-out (parent/guardian signature, notification, etc.). To avoid loss of
instructional time, Eastwood prohibits students from being checked out of school before 10:30
a.m. or after 3:00 p.m. unless there is an emergency. Any person requesting to check-out a
student must be identified on the enrollment card as an adult responsible for the student.

Excessive early departures will result in a loss of credit if the amount of absences to any
particular class exceeds the limits mentioned in the attendance policy above.