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Texas Education Code Section 25.092  ~  MINIMUM ATTENDANCE FOR CLASS CREDIT OR FINAL GRADE

What Does The 90% Rule Mean For Your Child?

• In addition to Texas compulsory attendance laws, districts are required to enforce the 90% rule which states that students in grades Kindergarten through 12^th must attend a class for 90% of the time it is offered to receive credit or a final grade.  This rule applies even if your child has an IEP or 504 Plan. 
• The average school year is 180 days.  This means your child can only miss 18 days (or parts of a day) of school or 18 days (or parts of a day) of a specific class.  If the school is on a semester schedule, this number is cut in half. 
• A student who is in attendance for at least 75 percent, but less than 90 percent, of the days a class is offered, may be given credit or a final grade if the student completes a plan approved by the Principal that provides for the student to meet the instructional requirements of the class.
• The 90 percent rule applies to all absences (excluding those exempt by law), including excused absences.
• For elementary students, this means they could repeat a grade if they are in school less than 90% of school days.  A middle or high school student may have to repeat a class that they received a passing grade in if they did not attend that class at least 90% of the days of the class. 

What Can You Do If Your Child Falls Below 90% Compulsory Attendance?

• If the student drops below 90% attendance but attends class at least 75% of the days the class is offered, the student may earn credit for the class by completing a plan approved by the principal or campus attendance review committee which allows the student to fulfill the instructional requirements for the class. 
• If a student falls below the 75% attendance rate or has not completed the plan approved by the principal, the student will be referred to the Campus Attendance Review Committee and they will review the reasons for your student's absences, review performance, and determine if there are extenuating circumstances for the absences.  If extenuating circumstances exist, the committee will develop a plan that will allow the student to regain credit or a final grade lost due to attendance.  Each plan will be unique and based on individual students' circumstances.
• The student or parent may appeal the Attendance Review Committee's decision to the building principal. 

Which Absences are Exempt From The 90% Rule?

State law allows for exemptions to the compulsory attendance requirements for several types of absences if the student makes up all assigned work and turns in the appropriate documentation.  In addition, the appointment must be for the student.  The following activities are exempt:

All Grade Levels

• Religious Holy Day
• Required Court Appearance
• Activities Related to US Citizenship
• Documented Health Care Appointments (must attend school on the same day as the appointment)
• Students in the Conservatorship of the State
• Students of Military Families

Secondary Grade Levels

• College Visit (11^th & 12^th Grade Only)
• Students Pursuing Enlistment in the Armed Services
• Serving as an Early Voting or Election Clerk
• Sounding Taps at a Funeral

Texas Education Code 25.085 and 25.0915

Runge ISD enforces the Texas compulsory attendance laws in the following ways:

• Automated phone calls and text messages are sent to parents or guardians daily notifying them when a student has been marked absent.  It is the parent's or guardian's responsibility to ensure that the most current and up-to-date contact information is on file at their child's school.  Parents and guardians may refer to the District's Student Handbook, the Attendance Website, or the campus their child attends for resources, information, and support regarding attendance. 

• All students will be issued a warning letter when attendance records show that the students has absences on three days or parts of days in a four-week period.  This is also when the campus will begin implementation of Truancy Prevention Measures for the student.  Truancy prevention measures (TPM) are required by law to assist parents and prevent the filing with the court for compulsory attendance.

Truancy Prevention Measures may include, but are not limited to:  

• Parent and/or Student Conference
• Truancy Prevention Online Class
• Mandatory Tutorials
• Student Detention
• Saturday School
• In-School Suspension

When Truancy Prevention Measures fail to solve the attendance problem, referral to a truancy court becomes an option.  If a student fails to attend school on 10 or more days or pats of days within a six-month period in the same school year and those absences have been verified by the campus as unexcused, students 12 and older may be referred to the prosecutor of the truancy court of Karnes County.

At this point, the campus may also file a criminal complaint against parents who contribute to the non attendance of their child, regardless of the age of their child.  The goal of each campus is to provide truancy prevention measures for students who exhibit attendance issues in a way that meaningfully addresses the student's overall attendance.  Runge ISD may delay the referral to court if the Truancy Prevention Measures are successful and the delay is in the best interest of the student.  

Frequently Asked Questions

If my child is younger than 6 and not required to attend school, do attendance laws apply to my child?  If you voluntarily enroll your child in a pre-kindergarten or kindergarten before age 6, school attendance laws apply to your child, as well.  

What is a POD (Parts of Day Absence)?  In grades Pre K - 5, "parts of days" may be defined as 50 minutes or more of lost instructional time throughout the day.  If a student consistently misses any part of the school day including, but not limited to, coming in late or leaving early, a District attendance warning letter may be sent to parents cautioning them of possible court action if those parts of the day continue. 

What does the Compulsory Attendance Law say?  State law requires children to attend school each day that instruction is provided.  The law applies to children ages 6-19.  If you voluntarily enroll your child in pre-kindergarten or kindergarten before age 6, school attendance laws apply to your child, too.  A person who voluntarily enrolls in or attends school after turning 19 is also required to attend for the entire period of the program of instruction.  

What should I do if my child is absent?  Students who have been absent must present a written excuse from the parent or guardian when the student returns to school.  All absences require a Dr's note and/or a parent's written note.  You can send a note with your student, turn in a note yourself, or email a note to the campus secretary.  

Will my child need a Dr's note every time they are absent due to illness?  A student absent for five or more consecutive days because of a personal illness must bring a statement from a Dr or health clinic verifying the illness or condition that caused the student's extended absence from school.  Otherwise, the student's absence may be considered unexcused.  Should the student develop a questionable pattern of absences, the principal or attendance review committee may require a statement from a Dr. or health clinic verifying the illness or condition that caused the student's absence from school in order to determine whether the absence or absences will be excused or unexcused.  The school nurse may serve as a health clinic.  

Why did the school mark my child's absence as unexcused even though I turned in a note and/or called to let the school know my child would be absent?  The reasons could include the following:

• The parent absence note was not turned in to the campus secretary when the student returned to school after an absence.
• The student's absence was due to a reason not considered excused by State guidelines.
• The student's absence may have required a Dr's note to be excused due to excessive absences resulting in a violation of the 90% Rule.  

If you still have questions or you believe there is an error with your child's attendance record, please contact the school.

What should I do if I believe my child's attendance is not accurate?  Discuss the concern with your child AND verify this information with the school.  

Will my child be able to make-up for missed school work?  All students will be given the opportunity to make up work missed due to all absences.  Reasonable time frames for the completion of assignments must be established.  Please contact your child's school for more information. 

When is a student considered truant?  A student engages in truant conduct if the student is required to attend school under TEC 25.085 and fails to do so.  If a student fails to attend school without an excuse on 10 or more days or parts of days within a six month period in the same school year and those absences have been verified by the campus as unexcused, the student and/or their parent may be referred to truancy court.  

Why did I receive a letter about attendance and truancy?  If you receive a letter from your student's school, it is because attendance records show that the student has absences on three or more days or parts of days.  The warning letter AND truancy prevention measures are required by law to assist students and parents and to prevent schools from filing with the court for compulsory attendance.  

What are Truancy Prevention Measures (TPM)?  Truancy prevention measures (TPM) are meaningful interventions implemented by a school to help identify the cause of a student's unexcused absences and identify actions to address each cause.  The TPM's should include ongoing communication with the student and parents regarding the actions to be taken to improve attendance and avoid court filings.  

TPM's include but are not limited to:  Parent and/or Student Conference, Truancy Prevention Class. Mandatory Student Tutorials, Detention, Saturday School, In-School-Suspension.  

What happens when the TPM's do not improve my child's attendance?  When Truancy Prevention Measures fail to solve the attendance problem, referral to a truancy court becomes an option.  If a student fails to attend school on 10 or more days or parts of days within a six-month period in the same school year and those absences have been verified by the campus as unexcused, students 12 and older may be referred to the prosecutor of the truancy court of Karnes County.  At this point, the campus may also file a criminal complaint against parents who contribute to the nonattendance of their child, regardless of the age of their child.  

I cannot afford to take my child to the Dr every time they are sick, what should I do?  If your child is not feeling well, you can take them to school at the normal arrival time and let the nurse look at your child.  If the nurse believes your child needs to stay home, it would be an excused absence for that day.

What is the 90% Rule?  According to Texas state law and Board policy, a student is required to be in attendance at least 90% of the days school or classes are offered.  If a student misses more than 10% approximately 18 days of school, they must make up class time or they will not earn credit for class or a final grade.  If the class is a semester long, the number is reduced to, on average, 8 days of missed school.   

I do not have access to the Parent Portal to view my child's attendance.  Who do I contact?  Please contact your child's campus secretary. 

Even with your best efforts, your child will miss some days of school for important reasons.  The attendance laws are designed to make sure that the missed days of school don't interfere with your child's academic achievement and earned credit.  It is very important that you stay in constant communication with your child's school so that you may receive all of the support and resources available to promote academic success.  

How Do You Ensure Your Child Does Not Miss Too Much School?

Stay in constant communication with your child's school and make sure they know when absences are necessary for your child.  There are many resources the school can refer to you that may assist families in a crisis.

When scheduling appointments with health care providers, choose a time that will allow your child to begin or end their day at school.  A student who has an appointment with a health care provider but attends school for a part of that same day or class will receive credit for attending the whole day or class.  

Review Runge ISD's school calendar and whenever possible, schedule health care appointments and family trips/vacations before or after school or during school breaks or holidays.  

Switch between morning and afternoon appointments so that your child doesn't miss the same class all the time.