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 parent portal. 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.

Documentation after an Absence (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 1 day of returning to school, a student who is absent for more than 2 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.

Driver License Attendance Verification (Secondary Grade Levels Only)

A currently enrolled student seeking a driver’s license shall submit the Texas Department of 28 Public Safety Verification of Enrollment and Attendance Form (VOE), signed by the parent, to the campus central office at least 10 days before it is needed. The district will issue a VOE only if the student meets class credit or attendance requirements.

The VOE form (https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/driver/forms/VOE.pdf) is available online. More information is available on the Texas Department of Public Safety website (https://www.dps.texas.gov/section/driver-license/how-apply-texas-driver-license-teen). [See Compulsory Attendance — Exemptions for Secondary Grade Levels for information on excused absences for obtaining a learner license or driver’s license.] 

Documentation after an Absence (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 1 day of returning to school, a student who is absent for more than 2 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. 

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. If the note isn’t received within ? days, the absence is considered unexcused. If a note is received within ? days, the absence may be reclassified as excused. Unexcused absences are considered “unlawful absences” if the student is of compulsory school age.

All Grade Levels

State law allows exemptions to the compulsory attendance requirements, as long as the student makes up all work, for the following activities and events:

 Religious holy days

 Required court appearances

 Appearing at a governmental office to obtain U.S. citizenship

 Taking part in a US naturalization oath ceremony  Serving as an election clerk  Health-care appointments for the student or a child of the student, including absences related to autism services  

 Absences resulting from a serious or life-threatening illness or related treatment that makes a student’s attendance infeasible, with certification by a physician  

 For students in the conservatorship of the state:

    o An activity required under a court-ordered service plan

    o 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. [See Children of Military                Families.]  

Note that documented health-care appointments may include telehealth appointments. Students who are physically on campus will not be allowed to participate in telehealth or other online appointments without specific authorization from an appropriate administrator. Students should not use district-issued technology, including wifi or internet, for telehealth appointments because use of district-owned equipment and its network systems is not private and may be monitored by the district. For more information, see Telecommunications and Other Electronic Devices (All Grade Levels). 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 the visit to the driver’s license office for each absence and must make up any work missed. [See Driver License Attendance Verification (Secondary Grade Levels Only).]

The district will allow junior and senior students to be absent for up to two days per year to visit a college or university if the following conditions are met:  

 The board has authorized such excused absences under policy FEA(LOCAL)

 The principal has approved the student’s absence 

 The student follows 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 during the student’s junior year and two days during the student’s senior year for a career investigation day to visit a professional at that individual’s workplace to determine the student’s interest in pursuing a career in the professional’s field, 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, if the district’s board has authorized this in policy FEA(LOCAL), the student notifies their teachers, and the student receives approval from the principal prior to the absences

 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 who miss a significant number of school days, regardless of the reason, are considered chronically absent and may face academic and social challenges. Olney ISD 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! 

Compulsory Attendance — Failure to Comply All Grade Levels

School employees must investigate and report violations of the compulsory attendance law. A student who is absent without permission from school, any class, any required special program, or any required tutorial will be considered in violation of the compulsory attendance law and subject to disciplinary action.

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.

Ages 6-18

When a student age 6-18 three or more 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 their duty to monitor the student’s attendance and require the student to attend school

 Request a conference between school administrators and the parent 

 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

The truancy prevention facilitator for the district is:

Devin Wright SRO

809 W. Hamilton St.

Olney, TX 76374 940-867-3124

For any questions about student absences, parents should contact the facilitator or any other campus administrator. A court of law may impose penalties against the parent if a school-aged student is deliberately not attending school. The district may file a complaint against the parent if the student incurs 10 or more unexcused absences within a six-month period in the same school year.

If a student age 12-18 incurs 10 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. [See policies FEA(LEGAL) and FED(LEGAL) for more information.]

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.

Attendance for Credit or Final Grade (All Grade Levels)

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 fewer than 90 percent of the days the class is offered will be referred to the attendance review committee. The 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 consider:

 Whether the student has mastered the essential knowledge and skills and maintained passing grades in the course or subject.

 Whether the student has completed makeup work satisfactorily. If the student completes makeup work, absences listed under Compulsory Attendance — Exemptions on page and absences for extracurricular activities will be considered extenuating circumstances. 

 Whether the student or the student’s parent had any control over the absences.

 Any information presented by the student or parent to the committee about the absences. The student or parent may appeal the committee’s decision to the board by following policy FNG(LOCAL). 

The Board requires that school-aged pupils enrolled in District schools attend school regularly in accordance with state laws. The educational program offered by Olney ISD is predicated upon the presence of the pupil and requires continuity of instruction and classroom participation. Please refer to Texas Education Agency for more information.

Texas Education Code 25.085 and 25.0915

Olney 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 Young 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.  Olney 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.  

Click below to take the Online Truancy Class.

Online Truancy Class