Attendance FAQs

A written or electronic absence note must be submitted within two school days of the student's return to school.

Documentation may be:

• Submitted through the Report an Absence form.
• Sent to school with your student.
• Delivered directly to the campus.
• Emailed to the campus attendance office.

Documentation should include:

• Student's full legal name
• Student ID number
• Date(s) of the absence
• Specific reason for the absence
• Parent or guardian's full name and signature
• Parent or guardian's phone number

In most cases, no. If your student is ill but does not visit a health-care provider, a parent or guardian note may be sufficient.

Additional medical documentation may be required if:

• The student is absent due to illness for more than three consecutive school days.
• The student develops a pattern of excessive excused absences.
• The principal or attendance review committee determines that medical verification is necessary based on the student's attendance history.

No. A phone call may notify the campus that your student will be absent, but it does not replace the required written or electronic documentation.

Documentation must be submitted within two school days of the student's return to school.

Yes. Signing a student out of school does not automatically excuse the absence.

Appropriate documentation, such as a parent/guardian note or health-care provider documentation, must still be submitted within two school days.

An absence may remain unexcused for several reasons, including:

• Documentation was not submitted within two school days of the student's return.
• The reason for the absence does not qualify as excused under state law or District policy.
• Required medical or other supporting documentation was not provided.
• The campus was notified by phone, but the required written or electronic documentation was not submitted.

If you believe an absence was recorded incorrectly, contact your campus attendance office.

No. Documentation should be submitted for each appointment, even when appointments are recurring.

When health-care provider documentation is required, the campus needs verification that the student attended the appointment on the specific date of the absence.

A part-of-day absence occurs when a student misses a portion of the instructional day.

For students in Pre-K through fifth grade, 30 minutes or more of lost instructional time may be considered a part-of-day absence.

Repeatedly arriving late or leaving school early can affect a student's attendance record and may result in attendance interventions when the missed time is unexcused.

Elementary attendance is based on the amount of instructional time missed:

• After 7:30 a.m. but before 8 a.m.: Tardy
• At or after 8 a.m. but before 9 a.m.: Partial-day absence
• At or after 9 a.m.: Full-day absence

Appropriate documentation must still be submitted for an absence to be considered for excusal.

High school students who miss 15 minutes or more of a class period are counted absent for that class period, regardless of when the instructional time is missed.

This may include arriving late, leaving early, or being out of class for an extended period.

Yes. Students who are 18 years old may sign themselves out; however, a parent or guardian must still notify the school in advance.

If the school has not received prior notification, the campus will contact the parent or guardian when the student attempts to sign out.

Leaving campus without following required procedures may result in an unexcused absence and disciplinary consequences.

Texas law generally requires students who are at least 6 years old and younger than 19 to attend school each day instruction is provided unless an exemption applies.

Students who voluntarily enroll in prekindergarten or kindergarten before age 6 are also subject to attendance requirements while enrolled.

Truancy is based on unexcused absences.

A student may engage in truant conduct when the student is subject to compulsory attendance and has 10 or more unexcused absences or parts of days within six months during the same school year.

A warning notice may be issued when a student has unexcused absences on three days or parts of days within four weeks.

The notice informs families of the attendance concern and allows the student, family, and campus to address the issue through Truancy Prevention Measures before additional action becomes necessary.

Truancy Prevention Measures (TPM) are interventions designed to identify the reasons for a student's unexcused absences and help improve attendance.

Depending on the student's circumstances, measures may include:

• Parent and/or student conferences
• Attendance classes
• Attendance contracts
• Required tutorials
• Student detentions
• Behavioral intervention plans
• Referrals to administrators, counselors, or truancy intervention staff
• Saturday School
• Home visits
• Other appropriate campus interventions

If attendance does not improve and the student meets the applicable threshold for unexcused absences, the District may take additional action in accordance with Texas law and District policy.

This may include referral for truant conduct or other action involving the student's parent or guardian, depending on the circumstances and applicable legal requirements.

Texas law generally requires students to attend at least 90% of the days a class is offered to receive credit or a final grade.

Students who fall below the attendance requirement may be required to complete an attendance recovery plan or other campus requirements.

They are two separate attendance requirements.

Truancy focuses on unexcused absences and may result in Truancy Prevention Measures or other action under Texas law.

The 90% Rule focuses on overall attendance and may include applicable excused and unexcused absences.

This means an absence may be excused but still affect a student's compliance with the 90% attendance requirement.

Students who fall below attendance requirements may have opportunities to recover attendance hours through campus-approved activities such as:

• Saturday School
• Before- or after-school tutorials
• Approved nonprofit volunteer service, when applicable and approved in advance
• Other campus-approved attendance recovery activities

Requirements and available options vary by campus and grade level. Visit the Attendance page for campus-specific forms, schedules, and instructions.

Students are responsible for obtaining and completing assignments missed during an absence.

Generally, students are provided one day of makeup time for each day of absence. Additional requirements or timelines may apply depending on the assignment and circumstances.

For additional information, review the Liberty Hill ISD Student & Parent Handbook.

Generally, yes. A student who misses instructional time to participate in a non-UIL activity will be recorded as absent.

Whether the absence qualifies as excused and how it affects the student's 90% attendance requirement will be determined in accordance with applicable law, District policy, and campus procedures.

First, discuss the attendance concern with your student and verify the information with your student's teacher when appropriate.

If the concern is not resolved, contact the attendance clerk at your student's campus for assistance.

Contact your student's campus and ask to speak with the campus registrar for assistance with Skyward Family Access.

For questions about a specific absence, documentation, attendance record, or attendance recovery requirements, contact your student's campus attendance office.

For assistance with truancy prevention or ongoing attendance concerns, contact:

Sandy Scott
LHISD Truancy/Dropout Prevention Coordinator
Phone: 512-260-5518