Attendance FAQ's

Attendance Law

Texas School Law states that students must be in attendance at least 90% of the time to receive credit for a course.

Students may not miss more than eight (8) absences in the Fall and ten (10) absences in the Spring or 18 days for a year-long course. This includes both EXCUSED and UNEXCUSED absences.  The only exceptions to this policy are Health, School Business, College Visit (2 days per year – Juniors and Seniors only) absences.

A student will NOT receive credit for a course if he/she exceeds the number of allowable absences. 

Please be advised that if a student is absent without an excuse for 3 or more days or parts of days in a four-week period, or 10 or more days within a six-month period, the student’s parents and/or the student are subject to prosecution under the Texas Education Code after a Truancy Warning Notice is issued.

For further explanation of attendance, refer to your Student/Parent Handbook.

Attendance Recovery

More information to come. 

Checking a Student Out of School

If a student must be checked out of school for a Medical/Dental Appointment or other planned event, etc..,The parent/guardian must sign out the student in the Attendance Office and show valid photo identification before leaving campus with the student.

Please allow time in your schedule for the Attendance Office to retrieve your student from their class.  (Students could be testing, in Athletics, or in a Lab)

If a student becomes ill at school, he/she needs to report to the school nurse.  The nurse will determine if he/she needs to be excused due to illness.  The parent/guardian will be contacted, asked to come, and sign out the student in the Attendance Office.  If the student is sent home by the nurse, this is considered an excused absence (DOES NOT count towards the students attendance under the compulsory attendance laws) for the remainder of that day. Subsequent absences will need a parent note in order to be excused.  Should the nurse choose not to send a student home due to illness and the parent chooses to sign out their student, this is an unexcused absence until a parent note is received.

Tardy Policy

Students should be in class by the final bell. Students that are tardy or absent by tardy will report to the tardy station to retrieve their tardy pass. Students are considered tardy (UT) within the first ten minutes of class. Students are considered absent by tardy (AT) after the first ten minutes of class (An Absent by Tardy DOES COUNT towards the student’s attendance under the compulsory attendance law). Cumulative tardy reports will be collected in a database by administration. When a student reaches seven cumulative tardies, the student will receive a consequence varying from a detention, in school suspension, off campus lunch privileges and or the loss of a parking permit. With each additional tardy, the student will receive escalating consequences. In order for students to be given the opportunity to correct their behavior, tardies and consequences will restart periodically. (POLICY IS POSTED OUTSIDE TARDY BOOTH)

Tardy Consequences

Excused Absences

Student illness, family funerals, medical appointments (doctor's note preferred), court appointments with a subpoena, religious holidays (approved by NISD) with documentation, are absences considered as excused. The submission of notes is required. (Excused absences DO COUNT towards the student’s attendance under the compulsory attendance law)

Unexcused Absences

Car trouble/flat tire, missing the bus/ride, oversleeping, caring for a family member or taking them to a Dr. appointment, family or personal business, busy traffic, court appointments for traffic violations, notes without all pertinent information, a confirmed truancy are considered as unexcused. (Unexcused absences DO COUNT towards the student’s attendance under the compulsory attendance law)

Absent Notes

If a student is absent from school, even for just one class/period, he/she must bring a note to the Attendance Office. Notes received will be coded, please refer to HAC (Home Access Center) for clarification. Notes can be turned in between the school hours of 8:15 a.m till 4:45 p.m.  Notes can also be faxed to the Attendance Office fax (210) 561-5251.

Health (H) Excuse

A student who has a health care appointment will not be marked as absent and will receive a ‘Health’ or ‘H’ excuse if all of the following criteria are met:

The student is present for at least part of the day (comes to school and checks out early or comes to school after a medical appointment and reports to the Attendance Office upon returning). Documentation from the health care professional confirming the appointment is required upon returning to school. The Attendance Office will decide approval for the ‘H’ excuse. Teachers CANNOT change an absence to an ‘H’ excuse.  This can only be done by the attendance secretary.

If a student is gone all day for a medical appointment, he/she will receive an excused absence with a doctor note (EADN), not an ‘H’, with the proper documentation.  These notes must also be brought into the Attendance Office upon the student’s return to school, otherwise, the absence will remain unexcused (UA).

Health care notes can be faxed from the doctor’s office to the Attendance Office at (210) 561-5251.

Parents are encouraged to monitor HAC (Home Access Center) to ensure receipt of the health care note from the Doctor’s office. 

Attendance Waivers

If a student has an extenuating circumstance (i.e. a hospital stay due to an emergency illness) and missed 4 or more consecutive days, the student may apply for an Attendance Waiver so that these absences are not counted against the student for credit.  In order to apply for an Attendance Waiver, a student must:

Pick up an Attendance Waiver application from the Attendance Office. Complete the form and provide copies of all documentation (copies of excused medical notes) supporting reason(s) for the absences and return them to the attendance Administrator within 5 days of returning to school. The Attendance committee meets the last week of each 9 week grading period and will determine if the Attendance Waiver can be granted.

College Visit

Juniors and Seniors are allowed to go on college visits as long as these visits do not exceed 2 school days per school year, college visits (CV) are considered excused absences. (DOES NOT count towards the student’s attendance under the compulsory attendance law) Any days missed for college visits in excess of 2 days per school year will not be excused. Upon returning, students must provide signed documentation from the college visit which includes the student’s name and date of the visit on college letterhead. Students are responsible for making up missed work. 

Homework

Obtaining missed assignments during an absence:

For absences less than 3 days, the student can email their teacher or obtain the assignments upon their return to school. For absences over 3 days, the parent/guardian can email the teachers or contact (210) 397-5150 to request homework to be available for pick-up by 4:30 p.m. in the Attendance Office the next day.  Please allow 24 hours notice.

School Messenger

School Messenger is an automated phone call generated when a student is absent from at least one class.  It calls the number determined by the parent/guardian to communicate with them if their child misses a class.  If a parent/guardian feels the need to have this number changed for more accurate communication (i.e.: cell or work phone), the parent should visit ‘Parent Connection’ to update their student’s phone numbers, view attendance, grades, set text or email alerts. 

Jr/Sr Off-campus Lunch

To qualify each semester:

Juniors and Seniors of Tom C.Clark wanting to participate in open campus for lunch may be released on the following conditions:

• Students must have parent’s permission on the application. 
• Students earn off campus lunch privileges one semester at a time. Students may have no more than eight (8) absences in the semester prior to the semester of implementation. If the student is denied the privilege, he/she may apply at the end of the following nine weeks grading period with no more than three absences accrued during the prior 9-week period. 
• Students must have passed all classes from the previous semester and did not lose credit due to attendance. 
• Students must reapply at semester. 
• Students must stay on campus for occasional mandatory meetings or other events. Students must present valid off-campus I.D. when requesting to leave campus. 
• Students leaving campus must be back in the required time. No excused tardies will be accepted. Illness must be reported immediately by the parent, not the student. Loss of junior/senior lunch may occur when the student is tardy from lunch. 
• Students with off campus permission will have their ID card appropriately coded so staff will know they are permitted to leave. 
• Administration reserves the right to revoke off-campus privileges due to behavior, failing grades, poor attendance, excessive tardies or outstanding fine obligations.

If a Student Identification Card is lost, the student is responsible for purchasing a new I.D. and replacement sticker. Processing a new card could take up to two weeks pending eligibility verification. 

TEA/VOE Form

Verification of Enrollment and Attendance Form

If a student who is under 18 wishes to obtain the TEA Verification of Enrollment and Attendance Form in order to earn a Texas Instructional Driver’s Permit, receive a Texas Driver’s License or renew a Texas Driver’s License, he/she must be in attendance for at least 90% of the days classes are offered.

To receive the completed form, sign up with the Clark High School Counselor's Secretary.  The attendance secretary will review the student’s attendance to determine if the student qualifies for the VOE Form.  If approved, the completed form will be available for pick up the next school day.

Withdrawing From School

Parent/legal guardian wishing to withdraw their student from Clark High School, due to a move or change in schools, must complete the appropriate paperwork at the Attendance Office.  A Withdrawal Documentation Form will need to be completed.

Students need to have all textbooks, library books, all uniforms (JROTC, Band, Choir, Cheerleading, Dance, and Sports Team uniforms) and equipment turned in and be clear of all fines and fees.

If you have any questions or want to notify us of a Withdrawal, please call 210-397-5150.

Senior Exemption From Finals

More information to come.