Attendance Office

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VERIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT (VOE)

*This form is for learner's permit/ driver's license*

REQUIREMENTS

• Must be currently enrolled
• Must have received credit for each class the semester prior
• Must have been in attendance 90% of the time for each class the semester prior

Please allow 24-48 hours for all requests

Checking a Student Out of School

The parent/guardian must sign out the student at the Front Office and show valid photo identification before leaving campus with the student. Students MUST wait to be called upon to be released from class.

Please allow time in your schedule for the 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 at the Front Office. If the student is sent home by the nurse, this is considered an excused absence for the remainder of the day. Subsequent absences will need a parent/doctor 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.

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 within 3 days of returning to school. Notes can also be faxed to the Main Office fax (210) 688-6072 or emailed to the attendance secretaries.

                             ana.arrezola@nisd.net  or  heather-1.gonzalez@nisd.net

Excused Absences

Examples: Personal illness, family funerals, initial or renewing a driver’s license, medical appointments (doctor's note preferred), court appointments with a subpoena, religious holidays (approved by NISD) with documentation, family emergencies (parent/guardian must contact their child's administrator to determine if a family emergency will be excused). Absences can only be excused with proper documentation; if documentation is not provided absences will remain unexcused. Excused absences do count as an absence towards the 90% compulsory attendance law.

Unexcused Absences

Example: 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. Unexcused absences do count as an absence towards the 90% compulsory attendance law.

Health (H) Excuse

A student who has a health care appointment during the school day will be coded ‘Health’ or (H) 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 documentation to the Attendance Office upon returning). Documentation from the healthcare professional is required to confirm the appointment occurred during school hours. 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 office.

A “Health” or H coded absence does not count towards the 90% compulsory attendance law. This is why it is highly recommended for a student to come partial day to school on health care appointment days. 

If a student is absent 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 turned in or emailed to  the Attendance Office upon the student’s return to school within 3 days.

Health care notes can also be faxed from the doctor’s office to the Main Office at (210) 688-6072.

Parents should monitor the ‘Home Access Center’ to ensure receipt of the health care note from the Doctor’s office. Please allow 48 hours for the system to update.

Attendance Waivers

If a student has an extraordinary 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 (90% law). 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 Office within 5 days of returning to school. The Attendance Committee will determine if the Attendance Waiver can be granted. Notification of Attendance Committee’s decision (grant/denial) of Attendance Waiver will be made to the parent/guardian.

College Visit

Juniors and Seniors are allowed to go on college visits as long as these visits are given prior approval (forms are located in the Attendance Office), documented and do not exceed 2 school days per school year, college visits (CV) are considered excused absences and do not count as absences towards the 90% state law. Any days missed for college visits in excess of 2 days per school year will not be excused. For seniors, the 2 days of college visits will not count toward the maximum of 3 absences allowed to be eligible for exam exemptions as long as proper documentation is provided.

Upon returning to Taft High School, the student must submit to the Attendance Office a signed evidence letter of the college visit which includes the student's name and date of the visit on college letterhead.

Homework 

Obtaining missed assignments during an absence:

For absences, the student can email their teacher or obtain the assignments upon their return to school. You may find the teachers email addresses on our directory located on the main page of the Taft website if further information is needed.

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 contact the attendance secretary to update their phone number.

VOE/TEA Form

If a student who is under 18 yr. 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 and be in good standing with grades/credits, per NISD and TEA policy.

VOE forms can be requested through the link listed above, in the Taft Attendance Office or online by scanning the QR code. Please allow a minimum of 24-48 hours for processing. Upon approval, one of the attendance secretaries will send an email to the students' NISD email address that it is ready for pickup.

Withdrawing From School

Parent/legal guardian wishing to withdraw their student from Taft High School must complete the appropriate paperwork in the Attendance Office. A Withdrawal Documentation Form will need to be completed and processed at that time.

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- 5987 or 210-397-6008.