Attendance

Attendance Policies

Christi Piekos, Attendance Clerk
Phone: 469-856-6704
Fax: 855-450-2105
attendance.jce@midlothianisd.org

Arrival / Dismissal 
Elementary campuses start the instructional day at 7:30 a.m. (the actual tardy bell time). For those students who ride to school with a parent, please arrive no earlier than 7:05 a.m. when adult supervision begins. Students will be dismissed at 3:15 p.m. daily. Parents picking up children will need to use the designated area at each campus. If your child is to ride with someone other than you, please send a signed note making this request.

If there are any transportation changes, please call the office by 2:15 p.m; at 469.856.6700.

Due to dismissal procedures, students will not be released to parents at the front office after 2:30 p.m.  At that time, students must follow their normal daily dismissal procedure.

Bus Riders
All students must ride their assigned bus. Students will not be allowed to ride a different bus home with friends or relatives. (In emergency situations, please call the transportation office 469-856-5350).

Official Attendance Period 
The district must submit attendance of its students to the TEA reflecting attendance at a specific time each day. The official attendance time will be 9:15 a.m. for all elementary campuses for the 2023-2024 school year.

Afternoon ECSE will have an official attendance time of 1:15pm.

Submitting Absence Documentation
A student absent for any portion of the day, including at the official attendance period, should follow the procedures below to provide documentation of the absence:  

General Parent Notes - parents can submit an absence request in Skyward, send a written note to the front office, or email attendance.jce@midlothianisd.org.

**Up to seven (7) absences are allowed with a general parent note each school year. For example, if a parent writes a general absence note for a student who misses two days of school, that one note counts for two separate absences.** 

Submitting an Absence in Skyward

• Log into your Skyward account and select the Attendance Tile under your student's name.

• Click on the green Add Absence Request button on the top right of the screen.

• Complete all required fields including Start Date, End Date, & Comments.

• Click the Save Button at the top left of the screen.

**At this time, medical notes cannot be uploaded into Skyward. Please email attendance.jce@midlothianisd.org or send with your student upon their return.

Doctor’s Note after an Absence due to Illness - Within 2 days of returning to school, doctor notes should be sent to the front office with your child upon their return to school or should be emailed to:  attendance.jce@midlothianisd.org

**A student who is absent for more than 4 consecutive days because of a personal illness must bring a statement from a doctor or health clinic verifying the illness or condition that caused the student’s extended absence from school. 

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 student’s absence from school in order to determine whether the absence or absences will be excused or unexcused.
[See Student Handbook:  https://www.midlothianisd.org/student-life/student-handbook]**

When a student is absent from school without a medical note, the student—upon arrival or return to school—must bring a note to the front office that is signed by the parent that describes the reason for the absence.  A note signed by the student, even with the parent’s permission, 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 for the student whether the absence is considered by the district to be excused or unexcused. Note: Unless the absence is for a statutorily allowed reason under compulsory attendance laws, the district is not required to excuse any absence, even if the parent provides a note explaining the absence. 

Tardies
The MISD Elementary Schools have adopted the following tardy guidelines:

Students should report to the office for a tardy slip after 7:30 a.m. Upon the 5th tardy, a parent or guardian is notified by letter.

Beginning with the 10th tardy, a student will be assigned one academic recovery period assigned by the Attendance Committee and parents will be notified of the date and time. Every 5th tardy from this point on, parents will be notified and a student will be assigned an additional academic recovery period.

Repeated instances of tardiness will result in more severe disciplinary action.