Attendance
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 3:00 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 2:00 p.m.
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-Taking Time (All Grade Levels)
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 2022-2023 school year. A student absence for any portion of the day, including at the official attendance-taking time, should follow the procedures below to provide documentation of the absence.
Documentation after an Absence (All Grade Levels)
When a student is absent from school, the student—upon arrival or return to school—must bring a note 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. A phone call or email from the parent may be accepted, but the district reserves the right to require a written note. 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.
REPORTING ABSENCES
Please use the Skyward system portal to put in an absence request. You will click on the Attendance tile and then fill out an absence request for the day(s) your child was not at school. If you have received a medical note, you will also need to send that to the school either through the office or by emailing the PEIMS/Attendance clerk, Christi Piekos at christi.piekos@misd.gs.
Doctor’s Note after an Absence for Illness (All Grade Levels)
Within 2 days of returning to school, 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. Otherwise, the student’s absence may be considered unexcused and, if so, would be considered to be 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 student’s absence from school in order to determine whether the absence or absences will be excused or unexcused.
[See policy FEC(LOCAL).]
General Parent Notes
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.
Tardies
The MISD Elementary Schools have adopted the following tardy guidelines:
Students should report to the office for a tardy slip upon arrival 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 before school academic recovery period from 7:00-7:30 and parent will be notified. Every 5th tardy from this point on, parents will be notified and a student will be assigned an additional before school academic recovery period from 7:00-7:30. For all academic recovery periods assigned, parents will be required to provide transportation.
Repeated instances of tardiness will result in more severe disciplinary action.