FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What do I need to do if my child is absent?
Parents/guardians of students who have been absent may complete the online absence form for their respective campus or turn in a note to the attendance office within five (5) days of the students returning to school.
Doctor's note when ill
- Doctor’s notes are accepted as documentation in the School Absence Form for the date indicated. A separate School Absence Form will be required for any days not covered by the medical note.
- If the absence is three (3) consecutive days or more a doctor’s note must be provided to excuse the absences.
Fill out the form for your child's campus.
What do I need to do if my child has a doctor’s appointment?
Please bring a doctor’s note when returning from the office visit, not just a handwritten parent note. Try to schedule doctor and dentist appointments outside of school hours or in the afternoon to avoid full-day absences. The learner will be responsible for making up work when he/she returns.
What if my student was home and did not have a doctor/dentist note?
Please fill out the student absence form for their respective campus. This will count as a handwritten parent note.
Note: Medina Valley ISD will allow 3 handwritten notes for a total of 6 absences per semester. Once the third note or the 6th absence is accumulated the next absence will not be documented as excused unless the note from a health care provider or anything found to be acceptable by an Administrator is turned in.
Parent notes received 5 or more school days following the absence will no longer be considered an excused absence.
If no note is provided or if the absence is deemed unexcused by an administrator, students maybe subject to disciplinary action.
Note: The district is not required to excuse any absence, even if the parent provides a note explaining the absence, unless the absence is an exemption under compulsory attendance laws.
What are the funded absences (considered present on student’s record)?
The following absences are FUNDED and CONSIDERED PRESENT by the Texas Education Agency – student is not on campus/in class at the official attendance-taking time, but the district is allowed to receive funding:
- Religious Holy Days (parent note is sufficient as long as it stipulates the holy day being celebrated)
- Required court appearances (Documentation from the court is needed)
- Activities related to obtaining United States citizenship of the STUDENT ONLY
- Service as an election clerk
- Documented health-care appointments for the student or a child of the student. A note from the health-care provider must be submitted upon the student’s arrival or return to campus (the physician cannot be the parent/guardian of the student). Teledoc appointments with the appropriate documentation may also used. The student MUST have been in school before or after the appointment.
- For students in the conservatorship (custody) of the State, mental health or therapy appointments; or court-ordered family visitations or any other court-ordered activity, provided it is not practicable to schedule the student’s participation in the activity outside of school hours.
- Approved School sponsored activity under the direction of a professional staff member
- Student is in grades 6 through 12 and misses school for the purpose of playing “Taps” at a military honors funeral held in Texas for a deceased veteran.
- Two College Visits per year for students in their junior/senior year of high school
- Student is 17 years of age or older and pursuing enlistment in a branch of the U.S. uniformed services or the Texas Army National Guard
- Student is absent to visit with a parent, stepparent, or legal guardian who is an active-duty member of the uniformed services and has been called to duty for, is on leave from, or is immediately returned from continuous deployment of at least four months outside the locality where the parent, stepparent, or guardian regularly resides.
- Student (15 years or older in high school) misses school for the purpose of visiting a driver’s license office to obtain a driver’s license or learner permit
- Student is absent as the result of a serious or life-threatening illness or related treatment that makes the student’s attendance infeasible see the Student Attendance Accounting Handbook Section 3.63 for documentation requirements.
How can I check my child’s attendance record?
You may check your child's attendance by logging into Skyward Family Access. You may also email an attendance clerk.
A note was submitted documenting my child's absence. Why is it still marked as "unexcused"?
There are different ways to answer this question depending on the circumstances.
- The note was not submitted within 5 days of the student returning to school.
- The note submission may be in the queue for processing by the campus attendance clerical staff.
- The student's absence was due to a reason not considered excused by State guidelines and/or District policy. It is important to note that vacations and trips are not excused absences.
What are some of the unexcused absences?
The following absences are UNEXCUSED – not funded (this is not an exhaustive list):
- Being absent without parental consent or knowledge
- Leaving campus during class or lunch period without official permission
- Being in an unauthorized area of the school or campus without permission
- Willfully failing or refusing to attend school
- Being absent without written notification/phone contact from a parent or legal guardian
- Family/individual vacations, visits or trips
- Non-school related/sponsored competition, club event, or organizational competition
- Employment outside of school not part of a work-based learning opportunity affiliated with a course in the student’s schedule
- Traffic, car trouble, missed bus
- Any appointment or event not related to the students themselves (e.g. caring for sibling or another child, sibling travel, sibling or parent doctor appointment)
What do I need to do if my child is absent due to Religious Holy Day(s)?
- Please submit School Absence Form which indicates the specific date(s) of the religious holy day(s) prior to your child's absence or within 3 days of their return.
- If travel is required, please include the travel dates, and clearly indicate they are travel days.
- The learner will be responsible for making up work when he/she returns.
- If a School Absence Form is not provided, the absence will be marked unexcused.