Attendance & Truancy
Attendance matters — every day in the classroom is an opportunity to learn, grow and succeed.
Consistent school attendance is one of the biggest indicators of school success. Students who attend school regularly are naturally exposed to more than those who are routinely absent, and it represents responsibility, commitment and a strong work ethic.
SISD encourages families to use school holidays and breaks whenever possible to help students avoid missing valuable learning time. Together, we can make every school day count!
Will an absence be excused or unexcused?
Parent and doctor's notes can be used to excuse certain types of absences in Sherman ISD. These documents must be submitted no later than three school days after the child returns to school. The three-day period begins with the day the student returns to school.
- Parent and doctor's notes can be submitted electronically using the online absence note form for each school or emailed or turned in to the attendance clerk.
Excused Absences
The following absences are excused (with a parent or doctor's note) under state law:
All Grade Levels
- Religious holy days (festivals, ceremonies, etc. are not excused)
- Required court appearances
- Activities related to obtaining United States citizenship or taking part in a United States naturalization oath ceremony (for the student)
- Service as an election clerk
- Documented health-care appointments for the student or a child of the student (a note from the healthcare provider must be submitted upon the student’s return to campus)
- Students in the custody of the state
- Mental health or therapy appointments
- 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 hour
- Visit with parent or guardian called to duty
Secondary Grade Levels
- College visits - juniors and seniors only (2 days per year)
- Pursuing enlistment in a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces
- Student serving as voting or election clerk
- Student participating in sounding taps for military honors
The following absences are excused (with a parent or doctor's note) under district policy:
- Personal illness of the student
- Healthcare appointment (doctor, dentist, etc.) with appropriate documentation
- If a student attends school for a portion of the school day, and attends a healthcare appointment on this same school day AND provides appropriate documentation, the student will receive credit for attending the whole day.
- Death of an immediate family member with appropriate documentation
- School official sent student home from school (nurse, counselor, LSSP, administrator)
- UIL activities
- School-sponsored curricular or extracurricular activities
Excused Absences
An unexcused absence is an absence that does not meet state or district guidelines. Unexcused absences also occur when the parent cannot produce any documentation that explains the absence or if the parent presents documentation that does not meet the criteria for excused absences.
Attend to Achieve
Here are some simple steps parents can take to ensure students are on time and present for class!
- Monitor your child’s attendance in the SISD Parent Portal.
- Build regular routines for bedtime and the morning.
- Limit access to devices after a certain time.
- Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.
- Avoid vacations and medical appointments when school is in session.
- Develop back up plans for getting to school if something comes up.
Quick Resources
Sometimes all it takes is planning ahead to ensure your child is on time for the first bell, or doesn't miss class due to a vacation or medical appointment. Check our school hours and academic calendar at the links below!
Did You Know?
Under the state's compulsory attendance law, all students age 6-19 must attend school each day for the entire school day unless exempt by law. This includes students voluntarily enrolled in prekindergarten or kindergarten as well as students 19 years or older.
Unexcused voluntary absences for 10 days or more within 6 months (whether in full days or parts of days) may lead to a court referral.
Students must also attend class 90% of the days a class is offered to receive credit or a final grade (regardless of excused absences). Students who fall below the 90% attendance requirement will be required to complete make-up hours to earn credit.