• Attendance Office FAQ

     

    What should a student do if they miss school?
    High school attendance is taken for every class period. In order for an absence to be excused, students must provide a valid note within five days of returning to school. This applies if a student misses just a period or a full day. Absences of four or more consecutive days must have a medical note to be excused. 

     

    Options for turning in notes...
    Notes may be emailed, faxed, or dropped off and signed in at the Attendance Office. All notes must include the student’s full name, grade, student ID, date(s) of absence, reason for absence and parent signature and contact information. Please use a full sheet of paper for all notes. Notes not received within five days will be coded as an unexcused absence, which may result in truancy charges (see the student handbook for more information). 

     

    Do parents need to contact PHS if a student is absent?
    No, unless they are absent for more than four consecutive days.

     

    What if a student is late for school?
    Students entering after 7:30 a.m. must check in at the attendance office/tardy station to receive a pass to class.  Students arriving 20 minutes late or more to any class period throughout the day will be counted absent.  Students arriving 20 minutes or less are considered tardy.

     

    What if a student needs to leave school early?
    Students need to sign out at the attendance office before leaving campus. Failure to sign out will result in an unexcused absence. Parents may sign students out with a valid ID. Students leaving without a parent must have written parent authorization, as well as verbal confirmation, before they sign out to receive a parking lot pass. Students who sign out and then return before the end of the school day must sign back in.  The latest pick up time is 2:20, and the Attendance Office window will close. To help save on wait time we recommend that you send a note with your child first thing in the morning, so we can give them a pass to leave class.

     

    Do students need notes for religious holidays?
    Yes. For any religious holiday that is not a standard FBISD holiday, a note must be received within five days of returning to school. Religious activities are not excused.

    *Please note that FBISD Student Affairs provides a list to campuses of approved holy days that may be coded as "religious" for the upcoming school year.  Please speak with your student's Assistant Principal for clarification. 

     

    Do school-sponsored field trips, activities, athletic events or testing count as absences?
    No.  The attendance office will be contacted by the group sponsor and will code the absence accordingly.  Please allow 24 hours for processing.

     

    What if a student gets sick during the day?
    If your child is sick during the school day, they need to go to the clinic and sign in.  If the school nurse sends a student home due to illness, a parental note is required. If a student is absent additional days, a note is required for those days. Students who leave without signing out with the nurse will be considered unexcused.  Students that bypass the clinic and go elsewhere will be coded as unexcused, since there will be no record of their whereabouts.  

     

    What if a parent receives an absence notification and the student was actually in class?
    The attendance clerk does take any attendance for your child.  Students who receive an absence notification and feel it is in error need to contact their teacher first. The teacher will then notify the attendance clerk if a change needs to be made.  The attendance clerk cannot make absence adjustments without prior teacher approval. 

     

    What if a student receives a truancy notice that they feel is in error?
    After verifying their absences on Skyward, students should speak to their teachers first and to our Attendance Clerk, Mary Atkins, at (281) 634-8566 or Mary.Atkins@fortbendisd.gov

     

     

    How many days are allowed to visit colleges or universities?
    Each student is allowed two documented college visits per school year as a junior and/or a senior.  College visitation documentation is required and must contain the student’s name and date of visit.  Brochures, itineraries, parking passes, etc. do not count as proper documentation.

     

    Can students or parents check attendance on Skyward?
    Yes. After logging in to Family Access, look for the “Attendance” button on the left-hand navigation bar. Absences are coded in the following manner:

    B: Bereavement

    C: Extra-curricular

    E: Excused

    G: Court

    I: In-school Suspension

    J/K: Citizenship

    L: Late (absence)

    M: Medical

    N: College

    O: On-campus/Other (blood drives, testing, etc.)

    R: Religious

    S: Suspension

    T: Tardy

    U: Unexcused

    W: Web Absence (will be re-coded when note is received)

     

    *In order for absences to be considered as Medical, the student has to attend one class period either before or after their appointment.  A doctor's note must be provided indicating an appointment the day of the absence.  Students MUST sign in and out to receive the medical coding.  Per TEA guidelines, students that are gone all day CANNOT receive the medical coding, even if a doctor's note is provided.*

     

    How many absences are allowed to maintain exam exemptions?
    Absences for exemptions are calculated per class period; you can be exempt from one class period and not another.  Students may have no more than four absences in the spring semester to be exempt from final exams:  Excused, Unexcused, and Late. Three tardies equal one absence.  Please see the Principal for any exemption information.