• Missed School? What to do when your student is absent with email and hand holding pen icon

Submit Absence Note

Missed School?

  • Within 5 school days after the absence:

    • Email an absence note to the school's attendance clerk
    • Turn in the absence note once the student returns to school

    Absence notes must be received by the Attendance Office within 5 days of returning to school, or it will result in an unexcused absence. Parents can attach supporting documents, such as doctor's notes, to absence note emails.

Attendance

High School Attendance Counts!

  • Daily attendance in school is a strong indicator of future success.

    Per the Student Attendance Accounting Handbook provided by Texas Education Agency, a student is considered either present or absent at the official attendance-taking time, known as snapshot.

    Each campus attendance is determined by the number of students present at this important designated snapshot time. The high school snapshot time is 10:00 a.m.

    To ensure academic engagement and successful learning, all students should be present daily by snapshot and remain academically engaged all day. 

Attendance Policies and Procedures

  • The district attendance policies and procedures can be found in the FBISD Student/Parent Handbook.

    Tardies

    • Class period that does NOT contain the official attendance time (10:00 a.m.):
      • If the student arrives to a class period up to 20 minutes past class start, the student will be marked Tardy for that class period.
    • Class period that does contain the official attendance time (10:00 a.m.):
      • If the student arrives to a class period up to 20 minutes late of the class start time, but before the official attendance time, the student will be marked Tardy for that class period.

    Arriving Late to School

    • Students who arrive at school after school has started and have missed a class period and/or more than half of the period once arrived will be marked absent for those periods by their teacher.
    • Repeated tardies may be subject to a disciplinary referral. 

    Leaving School Early

    No students may be picked up after 2:15 p.m.  Parents should plan to arrive at ACHS no later than 2:05 to arrive at the Attendance Office prior to the Attendance Office window closing at 2:20 p.m.  Traffic gets backed up in the afternoon, so please keep this in mind when picking your student up early. If your student is in athletics, please plan to pick them up before or after the athletics period or email a note ahead of time so the coach can be alerted.  

    Students must adhere to the following procedures:

    • Please email the Attendance Office prior to 1st period, so we can have your child ready for pickup.
    • If your student is driving off campus, please email the attendance office prior to their leaving to give permission for your student to drive.
    • Any student leaving school for any reason must check out at the attendance office or go to the clinic if ill. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action.  
    • A parent/guardian must sign students out in the Attendance Office or if ill, be sent home by the Clinic. Failure to sign out through the Attendance Office or Clinic will result in an unexcused absence. All students, regardless of age, are not allowed to sign themselves out without written parent permission via email or written note with signature and phone number.
    • For Student Drivers, Written permission from parent/guardian must be submitted in a timely manner (at least two hours before leave time). Email the attendance dept. including student’s name, reason, time of leave and permission for him/her to leave campus. Students MUST sign out at the attendance office prior to leaving campus and receive a parking lot pass.
    • Students will only be released to a person who is listed on their emergency card. Go to www.fortbendisd.com family access to verify who is on the list. You must show proof of ID when picking up a student.

ACHS Absences and Attendance Information

  • Absence Requirements

    Please email the attendance office or send a note within 5 school days of an absence, regardless of reason. Notes must include: student’s full name, grade, reason for absence, parent’s signature and contact number. If a parent fails to email or provide a note, absences will be coded as unexcused. We do not accept phone calls or notes/emails written by students. 

    • Do not email/turn notes in to your student’s teacher(s).
    • Students signing out through the clinic will be marked excused for any periods missed that day. However, if the student is absent any additional days, an email or note must be provided. 
    • Students absent for more than 3 consecutive days because of an illness must bring a doctor’s note to excuse any additional days. After 3 days with no doctor’s note, additional absences will be considered unexcused.

    Absences that are considered “excused” with parent note and/or documentation

    • A medical or dental appointment
    • Illness
    • Death in immediate family
    • Observing religious holy days (FBISD interfaith calendar)
    • A court proceeding where the student is required to attend or a meeting with the probation officer
    • Immigration appointment
    • College Visits- With appropriate college documentation. Juniors and Seniors are allowed 2 visits per year. 

    Absences that are considered Unexcused

    • Family Vacations
    • Personal Reasons
    • Overslept/ Missed Bus
    • Traffic

    Testing/Extracurricular and Field Trips

    Please allow up to 48hrs for attendance to be updated before emailing the attendance office. Students may be counted as absent but it will be updated once we receive who was in attendance from the Sponsor or Testing Coordinator.

    Truancy

    • Truancy is the act of failing or refusing to attend school.  FBISD enforces the Texas Compulsory Attendance laws of the State of Texas. The Student Attendance Specialists work closely with the campuses to collect attendance data, coordinate automated phone messages to parents when a child is absent, issue warning letters, #Attend2Achieve Truancy Diversion Program notices and referrals to appear in court.
    • If a student receives 3 unexcused absences within a 4-week period or 5 total unexcused absences in a semester, a warning letter will be mailed.
    • If a student accumulates 5 unexcused absences during a semester, an #Attend2Achieve Truancy Diversion Program invitation will be mailed and the campus will implement truancy prevention measures.
    • If a student accrues 10 unexcused absences in a 6-month period, a referral may be sent to the appropriate authorities. 

    Please contact Ms. Tiara Broussard - Phone (281)327-6798 - Email: Tiara.Broussard@fortbendisd.gov with any Truancy questions.

    Attendance Office Notes

    • You do not need to send an excuse note via email and in person. Only one is needed. Emails are answered Monday-Friday 7AM-3PM. 
    • If you receive a call/email that your child was marked absent in class and feel this was done in error, please have the student email/talk to the teacher about correcting the absence. If an error is made, the teacher will email a correction to the attendance office.