Attendance

When a student is absent, appropriate documentation must be submitted within two school days of the student's return to school.

 

Report an Absence

 

What to Include in an Attendance Note

Attendance documentation should include:

• Student's full legal name
• Student ID number
• Date(s) of the absence
• Specific reason for the absence
• Parent or guardian's full name and signature
• Parent or guardian's phone number

If required documentation is not submitted within the designated timeframe, the absence will be recorded as unexcused.

Excused Absences

Under Texas law, certain absences may be considered excused when appropriate documentation is provided. Qualifying circumstances may include:

• Religious holy days
• Required court appearances
• Activities related to obtaining U.S. citizenship or participating in a U.S. naturalization oath ceremony
• Service as an election clerk
• Documented health-care appointments for the student or the student's child
• Qualifying activities involving students in the conservatorship of the state
• Mental health or therapy appointments
• Qualifying court-ordered family visitations or other court-ordered activities
• Qualifying visits with a parent or guardian called to military duty

Some circumstances require additional documentation. Contact your student's campus attendance office if you have questions about whether an absence qualifies as excused.

Unexcused Absences

Absences that do not qualify for excusal under Texas law or District policy are recorded as unexcused.

Examples may include:

• Family reunions, weddings, or similar family events
• Vacations or personal travel
• Missing the bus
• Oversleeping
• Heavy traffic
• Non-LHISD extracurricular activities
• Absences for which required documentation is not submitted

Calling the school does not replace the requirement to submit appropriate written or electronic documentation.

Excessive Excused Absences

In most cases, if a student is ill but does not visit a health-care provider, a parent or guardian note may be sufficient.

If a student is ill for more than three consecutive school days, medical documentation may be required to excuse the additional absences.

A pattern of 10 or more parent-excused absences may result in the principal or attendance review committee requiring documentation from a physician or health clinic to determine whether future absences will be excused.

If the campus nurse evaluates a student and sends the student home due to illness, the nurse's documentation may serve as health-care documentation when applicable.

Arriving late, leaving early, or missing a portion of the instructional day can affect a student's attendance record.

Students arriving after the school day begins must follow campus sign-in procedures, and students leaving before dismissal must follow campus sign-out procedures.

Signing a student in or out does not automatically excuse the missed instructional time. Appropriate documentation must be submitted within two school days for an absence to be considered for excusal.

Elementary Attendance

For elementary students, attendance is recorded based on the time the student arrives:

Arrival Time	Attendance Status
After 7:30 a.m. but before 8 a.m.	Tardy
At or after 8 a.m. but before 9 a.m.	Partial-Day Absence
At or after 9 a.m.	Full-Day Absence

 

Middle & High School Class Attendance

Students who miss 10% or more of a class period are counted absent for that class period, regardless of when the instructional time is missed.

• Middle School: 10 minutes or more
• High School: 15 minutes or more

This includes instructional time lost due to arriving late, leaving early, or being out of class during the class period.

If appropriate documentation is submitted within two school days and the reason qualifies for excusal, the absence may be recorded as excused.

An excused absence does not count toward truancy but may still affect the student's 90% attendance requirement.

For additional information, review Excused vs. Unexcused Absences.

 

Leaving School Early

Students must follow campus procedures and be properly signed out before leaving campus.

High school students may sign in without a parent or guardian present. A high school student who leaves campus without completing the required sign-out process may be subject to disciplinary consequences.

Families are encouraged to limit early checkouts whenever possible to minimize missed instructional time.

 

Leaving Early Due to Illness

If a student becomes ill during the school day, the student should report to the campus nurse before leaving campus.

The nurse will evaluate the student's condition and determine whether the student should be sent home.

If the nurse does not determine that dismissal is necessary, but a parent or guardian chooses to check the student out, additional medical documentation may be required for the absence to be considered excused.

Students who fall below the attendance requirement may have opportunities to recover missed instructional time by:

• Attending Friday or Saturday School
• Attending before- or after-school tutorials
• Completing an Instructional Recovery Plan assigned by a campus administrator
• Completing approved volunteer service with a nonprofit organization for up to 50% of required makeup hours, with prior approval from an assistant principal

Students and families should work directly with their campus to determine the number of hours owed and which attendance-recovery options are available.

If extenuating circumstances exist, families may submit an Attendance Hours Appeal through the appropriate campus.

Select the forms for your student's campus. Submitting documentation to the incorrect campus may delay processing.

 

High Schools

Liberty Hill High School

• Friday/Saturday School Dates 2026–2027
• Makeup Hours Log
• Attendance Hours Appeal
• Hours Submission Form

Legacy Ranch High School

• Friday/Saturday School Dates 2026–2027
• Makeup Hours Log
• Attendance Hours Appeal
• Hours Submission Form

 

Middle Schools

Legacy Ranch Middle School

• Friday/Saturday School Dates 2026–2027
• Attendance Hours Appeal
• Makeup Hours Log

Liberty Hill Middle School

• Friday/Saturday School Dates 2026–2027
• Attendance Hours Appeal
• Makeup Hours Log
• Tutorial Schedule

Santa Rita Middle School

• Friday/Saturday School Dates 2026–2027
• Attendance Hours Appeal
• Makeup Hours Log

 

Elementary Attendance Appeals

• Bar W Elementary School Attendance Hours Appeal
• Bill Burden Elementary School Attendance Hours Appeal
• Lariat Trails Elementary School Attendance Appeal
• Liberty Hill Elementary School Attendance Hours Appeal
• Louine Noble Elementary School Attendance Hours Appeal
• Rancho Sienna Elementary School Attendance Hours Appeal
• Santa Rita Elementary School Attendance Hours Appeal
• Tierra Rosa Elementary School Attendance Hours Appeal

Liberty Hill ISD works with students and families to address attendance concerns early and help students maintain regular school attendance.

 

Compulsory Attendance

Texas law generally requires students who are at least 6 years old and younger than 19 to attend school each day instruction is provided unless an exemption applies.

Students who voluntarily enroll in prekindergarten or kindergarten before age 6 are also subject to attendance requirements while enrolled.

 

Truancy

Truancy is based on unexcused absences and is separate from the 90% attendance requirement.

A student may engage in truant conduct when the student is required to attend school and accumulates 10 or more unexcused days or parts of days within six months during the same school year.

 

Attendance Warning Notices

When a student has unexcused absences on three days or parts of days within four weeks, the District will provide the required attendance notice to the student's parent or guardian.

The campus will also work with the student and family to address attendance concerns through appropriate Truancy Prevention Measures.

 

Truancy Prevention Measures

Truancy Prevention Measures (TPM) are interventions designed to identify the causes of a student's unexcused absences and help improve attendance.

Depending on the circumstances, measures may include:

• Parent and/or student conferences
• Attendance classes
• Attendance contracts
• Required tutorials
• Student detentions
• Behavioral intervention plans
• Referrals to administrators, counselors, or truancy intervention staff
• Saturday School
• Home visits
• Other appropriate interventions

If attendance does not improve and applicable legal requirements are met, additional action may be taken in accordance with Texas law and District policy.

 

Truancy vs. the 90% Rule

Truancy and the 90% attendance requirement are separate.

Truancy is based on unexcused absences.

The 90% Rule is based on the amount of instructional time a student attends and may include applicable excused and unexcused absences.

An absence may therefore be excused for truancy purposes while still affecting the student's 90% attendance requirement.

 

Need Assistance?

For assistance with ongoing attendance concerns, truancy prevention, or barriers affecting regular attendance, contact:

Sandy Scott
Truancy/Dropout Prevention Coordinator
Phone: 512-260-5518

Texas law generally requires students in grades K–12 to attend at least 90% of the time a class is offered to receive credit or a final grade.

The 90% attendance requirement is separate from truancy. Truancy is based on unexcused absences, while the 90% Rule is based on the amount of instructional time a student attends.

 

How Absences Affect the 90% Rule

The 90% Rule may apply to both excused and unexcused absences unless an absence is exempt under applicable law.

This means an absence may be considered excused for attendance and truancy purposes but still count toward the amount of instructional time a student has missed.

For example, a student who submits appropriate documentation for an illness may have the absence recorded as excused. While that excused absence would not count toward truancy, it may still affect the student's compliance with the 90% attendance requirement.

 

Missing Part of a Class Period

For middle and high school students, missing a significant portion of a class period can result in the student being recorded absent for that class.

Students who miss 10% or more of a class period are counted absent for the class period, regardless of when the instructional time is missed.

• Middle School: 10 minutes or more
• High School: 15 minutes or more

This may include arriving late, leaving early, or being out of class during the instructional period.

If appropriate documentation is submitted within two school days and the reason qualifies for excusal, the absence may be recorded as excused. However, the missed instructional time may still affect the student's 90% attendance requirement.

 

What Happens if a Student Falls Below 90%?

A student who does not meet the 90% attendance requirement may be required to complete an attendance recovery plan or other campus requirements to regain credit or a final grade.

Students and families should work directly with their campus to determine:

• Whether the student is below the required attendance percentage
• How much instructional time must be recovered
• Which attendance recovery options are available
• Whether an appeal may be appropriate based on extenuating circumstances

 

90% Rule vs. Truancy

The 90% Rule and truancy requirements address different attendance issues.

90% Attendance Rule

• Based on the amount of instructional time a student attends
• May include both excused and unexcused absences
• Can affect a student's ability to receive credit or a final grade
• May require attendance recovery when a student falls below the required attendance percentage

Truancy

• Based on unexcused absences
• May result in Truancy Prevention Measures and other interventions required or permitted by Texas law
• Does not include qualifying excused absences

 

A student can therefore have no truancy violation but still fall below the 90% attendance requirement because of excused absences.

Have questions about absence documentation, doctor's notes, tardies, checkouts, truancy, the 90% Rule, recurring appointments, or other attendance situations?

 

View Attendance FAQs