Excused Absences FAQs

When it comes to school, students who miss school miss out. They miss out on opportunities to learn, build lasting friendships and develop the skills and attitudes needed to become good citizens and valued employees. There is a very strong connection between student attendance and student performance in school.

​What happens when a student misses one day of school, for any reason?

• A student must work twice as hard the next day to catch up on missed information and missed homework. The U.S. Department of Education maintains that for every missed day of school, it takes a student two days to catch up.
• A teacher loses class time by having to teach one student something the entire class was taught the day before, which then affects lesson plans for the next day. This affects the entire class, not just the absent student. Multiply this by a class of 25 over the course of a year and it affects even the highest achievers.
• A school loses funding from the state. This could affect the ability to purchase supplies for the classroom, such as textbooks and updated computer software. Multiply this by 500 students and it could mean the difference between hiring or laying off staff, buying new equipment or funding a new program.
• A community loses valuable resources at a huge cost. Students who miss school challenge our community with immeasurable lost time and countless millions of dollars in human services for “repair work” in areas such as crime, counseling and drugs.

When is an absence excused?

Austin ISD accepts these reasons as excused absences (to meet compulsory attendance requirements):

• Medical: The student has a personal illness, doctor’s appointment or an appointment with a health care professional, and provides a written note.
• Religious holy day: The student is observing a religious holy day.
• Court appearance: The student is involved in court proceedings or is participating in an activity related to those court proceedings.
• College campus visit: A high school junior or senior may visit a college campus two days each year of those years.
• Citizenship activities: The student is engaged in the process to secure U.S. citizenship or is participating in a naturalization ceremony; serves as an election clerk, or participates in a military funeral by playing Taps.
• Military dependent: Student has a parent or legal guardian who is an active duty military member who has been called for deployment, is on leave from, or immediately returned from a combat zone or combat support posting.
• Pre-approved reason: A students may be excused for a temporary absence with prior approval of the child’s principal.