Huntsville ISD is committed to student learning and school attendance is fundamental in giving all students the best opportunity to succeed. Please be assured that we will notify parents on a regular basis beginning when students have 3 or more days of unexcused absences AND when a student accumulates a total of 5 or more excused absences. At 10 absences a doctor’s note will be required to excuse further absences. Please understand that these notifications are part of the process of our working together with you to address attendance issues and questions. If you receive these letters, we pledge to work with you to find solutions and resources to address attendance issues and discuss what may occur if unexcused or excessive absences continue. Please remember, any unverified absence must be cleared within 72 hours or the absences will be unexcused.

It is a well known fact that students who attend classes every day do better in school. Huntsville ISD (and all other schools across our state) depends on the average daily attendance of our students for state funding. A student missing school has a negative impact, not only on the individual student when they miss valuable instructional time, but it decreases HISD’s funding - funding that would be used to improve programs district-wide. Here are some steps you as a parent can take to help with student attendance:

• Make sure your student is at school. Maximum instructional time is crucial to your student’s achievement. In addition to the state's compulsory attendance law, there is a 90 percent rule, which states that students must attend class for 90 percent of the time it is offered to receive credit.  If the student doesn't meet this requirement, an attendance hearing must be convened.
• Call the appropriate HHS Attendance Office Staff member any time that your student will be absent or for questions about daily attendance (you may leave a voice mail if it is before/after hours). Be sure to send an appropriate note with your student when they return to school (parent note, doctor’s note, etc.).  Our attendance staff is here to serve you!  Please contact Candice Burris at 936-435-6100, ext. 1022 or Laura Willis 936-435 -6100 ext. 1022.  You may contact the HHS Attendance Officer/Truancy Specialist, Deborah McNeil, for questions regarding extended absences or to report suspected truancy issues at 936 435 6113.  
• Please note, our receptionist will no longer issue release passes.  Parents must contact the attendance clerk for their student's alpha assignment.  If coming in to sign your student out, please be prepared by bringing in your driver's license in order to sign in as a campus visitor to go to the attendance office, room 1401.
• Please attempt to schedule family vacations and outings when students are not in school.
• If your student is ill, please allow them to stay home to recuperate. A student may not return to school if running a temperature. If your student has a chronic health condition, please notify our campus nurse.

Students are allowed to make up any work that is missed during an absence.

If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact our campus where our knowledgeable staff members are ready to assist you.