Attendance Information

  • Parents, Guardians, and Students,

    The Shoemaker High School attendance office would like to provide you with an overview of the current district and campus attendance polices. Attendance is very important because it determines whether your child can receive semester course credit from classes toward meeting graduation requirements. In addition, student attendance is used to obtain state funding to the district for educational expenses. If your child is out of school, written documentation is required for the absence to be excused when your child returns.

    District Absentee Phone System

    Our school district has an absentee contact system called Blackboard Connect that calls when your child is absent (unexcused or truant). Phone calls for absences are made the same day as the absences. Calls will be made for 2nd period starting at 11:05 am and at 5:00 pm each day for all other class periods. You must have a correct telephone number on file in order for us to contact you. We recommend that your cell phone number be provided as the main contact number. You will also receive a phone call when your child is off campus due to an authorized absence such as field/athletics trips. In this case, the absence will be corrected within 3-5 days.

    Signing in and out of School

    Students must be signed out in the attendance office before leaving campus during the school day. You must present a picture ID in order for us to call the student out of class. This is a district policy. Only authorized individuals will be allowed to check your child out. This is done for the safety of your child.

    Changes to your phone number and address are made through the Registrar’s office. Students who arrive at school after the first 15 minutes of class, must sign in at the front office and get a pass to be admitted to class.

    TEA VOE Form to get Driver’s License

    The attendance office issues the TEA Verification of Enrollment and Attendance forms in order for student to obtain their driver’s license. This is based on the previous semesters’ grades and attendance. If you are new to Shoemaker High School, we must wait till we have transfer grades and attendance from your previous school. State law requires that you must pass all classes from the previous semester. There are no exceptions. If you did not pass all your classes, you must be in attendance 90% of the time in each class enrolled in for that semester. If you sign up for the TEA VOE form in the morning before 12:00 noon, it will be ready by 2:00 pm. If you sign up after 12:00 noon, it will be ready by 8:45 am the next school day. The driver’s license agency now requests a person to make an appointment in advance of coming if you are you are taking the driving portion of the test.

    Grades

    A student who is in attendance for at least 75 percent of each semester may receive their grades if they are passing. If not, they will have to appeal to the campus attendance committee for their grades at the end of the semester. A student under the jurisdiction of a court in a criminal or juvenile justice proceeding may not receive credit without the consent of the judge presiding over the student’s case.

    Excusable Absences

    It is the parent’s responsibility to make sure notes to excuse absences are turned in upon the return of a student to school to the front office.

    *Military Excuses must have proof from the Military.

    Personal illness – After a student has accumulated three (3) days of absences per nine-week grading period at the high school level, which have been excused by parent notes(s), documentation from a health care professional will be required for any additional absences. We can receive medical notes faxed directly from the doctor’s office. Our fax number is (254) 336-2416.

    Only in extenuating circumstances may the school nurse serve as the health care professional. Medical, dental, or legal appointments - In cases of appointments, notes from the health care or legal professionals (doctor, dentist, attorney, probation officer, judge, etc.) are PREFERRED. However, parental notes will be accepted as noted under personal illness above. Remember you only get three days of parent notes per nine weeks. Therefore, it is better to get notes from a health care of legal professional.

    The following is a list of reasons for which students may be excused from class in the Killeen Independent School District:

    1. Board-approved extracurricular activity, co-curricular activity, or public performance subject to limitations in FDD (LEGAL) preceding.
    2. Required screening, diagnosis, and treatment for Medicaid-eligible students.
    3. Temporary absence resulting from any cause acceptable to the principal, or Superintendent.
    4. Juvenile court proceeding documented by a probation officer.
    5. Absence required by state or local welfare authorities.
    6. Family emergency or unforeseen or unavoidable instance requiring immediate attention.
    7. Pre-approved college visitations for juniors and seniors, limited to two days per school year.
    8. Weddings involving close family members.
    9. Counseling by a certified or state-approved counselor.
    10. Military promotions and/or awards ceremonies for family members when such ceremonies are conducted in the local area.
    11. Religious Holy Days. To be considered a religious holy day, the day should be one generally recognized by the student’s religious denomination as a holy day that is required to be observed by all members of that demonization. Church retreats, camps, mission trips, and individual religious rites (baptisms, christenings, bar mitzvah, etc.) are not considered holy days.
    12. Sounding TAPS for a military funeral in Texas, grade 6-12 only.
    13. Court appearance must have documentation from the Court.
    14. Students who are dependents of active military personnel (to include parents, stepparents, or legal guardians) may be excused from school for absences related to deployment to or return from duty under the following conditions:
      1. The deployment must be outside the locality of residence of the parent, Stepparent, or legal guardian.
      2. The deployment must be for at least four (4) continuous months.
      3. The absences from school must be taken no earlier than the 60th day prior to the deployment nor later than 30 days following the return from deployment.
      4. The number of excused absences under this provision is limited to five (5) days.
    15. Appointments to get driver’s license or military ID.
    16. Other absences may be excused with proper documentation. See the Attendance Officer in advance for approval.

    It is expected that parents exercise reason in the amount or time a student misses school. Principals have the authority to declare certain cases as "extenuating circumstances” and are also expected to exercise reason in their determinations. These are done on an individual, case by case basis.

    If you ever have a question about what is excusable, not excusable, or have a question please give us a call at 254-336-0900, ask for attendance. Our office hours are from 8:15 am to 4:30 pm each school day.

     Attendance of 18-Year Old Students

    A student who voluntarily attends or enrolls after his or her eighteenth birthday is required to attend each school day. If a student 18 or older has more than five unexcused absences in a semester, the district may revoke the student’s enrollment. The student’s presence on school property is then unauthorized and may be considered criminal trespassing.

    Truancy

    A student who is absent without acceptable written documentation from school, or from any class during the school day will be considered truant and subject to disciplinary and/or court action.

    Unexcused Absence

    Any absence not properly documented nor determined by the campus attendance administrator to be an “extenuating circumstance,” is considered to be unexcused. As students accumulate unexcused absences or truancies, they may be given an opportunity to make up missed class time through Saturday detention. Failure of a student to attend or successfully complete the Saturday detention will result in the absence remaining “unexcused,” and may subject the student to additional disciplinary action and may also result in the loss of credit.

    After a student has accumulated three (3) absences per nine-week grading period at the high school level, which have been excused by parent note(s), documentation from a health care professional will be required for any additional absences. Only in extenuating circumstances may the school nurse serve as the health care professional.

    It is expected that all notes be submitted to the front office at the child's school within five (5) school days of the student's return to school. Absences for which notes are not received within five (5) school days are subject to being classified as UNEXCUSED. Community service assigned by the court cannot be served during the school day. Serving community service during the school day will be considered unexcused.

    WARNING: Unexcused absences and truancies are subject to court action as defined by section 25.095 of the Texas Education Code, stating that if a student is absent from school on 10 or more days or parts of days within a six-month period in the same school year. The parent is subject to criminal prosecution under Texas Law. The student is subject to civil prosecution under Texas Law.

     Saturday Detention

    The primary purpose of Saturday Detention is to maximize the amount of time available for student reflection regarding misbehavior, and to make up days of unexcused absences or truancies for credit or promotion recovery. Saturday detention is held in the Shoemaker High School cafeteria from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm. Parents are responsible for transportation to and from Saturday detention. The following are general guidelines for Saturday detention:

    1. The student must bring their ID card and course work.
    2. Students will be required to adhere to all the rules outlined by detention staff.
    3. The student will be dismissed from Saturday detention if disciplinary problems occur.
    4. Saturday detention will not be reassigned if a student fails to show up or is dismissed from detention.
    5. Attending In-school suspension, lunch, or after school detention will not be used to excuse absences.
    6. Students will be offered no more than three Saturday detentions per semester. Each completed detention will excuse up to seven periods of absences. Three Saturday detentions will excuse three days (21 periods) of absences.
    7. Saturday detention can be used to excuse absences that occurred during the current semester only.

    Initial and Final Warning Attendance Letters

    Once a student accrues three days of unexcused absences or truancies, an Initial Warning Letter will be mailed home. At 10 days of unexcused absences or truancies, a Final Warning Letter will be mailed home. It is the parents’ responsibility to take corrective action to take care of these absences to prevent going to court or the loss of credit.

    Home Access Center

    Our district has a system that allows parents can check on their student’s grades and attendance online. Please call (254) 336-0900 or visit the Registrar’s Office to apply for a user name and password, or with any questions. After receiving your Home Access Center user name and password, you can also view your student’s current classwork, schedule, grades and more by using your smart phone or tablet with the eSchoolPlus Family App. Refer to KISD Home Website>Students and Parents Link>eSchoolPlus Family Mobile App for more information.

     
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