Attendance

When students first arrive on the school campus, they are considered in attendance for the day and may not leave the campus without authorization. No student may leave the campus without signing out and receiving a permit from the attendance office. As an exception, juniors and seniors have the privilege of leaving campus during lunch period.

School officials have supervisory authority of all students while on school property (including school transportation). To ensure the safety of all students, it is necessary they remain on campus all day, with the exception of certain circumstances that are listed below. Should an emergency arise requiring the student to leave the campus, he/she must have a pass from an authorized administrator or the Attendance Office.

1. In the event that a parent needs to take his/her child off-campus, the parent needs to sign the student out through the front office.
2. Students leaving school during school hours must have a written note from their parents, which must be turned into the attendance office within three days. The students must obtain permission to leave from the front office and a record of their leaving will be recorded in that office.
3. Students who leave campus without school permission may face disciplinary action and possible suspension of parking privileges for a specified time.
4. All visitors are required to report to the main office and obtain a visitor’s pass. No one without authorized business is allowed to remain in the building or on the school campus.

 Students who know in advance that they will need to leave campus during the school day (doctor’s appointments, etc.) must obtain an early dismissal slip from the front office before first period begins. The school nurse will clear students who are injured or who become ill during the day for early dismissal. Leaving for any other reason requires the permission of the campus administration. Students who leave for any reason without the proper authorization and without signing out in the attendance office will be considered truant.

Visits to colleges or universities are permitted for juniors and seniors and will be classified as excused absences under the following guidelines:

1. Students are only allowed up to two school days excused absence per school year for college visits.
2. The student must provide an official document for verification of the visit from the college or university to the attendance office within three days of the student’s return to school. Examples of this document include but are not limited to something on letterhead from the accredited institution of higher learning confirming the student’s attendance at the visit, an email confirmation of meeting with school personnel from the college or university, or an official agenda of the orientation.

Please contact the attendance clerk with any questions PRIOR to your visit.

Students are encouraged to participate in school-sponsored or school-sanctioned extracurricular activities. Occasionally these activities require that students be absent from class. These absences are considered excused (school-related) and do not require any additional documentation from the student or parent.

Students who are absent from school will not be allowed to participate in any school-related activities on the day or evening of the absence.

Failure to attend school (truancy)

1. Any absence from a scheduled class without prior administrative approval, or proper documentation on file, will be recorded as unexcused.

2. Students who are absent from school for the entire day, or any portion of the day without permission from a parent or school official will be considered truant and will be subject to disciplinary and possible legal action.

3. Students who leave campus and fail to sign out and receive proper authorization to leave campus will be considered truant. Absences that occur in conjunction with unauthorized departure from campus will be counted as unexcused.

4. If a student accumulates unexcused absences that total ten (10) days or parts of days in a six (6) month period, the student and the parent or guardian may be prosecuted for violation of the Compulsory Attendance Law. Please note that truancy will be filed on a student’s twelfth (12th) tardy in a semester of a school year.

Verification of Enrollment Form is needed to obtain a learner’s permit, a driver’s license, to renew a driver’s license, and for driver’s education courses. To qualify for the VOE form, a student must be in compliance with the 90% attendance rule during the fall or spring semesters immediately preceding the date of application for the form.

• Please understand that it can take up to 3 school days to honor your request.
• Please only submit one request. 
•  The VOE is valid for 30 days from date of issue.
• This is for Wylie High School students only.
• You must be at least 15 years old to request this for your driver's permit/ driver's license.   
• Credit Recovery hours MUST be completed before a VOE will be issued.
• VOE's will need to be picked up from the Attendance Office.

Verification of Enrollment Form

Attendance requirements for Texas High Schools

The state compulsory attendance law requires that a student between the ages of 6 and 18 attend school each day for the entire period that a school’s program of instruction is provided. School employees must investigate, report, and if necessary, prosecute violations of the state compulsory attendance law.

The state of Texas recognizes five excuses for missing school a full day:

1. Observing a religious holiday.

2. Attending a required court appearance.

3. Appearance at a governmental office to complete paperwork in connection with the student’s application for U.S. citizenship.
4. Serving as an election clerk.
5. A U.S. Naturalization Ceremony for the student.

 

The state of Texas recognizes one excuse for missing school a partial day (Medical Excuse):

1. A temporary absence for an appointment with health care professionals for the student or the student’s child will be excused if the student commences or returns to school on the same day of the appointment. To be eligible for a medical excuse:

2. Students must attend at least one class on the day of the appointment.

3. Turn in documentation from the health care facility to the attendance office within 3 school days of returning to school.

4. If you have been absent for any reason, not including school-related, and for any portion of the day you must bring a note to the attendance office within 3 school days of returning to class.

Types of excuse notes accepted include: (Note: the school reserves the right to refuse any documentation that is deemed unacceptable)

• Medical note- faxed or turned into 216
• Documentation from a court of law or other government entity that a student was required to be present for.
• Hand written note with parent signature.
• Through Family Access.

All notes must include:

• Signature of a parent or legal guardian.
• Reason for the absence.
• Date(s) of the absence.
• Phone number for verification.
• Student’s school ID number.
• Name and contact information of Doctor or Court.

If a student leaves early for any reason, they must still bring a note to get the absence excused...even if the parent checked the student out of the front office or the nurse sent them home.

Wylie High School may refuse to accept parent notes as excused absences if absences are excessive as determined by the school administration.

Denial of credit because of absences

The Texas Education Code 25.092 requires all students to be in attendance 90% of the time in a school year in order to receive credit in a class. Any student who is absent (excused & unexcused) more than 10% of the class days, for anything other than a school related absence, will automatically be denied credit. For further questions please contact the WHS attendance office.

NOTE: In the Fall or Spring Semester of the school year, a student will be denied credit based on attendance if he/she accumulates 10 or more absences in one or more of his/her classes.

Students may appeal the denial of credit. An appeal form may be obtained from the Assistant Principal’s office (240). The petitions for regaining credit are made to the Attendance Committee of Wylie High School and may be filed at any time the student receives notice of credit loss, but must be made no later than the specific date outlined on the Attendance Failure notification (exact date TBD).

A student that attended at least 75% of class time but less than 90% and who has been denied credit will be able to make-up the time missed and regain the credit that was denied by completing any or all of the following tasks until all time has been satisfactorily completed:

1. Attend Tuesday/Thursday Night school from 4:30pm-6:30pm
2. Attend a morning or afternoon tutorial with a teacher.
3. Attend summer school (Spring semester credit make up only). Students denied credit from fall semester may not attend summer school for make up hours.

The deadline to makeup time will be indicated on the student notification of Attendance Failure. No hours will be accepted after the deadline has passed. Failure to makeup hours prior to the deadline will result in a permanent loss of credit.