Dick Parker’s goal is to keep kids in school and to keep the money flowing into the district. To do that, the Lampasas Independent School District attendance officer needs cooperation from both students and parents.

“Attendance is so important,” he said. “When a student misses school, he misses a day of instruction, and we draw funds based on attendance.”

Parker noted that for each day a student is absent, the LISD loses about $35 per student. “And that instructional time cannot be regained.”

On Tuesday, Lampasas High School had 50 students not in attendance, which is equivalent to losing $1,750, he said.

The attendance officer said unless specifically exempted by state law, every child who is at least 6 years old on Sept. 1 and who has not reached his 18th birthday is required to attend school. “The compulsory attendance law says a student must attend a minimum of 90 percent of the regular term.”

Students under 6 who are enrolled in either prekindergarten or kindergarten classes also are subject to compulsory attendance rules, Parker said.

A continued violation could result in a complaint filed in a justice of the peace court, said Parker.

A student who is 18 or older and enrolled in public school and who has more than five unexcused absences in one semester my have his enrollment revoked for the remainder of the year.

Excused absences include student illness; death or funeral in the immediate family; boardapproved extracurricular activity; documented health-care appointment if the student begins classes or returns to school the same day as the appointment and brings verification from the doctor’s office; observance of religious holy days (including travel for that purpose); and temporary absence resulting from any cause acceptable to a teacher, principal or superintendent.

After an absence, a student has three days to submit a note to the school office explaining the reason for the absence. “Parents may call in that a child is ill and unable to attend school, but a written note is still needed for office filing,” said Parker.

Absences not verified by a written note from the parent will count as unexcused for attendance purposes.

Parker said a student may not be given credit for a class unless he is in attendance for at least 90 percent of the days during the semester.

To make up class periods missed, LHS uses clock hours. For every absence from class, beginning with the student’s 10th absence, the hours must be made up.

“Both excused and unexcused absences are counted,” said the administrator.

Clock hours start over each semester, but a student must complete the hours from the previous semester to receive credit, Parker said.

Clock hours may be served Monday through Thursday from 3:30-4:30 p.m. or Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon. Students are required to pay $5 per hour up to a maximum of $50 per semester, regardless of the number of clock hours, said Parker.

Students on free or reduced lunch may be charged a lesser amount.

Lampasas Middle School also has clock hours for sixth- through eighth-graders who have missed more than the maximum number of school days.

Parker said unexcused absences do not start over each semester but are counted the entire year. “State law says that if unexcused absences continue to a total of 10 within a six-month period or three within a four-month period, the district might have to proceed with legal action by filing a complaint with the justice of the peace court.”

He added that state law makes it mandatory for a district to file a complaint for those with 10 or more absences within a six-month period.

An unexcused absence may be counted if the student misses the entire day or just parts of the day. “The student’s record will reflect an unexcused absence, even if they miss one period during the day.”

Parker said a new computerized system phones a student’s home to let parents know if their child has missed class. “It will call even if one class period is missed. This allows parents to be kept informed if their child is not in school,” he said.

“We are about kids coming to school and being there all the time. But it’s also about money. We need the maximum dollars for our school district, and we can’t get those if kids don’t come to school.”