Welcome to Cross Oaks Elementary School

In order for children to receive a quality education, they must attend school on a regular basis. When a student is not present in the classroom, that child misses valuable instructional time, and this can result in large gaps in learning over time. For this reason, our goal is to work with families to make sure students are at school on time as often as possible. Parents should familiarize themselves with these guidelines and procedures. Please contact the school office at (972) 347-7100 if you have any questions.  

How to report a student's absence:

• It is not required for you to call the school office to report your child's absence for one or two days. Instead, please fill out an excuse for your child using the district attendance note within 3 days of your child's return to school. It is the parent's responsibility to ensure doctor's notes reach the front office, as teachers are not able to take attendance notes from students. Please do not turn in notes to the classroom teacher.
• The following are approved district absences if excuse documentation is provided:
• Illness (If absence is 5 or more consecutive days, Medical Documentation is required)
• Partial Day Healthcare Appointment (Student will attend part of the school day) *Documentation Required
• Healthcare Appointment (student will not attend school) *Documentation required
• COVID Related (if absence is more than 4 consecutive days, Medical Documentation is Required)
• Emergency in Immediate Family (verified but not Excused unless approved by Campus
• Funeral of Immediate Family Member *Documentation Required
• Official Court Appearance Required *Documentation Required
• Collage Visit (11^th or 12^th grade only) *Documentation Required
• Religious Holy Day *Documentation Required
• Vacation/Wedding/Graduation etc. (Verified but not excused)

What is an Unexcused Absence? 

• An unexcused absence is an absence that does not meet state or district guidelines. Unexcused absences also occur when the parent cannot produce any documentation that explains the absence or if the parent presents documentation that does not meet criteria for excused absences.

Absences that are considered UNEXCUSED:

• Part of Day Absence (POD) without an accompanying note from a health care provider (this includes arriving more than 49 minutes late or leaving more than 49 minutes early)
• Being absent without parental consent or knowledge
• Being absent without written notification from a parent or legal guardian
• Religious festivals, ceremonies, or other events not celebrated or recognized by the international religious calendar
• Weddings
• Graduations not for the student
• Family reunions
• Vacations/Cruises
• International Travels
• Leaving campus during class or a lunch period without official permission
• Being in an unauthorized area of the school or campus without permission
• Willfully refusing to attend school
• Oversleeping/Alarm failure
• Need at home for babysitting, chores, etc.
• Car trouble
• Missing the bus
• Any other absence that is not covered under the law

More information regarding attendance polices can be found in the Texas Education Code and the Denton ISD Student & Parent Handbook.

Unverified Absence:

• An unverified absence is one that has not been appropriately documented, meaning that the office has not received an email or note from the parent within 3 days of a student's return to school. An absence will also be unverified if parents do not provide the appropriate information on their email or note submitted to the office (child's full name, teacher, reason for absence, and date(s) of absence).
• If a student has 10 or more unexcused or unverified absences or parts of days (POD - see below) within a six month period in the same school year, the school can take court action to ensure that child receives the maximum amount of instructional time daily. (Texas Education Code Sec 25.094)

What is a POD?

A Part of Day Absence, or POD may be defined as 50 minutes or more of lost instructional time throughout the day.  This can occur when a student is late to school or class, when a student leaves school or class early.  Basically, anytime a student misses 50 minutes or more of instructional time a POD has occurred.

Absences that are considered EXCUSED (with a parent or doctor's note) under Texas State Law: 

When a student is absent, the parent must provide a note that explains the reason for the absence within 3 school days after the student returns to school.  Absence notes must include the students full name, ID number, and the reason for the absence.  The specific reasoning for the absence is needed to appropriately code the absence according to guidelines established in the Texas Education Code.  If no documentation is provided, the absence is considered unexcused. 

When doctor's notes are required:

• If your child misses all or part of the school day due to a doctor's appointment, a doctor's note is required to excuse the absence from school. Parents should submit a doctor's note within 3 days of the student's return to school. Again, it is the parent's responsible to ensure doctor's notes are received by the school office. 
• If your child is absent five consecutive days due to illness of injury, a doctor's note must be provided. We are not permitted to accept parent notes or emails excusing absences in these cases. For ongoing health issues, parents should contact the front office, the school nurse, and the assistant principal.

What to do when you need to sign your student out of school:

• We cannot release your student from campus without a parent or guardian coming into the front office with their ID to sign the student out. Students will not be released to adults aside from parents and guardians unless the parent gives permission to the front office by phone. Our office can be reached at (972) 347-7100. 
• Please understand that we cannot have your child waiting in the office for your at your arrival. When you call, we will have the teacher prepare the student to leave. When you arrive, we will immediately contact the teacher to have the student sent down to the office. 
• If the child is taken out of school to visit the doctor, please get a note from your doctor and provide it to the office within 3 days of your child's return to school.

Other attendance tips for parents:

• Parents should notify their child's teacher when they will be or have been absent from school. The teacher can provide you with missing assignments and will share ways you can support your child's learning when they are out of school. 
• Please feel free to contact our Attendance Clerk in our office with any attendance questions. The Attendance Clerk can be reached at (972) 347-7142.
• The Denton ISD attendance website contains additional information that is very helpful to parents.  

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your child's attendance, please call the Cross Oaks office at (972) 347-7100. We look forward to working with you toward our common goal of your child's success at school.

Thank you,

The Cross Oaks Attendance Committee