Under Texas Senate Bill 1489, DPISD is required by law to contact parents regarding truancy of their child. By Texas law, the Harris County court warning letters are sent when a student has accumulated at least 3 unexcused absences. – Remember, this is just a warning.
Children need to be in school but certainly not when they are sick. With that said, parents need to turn in absence notes when the child returns. This can be a parent note and/or doctor note. Parents have up to 5 days to turn in the note from the date of the absence.
When there are at least 6 unexcused absences, a truancy case will be filed. This would be a prosecution in the District Attorney’s office. Failure for children to attend school constitutes a crime for which parents could be charged. It is a Class C offense, for which a parent may be fined up to $500 in a Justice of the Peace court.