As a mother of three, a school attendance coordinator in Central Austin, and a licensed healthcare professional for over 18 years, I have witnessed firsthand the struggles families face due to illness-related school absences. Our current 90% attendance rule in Texas schools places undue stress on families, forcing parents to choose between their child's health and facing attendance penalties or affecting school funding.

Our children deserve the time to recuperate from legitimate illnesses without the fear of negative repercussions. This is crucial not just for the individual's health but for public health, especially during the cold and flu season, ongoing pandemic concerns, and other infectious disease outbreaks. Parents should not be punished and schools penalized for prioritizing students health and well-being.

Current Texas Rules
Texas Education Code §25.092 generally requires K–12 students to attend at least 90% of the days a class is offered to receive credit or a final grade. Students below that threshold may qualify for a principal-approved instructional plan or attendance committee review.

Under §25.087, schools may excuse ordinary illness absences. However, an excused absence for a cold, flu, stomach virus, or other common illness generally still counts toward the 90% requirement—even when supported by a parent or doctor’s note.

Qualifying serious or life-threatening illnesses with required physician certification are excluded under §§25.087(b)(3) and 25.092(a-3). Other statutory exceptions also apply. Excused illness absences and unexcused truancy are not the same.

Texas attendance reporting also affects school funding through average daily attendance (ADA). Ordinary illness absences generally do not generate ADA funding solely because they are excused.

Proposed Changes: 10 Protected Sick Days
·       Allow up to 10 documented illness days per student, per school year, that do not count against the 90% attendance requirement.

·       Accept timely written parent/guardian illness notification to attendance staff, or medical documentation, without requiring unnecessary doctor visits for common illnesses.

·       Protect public school and charter school funding for qualifying illness days through a clear state funding adjustment while continuing to report actual attendance accurately.

·       Exclude protected sick days from punitive 90% threshold notices; retain supportive communication, makeup-work expectations, and safeguards against misuse.

·       Preserve existing protections and provide individualized review when students need more than 10 days for serious, chronic, or extended illnesses.

Why This Matters
Children should be able to recover from legitimate illness without families fearing attendance penalties or schools losing funding. This proposal maintains the importance of regular attendance while recognizing that contagious childhood illnesses are often unavoidable.

Illustrative Example
In a 180-day school year, a student with 10 documented sick days and 10 other absences attends 160 days: 88.9% under the standard calculation. If the 10 sick days were excluded from both the attended and offered-day calculation, the proposed rate would be 160 ÷ 170 = 94.1%. This formula is a proposal, not current law.

Sources: Texas Education Code §§25.087 and 25.092 (statutes.capitol.texas.gov)
Texas Education Agency Student Attendance Accounting Handbook (tea.texas.gov).

This petition requests legislative change; the 10-day protection is not currently Texas law.

By signing this petition, you are advocating for a healthier, more compassionate educational environment for all Texas students, enabling them to prioritize their well-being without fear. Join us in urging our lawmakers to enact this necessary reform to protect our children, families, and educational communities. Please sign and support this critical cause for the future of our students' health and education.