Newsletter Articles

  • October 2, 2024: Understanding School Funding in Texas: The Role of Student Attendance

    If you’ve ever wondered how your school gets its funding, you’re not alone! In Texas, a significant portion of public school funding is tied directly to student attendance. Texas schools receive funding based on how many students attend school regularly. This system uses something called the Average Daily Attendance (ADA), which calculates how many students are present on average each day. Simply put, more students attending means more money for the school. 

    How the Funding Formula Works

    1. Basic Allotment: Each student contributes a base amount of funding to the school, known as the Basic Allotment. Each student is allotted $6,160. Each time a student is absent, the amount drops. This money helps cover essential needs like teachers’ salaries, textbooks, and school facilities.
    2. Weighted Funding: Some students have additional needs that require extra resources, such as those in special education, career and technical education, gifted and talented and those learning English as a second language. Schools receive additional funds for these students through a system of weights, which recognizes the need for more support.
    3. Local and State Funds: School funding comes from both local property taxes and state contributions. Local taxes help generate additional revenue, allowing districts to offer more programs and resources.

    The Impact of Attendance

    Attendance is crucial because it directly influences how much funding a school receives. When attendance rates drop, schools will find themselves with less money to spend. This can impact everything from extracurricular activities such as sports equipment, money for field trips, budgets for clubs to classroom supplies.

    Why It Matters

    Understanding how school funding works can help you appreciate the importance of your student being present in class. Regular attendance not only supports your student’s education but also helps ensure your school has the resources it needs to provide a quality learning experience for everyone. By your student attending school regularly, you’re playing a vital role in their education and contributing to the overall success of your school and district. 

    September 18, 2024: How Sick is Too Sick for School?

    As the weather begins to change, we tend to see that it brings in a variety of sneezes, coughs, aches and fevers. As a parent, understanding how illness can affect your child's school attendance is crucial for both their well-being and academic success. Every missed day of school represents a lost opportunity for learning and development, making it important to balance your child's health needs with their educational requirements. Here's how illnesses can impact school attendance and what you can do to manage it effectively.

    Understanding the Connection Between Illness and Learning

    When your child is unwell, their ability to concentrate, engage in classroom activities, and complete assignments is compromised. Even minor illnesses, like colds or headaches, can affect their performance and participation in school. More severe illnesses can result in extended absences, which can disrupt their learning progress. Research has consistently shown that regular attendance is closely linked to better academic outcomes. Children who frequently miss school are at a higher risk of falling behind, struggling with their studies, and experiencing challenges in subsequent school years.

    When to Keep Your Child Home

    Deciding when to keep your child home can sometimes be challenging. Here are some guidelines to help you make informed decisions:

    1. Fever and Severe Symptoms: If your child has a fever (100°F or higher), abnormal fatigue, persistent cough, vomiting or diarrhea, it’s best to keep them home. These symptoms can indicate a contagious illness and can affect their ability to participate fully in school.
    2. Contagious Conditions: For illnesses like the flu, strep throat, or COVID-19, it's important to follow medical advice regarding when your child can return to school. Keeping them home until they are no longer contagious helps prevent the spread of illness to classmates.
    3. Medical Advice: Always consult with your healthcare provider if you’re unsure whether your child should attend school. They can provide guidance based on your child's specific symptoms and health needs.

     

    Balancing Health and Attendance

    While it’s essential to keep your child home when they’re genuinely ill, it’s also important to ensure that absences are managed effectively. Prolonged or frequent absences can affect their academic performance and social development. If your child has a chronic condition that results in frequent absences, work with their school to develop a plan that supports their learning and health needs.

    Supporting Your Child’s Return to School

    Once your child is well enough to return to school, help them transition back smoothly. Encourage them to catch up on missed assignments and engage in class activities. All of Bastrop ISD schools have policies and support systems in place to assist students in making up missed work and addressing any gaps in learning due to absences. Please ensure that you send any doctors notes or parent notes about the absence to the campus Attendance Clerk. 

    September 4, 2024: Potential Consequences of Chronic Absenteeism

    There are two types of absences from school: excused and unexcused. When a student accrues excessive unexcused absences, attendance officers may refer the student’s parent(s) to a truancy judge, who can issue fines of $100 or more per unexcused absence and may implement additional court-ordered consequences, in an effort to help parents prioritize regular school attendance for their student

    The Texas compulsory attendance law specifies which absences may be excused, including doctor’s appointments (verified with a note from the physician’s office), observation of religious holidays, and court appearances. Excused absences cannot count against a parent at a truancy hearing; however, they will result in a student losing credit for courses if the total exceeds 10% of the academic year (7,560 minutes, which is 126 hours or approximately 16 school days). Students in elementary and middle school who exceed the 10% allowance may be assigned summer school to recover the missing time and credit for their courses. Additionally, students in high school may be required to attend additional credit recovery offerings, such as Beyond the Bell, Saturday School, or campus-based community service hours in order to avoid losing credit for courses in which they earned a passing grade, but did not attend 90% of the time the class met in a semester.
     
    Schools in Bastrop ISD will accept up to 6 parent notes per school year to excuse student absences for reasons other than those listed in TEC §25.085. Please note that parent notes will not be accepted for the reasons listed below. Student absences occurring for these reasons will be entered as “unexcused” on the student’s attendance record, and are therefore subject to consequences issued by a truancy judge if filed in court by a BISD attendance officer:
     
    • The student refuses to attend school, or the parent finds it difficult to get the student out of the house in the morning
    • Parent takes student with them on a business trip out-of-town because they are afraid of their student riding the bus home
    • Parent does not want ex-spouse to transport the student to/from school, even though both parents have joint custody and the other parent is willing to provide transportation
    • Student exhibits minor symptoms of illness, such as complaint of a headache or stomach pain, without exhibiting symptoms of a condition that could be contagious to other students
    • The parent's job does not make it convenient to drop off/pick up their student on time
    • The student’s family chooses to take a vacation on days when school is in session
     
    August 21, 2024: What to do if your student is absent
     
    Ensuring that your child’s education remains on track involves more than just getting them to school each day. If your student will be absent, either due to illness, a family emergency, or another reason, it's important to follow a few key steps to minimize disruption and support their learning.
     
    1. Notify the School: Inform the school about your child’s absence as soon as possible by calling and letting them know the student will be absent and why.
    2. Provide Necessary Documentation: If the absence is due to illness or a medical appointment, be prepared to provide a doctor's note or other relevant documentation. You can do this by sending the note with your student for them to turn into their teacher or the office. You can also email the note to the attendance clerk on campus. This helps the school record the absence appropriately and ensures your child’s absence is excused if possible.
    3. Inquire About Missed Work: Contact your child’s teacher to find out what assignments or classwork will be missed during their absence. Make sure you understand how your child can make up any missed work.
    4. Support at Home: Assist your child with catching up on missed assignments. Set up a quiet, dedicated space for them to work and encourage them to complete any tasks or review any material they missed. This will help them stay on track and ease their return to school.
    5. Discuss the Absence with Your Child: Talk to your child about the importance of attending school regularly and how their absence might affect their progress. Reassure them that it’s okay to miss school sometimes, but emphasize the importance of getting back on track as soon as possible.
    6. Follow Up: After your child returns to school, touch base with their teacher to ensure that they have everything they need to stay on track. This can help address any gaps in understanding and keep communication open between you and the school.

    By taking these steps, you can help ensure that your child’s absence doesn’t negatively impact their education. Your proactive approach will support their continued learning and make their transition back to school as smooth as possible.
     
    August 7, 2024: Attendance Matters
     
    As we gear up for another great school year, we wanted to highlight how important student attendance is for academic and social-emotional growth in each and every student in Bastrop ISD. Parents can play a significant role in improving their child's school attendance. Here are five tips to help boost and maintain good attendance:
     
    1. Establish a Routine: Create a consistent daily schedule that includes regular bedtimes and wake-up times. A well-rested child is more likely to attend school regularly and be attentive during class.
    2. Prepare for the Day: Get school clothes and supplies ready the night before to make mornings less hectic. This can help reduce stress and ensure that the child is prepared and motivated to attend school.
    3. Communicate with the School: Stay in touch with teachers and school officials. If there are issues affecting your child's attendance, such as health problems or family issues, communicate with the school to find solutions and support.
    4. Promote the Importance of School: Help your child understand the value of education and how regular attendance contributes to their future success. Share positive stories about school and learning to build a positive attitude. Draw comparisons between other areas of life, such as sporting events and parents’ work schedules, to understand that consistent punctuality and attendance are lifelong skills that all successful individuals must develop.
    5. Encourage Participation: Get involved in your child’s education by attending school events, helping with homework, and showing interest in their school activities. When children feel supported and valued in what they do at school, they are more likely to attend regularly.

     

    By implementing these strategies, parents can help foster a positive attitude towards school and improve their child's attendance.