Texas Schools Attendance & Taking kids out for vacation (Vernon: to buy, movies)

[Azure110]

I do not have any children but I pay the high school property tax just like anyone else does since I own a home. If people are taking kids out of school for vacation, I am ok with the schools being docked for that student being absent. Why should I pay for your child's education while they are absent (even for one day) if they are going on vacation? If there is a stronger need for missing school such as a funeral or sickness, then I understand the situation.

My parents never took me out of school just for vacation but I remember my friends doing this. It seemed pretty common back then before the schools had ultra tight budgets.

[prim8]

You make it sound like you get a refund if the school doesn't get the money when the child is absent.

Where does that money go?

In my opinion it's one of many stupid metrics that the educational system employs.

[stan4]

Originally Posted by LindaGrace

So why would you plan a vacation during the school year?

My parents did this all the time when I was a kid and we traveled the world.
It was easy because we were in private school.
Not one day I missed in school was a problem with my education, and I learned all about the whole world.
There are many reasons to go during the year, including weather, less crowds, convenience for parents' schedule, sometimes my dad had work stuff to go to, what other relatives in other parts of the world could do schedule-wise, etc. I'm a doc and my bro is a patent attorney, so I guess we turned out ok.

I think as a parent, it's up to me to worry about my kids' education and losing a few days here or there is nothing in the long run. I understand there are parents out there who don't care and have to be legislated into caring. I also understand that the bigger point is that schools lose money for every day a kid isn't in attendance.

Don't much care. If I'm going, I am going. Not all of us have time during the summer and allotted vacation times to go places. Meanwhile, we're not missing out.

[prim8]

Sometimes there's an event that you want to attend. There's any number of legitimate reasons to pull your kid out of school for a trip.

We did it this year for like 5 days and I don't feel bad about it at all. We did it in January too.

[Soviet]

How many total days can kid miss in NEISD without being harassed with Saturday school or such?

[Hedgehog_Mom]

Originally Posted by Soviet

How many total days can kid miss in NEISD without being harassed with Saturday school or such?

It was 17 or 18 when my kids were in NEISD. You can call the school and ask. When you get to about ten days, they start sending warning letters like crazy.

That's better than NISD though...one of the moms on my street said that her son was tardy a few times, which was out of her hands because her husband has custody on the weekends and would drop the boy off late on Monday mornings. The principal actually called the mom into the school for a meeting and said that if the boy was tardy again, the truant officer would come out to their house.

[pobre]

Originally Posted by Soviet

How many total days can kid miss in NEISD without being harassed with Saturday school or such?

10% of the required attendance days, so 18 (10% of 177).

But yes, you will begin receiving letters, etc., earlier than that.

[WilGar]

Problem:

Tell truth (took child on vacation with parents)----unexcused absence

Lie(child sick)------ excused absence

Teaching child that the path of least resistance is to lie-------Wait a minute, that works in Washington, so never mind.

[Torpedos]

Go on vacation. A week without school is not gonna hurt them. The school system just misses out on some money everytime a student missed. That is what they are upset about. It is always about money, the education is second.
On the day you leave, if you can have the kid in school until 9 am that would be counted as a full day of attendance because they get the money.

[pobre]

Originally Posted by Torpedos

The school system just misses out on some money everytime a student missed. That is what they are upset about. It is always about money, the education is second.

Of course. Education costs nothing. What are they thinking?

Yesterday, I had three students absent. All struggling. All three for minor reasons (one had an appointment at 1:00, one went for a pedicure with Mom, and one stayed home because Grandma thought it was too cold to leave the house). Yet, I will need to devote additional time to them to catch them up on what they missed. And they will continue to miss school, struggle, lather, rinse, repeat.

BTW, whether the absence is excused or unexcused, it will still count towards the maximum days allowed. The only days that do not count are with a doctor's note, or extenuating circumstances.