By Staff Writer | Last Updated August 4, 2015
The number of days a student may be absent from school without failing or being considered truant vary based on the school. For example, K-12 students in Texas are required to attend at least 90 percent of the classes that are offered at their school as of 2014.
The number of allowed absences may also vary based on the grade level of the student. For example students at the Balfour Education Center in North Carolina are allowed to miss 16 days if they are in elementary school, 14 days if they are in middle school and 10 days if they are in high school.
If a student needs to miss school, it is the responsibility of the parent to communicate with the school about the absence. Some school districts only approve absences that are related to illnesses, and they do not approve absences for family vacations. Other schools have more liberal policies on absences.
If a student misses a lot of school and the parent does not tell the school why, the family may be required to go to court.
In some cases, the child may not have to be present for the whole day to be considered present. For example, at the Balfour Education Center, students only need to be there for two-thirds of the day to be considered present.
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