Attendance Office

Sarah Fornea 
Attendance Clerk
Email: sarah.fornea@lcisd.org 

Frequently Asked Questions

Who do I contact about Attendance Questions?

BanksAttendance@lcisd.org

What if my student is tardy to school/class? If your student is running late to school, please remember they ALWAYS have to report to the Front Office before going to class. *If they arrive 15 minutes late (TARDY) or less, they will receive a tardy slip from the Front Office. *If a student misses more than 15 minutes of a class, they will be considered Tardy up until the bell for dismissal rings. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your student’s attendance, please feel free to call anytime. Attendance office hours are 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

When my child is sick or will be absent from school, do I need to call in? Banks Jr High does not require you to call in or notify in advance. Unless the student's absence will be more than 3 days. If your student is expected to be absent more than 3 days - please email the Attendance Clerk BanksAttendance@lcisd.org

What is the procedure if my child needs to be picked up early? In the event that you are picking up your student early, you will need to come into the school and sign them out. Please note, latest pick up time is 3:50. We will NOT allow a student to be signed out after 3:50 pm. Check out procedures for 25-26 school year: (1)Enter into the Front Office of the school. (2)Be prepared to have your driver’s license scanned. (3)Complete the form and submit. The front office will begin processing the check out, upon receiving the form.
Also, please be prepared to show a valid State Issued Photo ID; this is LCISD policy and we enforce it at Banks Jr High.
Please do not text your student that you have arrived at campus for pick up, unless instructed by the front office.

Do I need to send a note? Yes, when the student returns to campus, either a Doctor's note or Parent note is required explaining any partial or full day absence. Notes are due within FIVE (5) days from the absence. Doctor's notes are always preferred. *Personal illness: Must submit a note signed by a parent or signed by doctor, stating the date(s) of absence and describing the reason for the absence. All notes may be dropped off at the attendance office or emailed to the attendance clerk. Parent notes may be sent by email but must come from a parent’s verified email account.

If a student is absent 5 consecutive school days or more, a doctor’s note is required within 5 days of the student’s return to school for the absence to be excused. *If your student does see their doctor, please bring the original “Return to School” note from the doctor. The doctor's note must list all days of absence - otherwise only the date of the visit will be excused. *If your student is not sick but misses school for other documented purposes, official documents are required to excuse the absence, such as original court documents excusing student from school, signed by the court clerk, religious leaders, etc. (Please refer to the Attendance Policy in the Secondary Student Handbook for specifics). *Please note - not all parent notes will fall under the allowed excused absence guidelines.

What if I forget a note? You have FIVE school days to bring notes into the attendance office (no exceptions). Student's may drop off all notes at the attendance window. They may also be sent via email to the attendance clerk. See above for guidelines above when submitting excuse documentation.

What if I know in advance that my child will be out of school? Please note that while we appreciate the notification prior to their absence, these do still count against them in accordance with the state law requiring students attend 90% of the days each class is offered. Questions regarding loss of credit should be directed to your student's administrator.

If the school nurse sends my student home is it an absence? Yes, it is. The nurse will always notify a parent in the event a student becomes sick at school. And, if the nurse determines the student to be running a fever or has become contagious, she will request to have the student picked up. But, whether the nurse sends your student home or you simply decide it's in the best interest of your child, the child must see the nurse prior to leaving school under a sick reason and you are still required to sign your student out and provide a written excuse for the absence. Please encourage your student to visit the clinic for a sick assessment, prior to requesting pick up from parent.

Can I send in someone other than myself to pick up my student? We will not release students to anyone other than those listed on the Emergency Contact card. We do not accept phone calls requesting us to do so. If you are unsure who is on your list, please feel free to call us. If you want to update the list, you may do so by logging into your Parent Portal in Skyward.

How late can I pick up my student? We will only call students out of class before 3:50 pm. The afternoons get very busy, and many times your students are outside or in other areas where they are not easily notified.