Texas Education Code - EDUC § 25.087. Excused Absences

(a) A person required to attend school, including a person required to attend school under Section 25.085(e), may be excused for temporary absence resulting from any cause acceptable to the teacher, principal, or superintendent of the school in which the person is enrolled.

(b) A school district shall excuse a student from attending school for:

(b-1) A school district may adopt a policy excusing a student from attending school for service as a student early voting clerk in an election.

(b-2) A school district may excuse a student from attending school to visit an institution of higher education accredited by a generally recognized accrediting organization during the student's junior and senior years of high school for the purpose of determining the student's interest in attending the institution of higher education, provided that:

(b-3) A temporary absence for purposes of Subsection (b)(2) includes the temporary absence of a student diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder on the day of the student's appointment with a health care practitioner, as described by Section 1355.015(b), Insurance Code, to receive a generally recognized service for persons with autism spectrum disorder, including applied behavioral analysis, speech therapy, and occupational therapy.

(b-4) A school district shall excuse a student whose parent, stepparent, or legal guardian is an active duty member of the uniformed services as defined by Section 162.002 and has been called to duty for, is on leave from, or immediately returned from continuous deployment of at least four months outside the locality where the parent, stepparent, or guardian regularly resides, to visit with the student's parent, stepparent, or guardian.  A school district may not excuse a student under this subsection more than five days in a school year.  An excused absence under this subsection must be taken:

(b-5) A school district shall excuse a student who is 17 years of age or older from attending school to pursue enlistment in a branch of the armed services of the United States or the Texas National Guard, provided that:

(b-6) Each school district shall adopt procedures to verify a student's activities as described by Subsection (b-5).

(b-7) A school district may excuse a student who is 15 years of age or older from attending school to visit a driver's license office to obtain a driver's license or learner license, provided that:

(b-8) A school district may excuse a student from attending school for a career investigation day to visit a professional at the professional's workplace during the student's junior and senior years of high school for the purpose of determining the student's interest in pursuing a career in the professional's field, provided that:

(c) A school district may excuse a student in grades 6 through 12 for the purpose of sounding “Taps” at a military honors funeral held in this state for a deceased veteran.

(d) A student whose absence is excused under Subsection (b), (b-1), (b-2), (b-4), (b-5), (b-7), (b-8), or (c) may not be penalized for that absence and shall be counted as if the student attended school for purposes of calculating the average daily attendance of students in the school district.  A student whose absence is excused under Subsection (b), (b-1), (b-2), (b-4), (b-5), (b-7), (b-8), or (c) shall be allowed a reasonable time to make up school work missed on those days.  If the student satisfactorily completes the school work, the day of absence shall be counted as a day of compulsory attendance.

(e) A school district may excuse a student for the purposes provided by Subsections (b)(1)(E) and (b-1) for a maximum of two days in a school year.

(f) For purposes of excusing a student from attending school to observe a religious holy day under Subsection (b)(1)(A), a school district:

(g) For purposes of excusing a student with a serious or life-threatening illness from attending school under Subsection (b)(3), a school district: