Board approves revision to nonattendance withdrawal policy; adds documentation, retroactive withdrawal date

The Southside ISD Board of Trustees approved a change to FEA(local), the district's nonattendance withdrawal policy, at the May 28 meeting. The revision adds two elements: a requirement that the district retain documentation of repeated efforts to locate a student, and a rule that any withdrawal for nonattendance be retroactive to the day following the student's last attended school day.

Staff said the existing process allowed district staff to determine a withdrawal date for a student who never formally withdrew and whose whereabouts were unknown after repeated searches. The revision formalizes documentation of repeated outreach — such as phone calls, emails, home visits and coordination with municipal truancy officers — and clarifies that the recorded withdrawal date should reflect the date following the last day of attendance after the required outreach has been completed.

Presenter Miguel Castillo told trustees the policy is intended to avoid retaining absences in the district's counts for students who have left without formally withdrawing. Trustees asked for specifics about what constitutes "repeated efforts"; campus staff, social workers and a city truancy liaison were cited as participants in outreach. Members also emphasized that students hospitalized or receiving services from another district or facility would not be withdrawn without appropriate documentation and parent communication.

A motion to approve the policy change was made by Trustee Salazar, seconded by Trustee Farias, and carried by recorded affirmative votes from trustees present.