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Richardson ISD trustees approve attendance exceptions for storm and infrastructure closures
Summary
The board unanimously approved making attendance-day exceptions for campus closures caused by storms, plumbing failures and other infrastructure problems, allowing the district to avoid state attendance penalties for specified days.
The Richardson Independent School District Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve a series of attendance exceptions for school days lost because of weather or infrastructure failures, district staff told trustees on April 1.
Staff explained that when students miss school because of events outside the district’s control — such as severe storms, power outages or plumbing failures that close a campus — the district may request an attendance exception so those days are not counted against its state attendance apportionment. The presenter said the district can apply for the exception within a prescribed window following the event and must provide supporting documentation such as weather reports or incident records.
Trustees heard examples of recent incidents cited by staff, including a plumbing-related closure at Preston Elementary and a power outage at another campus. Board members asked how the district documents events and the potential fiscal impact; staff replied that each missed student day reduces state funding by roughly $40 per absent student and that the district considers documentation and context before requesting an exception.
The board approved the motion to grant the exceptions 7–0. Staff said they will file the required documentation with state agencies as needed and treat each request on a case-by-case basis.
Why it matters: State funding for schools is tied to attendance metrics. When closures are caused by incidents outside a district’s control, attendance exceptions protect districts from losing state funding for those days.
Next steps: Staff will submit exception requests with documentation (weather reports, incident reports) for the affected dates. The board did not change district attendance policy; it approved exceptions for specific events presented at the meeting.
