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ATTENDANCE FUNDING & DOCUMENTATION

Under state law, every Texas school district is required to adopt an attendance accounting system which includes
procedures that ensure the accurate taking, recording, and reporting of attendance accounting data. District staff
members must report attendance information through the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS)
to the Texas Education Agency (TEA). The TEA then uses this attendance data to determine the allocation of
Foundation School Program (FSP) funds (state funding) to the district.
Skyward, the Student Information System (SIS) for GISD, has a computerized student attendance reporting system.
Through the computer system, teachers record the daily absences of their students. The attendance postings are
collected by the SIS and used to report PEIMS data. The procedure for teachers to enter attendance requires that
teachers must have a unique password. The SIS records any changes and adjustments to attendance. Such transactions
are tracked electronically.

ORIGINAL DOCUMENTATION FOR ATTENDANCE

District personnel must create the original documentation of attendance at the time of attendance. Original
documentation must not be created after the fact. Original documentation that is not created at the time of
attendance will not be accepted by agency auditors. If auditors determine that original documentation was not
created at the time of the attendance it is intended to support, the TEA will retain 100% of the district’s FSP allotment
for the inappropriately documented attendance for the school year(s) for which records have been requested. The
TEA will either assess an adjustment to subsequent allocations of state funds or require your district to refund the
total amount of the adjustment when the audit is finalized.

BOARD POLICY FEB: ATTENDANCE ACCOUNTING

Policies FEB (Legal) and (Local) require districts to use accounting standards established by the Commissioner to
maintain attendance records and make reports on student attendance and their participation in special programs. The
policy identifies the circumstances under which a student may be absent from the campus and still considered in
attendance for Foundation School Program purposes. The policy also identifies certain absences that are required to be
excused by the district.

DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED FOR ATTENDANCE

The District shall maintain records to reflect the average daily attendance (ADA), as required by the Commissioner. The
Superintendent, principals, and teachers are responsible to the Board and the State to maintain accurate, current
attendance records. 19 TAC 129.21(a)

Skyward meets the state definition of a “Paperless Attendance Accounting System” in which the system can report the
date and time of any attendance record alterations and the identity of the individual altering the record.

Six-Weeks, Semester, and Annual Reports required as part of the DR process as well as notes documenting “non-
absences” and other attendance documentation will be saved into the Campus PEIMS or P-Drive at the time they are
generated. A signature sheet will be included for each cycle, semester, and EOY report series. This documentation will
be archived electronically and maintained for 5 years for audit purposes. Campus P-Drives will be audited periodically
by the PEIMS coordinator and/or Central Attendance administrators.

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