Question for Texas DIS'ers

[Dizznee Freak]

Has anyone ever taken their kids out of school in the state of Texas to go to WDW? I was curious to see what hoops you had to jump through to keep the schools from calling the truant officer on you. My girls are honor roll and miss maybe two days a year. Going in the summer to WDW is becoming too much for my wife with MS and we are looking at alternative dates. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Dizznee Freak]

We are looking at combining a trip with a normal school holiday like Thanksgiving or CHRISTMAS.

 

[juliebug1997]

Are you talking about going like the three days leading up to Thanksgiving or the week before Thanksgiving? Christmas is usually a two week break (sometimes a little closer to 12 days), so that would be enough time to go without actually missing any school.

Giving ages would actually help with what I would say. If your girls are in HS, I would suggest not going. Although they are on the honor roll and only missing a day or two a year can still put them behind in their work, especially if you're talking about AP or honors courses. Even some of my middle schoolers (I teach 8th-12th grades) would be swamped with work and, in my district, we are not allowed to give out work ahead of time.

The other thing I would do is call the school office and ask this question. My high school students will lose credit in a class if they miss it five times (we're on a 90 minute block schedule).

 

[Dizznee Freak]

Are you talking about going like the three days leading up to Thanksgiving or the week before Thanksgiving? Christmas is usually a two week break (sometimes a little closer to 12 days), so that would be enough time to go without actually missing any school.

Giving ages would actually help with what I would say. If your girls are in HS, I would suggest not going. Although they are on the honor roll and only missing a day or two a year can still put them behind in their work, especially if you're talking about AP or honors courses. Even some of my middle schoolers (I teach 8th-12th grades) would be swamped with work and, in my district, we are not allowed to give out work ahead of time.

The other thing I would do is call the school office and ask this question. My high school students will lose credit in a class if they miss it five times (we're on a 90 minute block schedule).

Thanks for the info. Yes my older two are in High School and are on the AP tract. We are looking closely at the Christmas Break where we could possibly fit a vacation in and only miss one day of school.

 

[Aristocath]

In Fort Worth they are very strict about missing school for vacations and it would be an unexcused absence. And the teachers won't give makeup work ahead of time, especially in the competitive AP classes.

As much as it pains me to say this, if I was looking at missing one day before Christmas break I'd probably just say they were sick. You won't need a doctor's note for a one day absence. When are semester exams? If they are before Christmas that wouldn't work. Also, a lot of the AP classes have work over Christmas break.

Do you get the week of Thanksgiving off?

 

[juliebug1997]

Thanks for the info. Yes my older two are in High School and are on the AP tract. We are looking closely at the Christmas Break where we could possibly fit a vacation in and only miss one day of school.

Just make sure that they are not missing exams. My district crams them in now before Winter Break.

In Fort Worth they are very strict about missing school for vacations and it would be an unexcused absence. And the teachers won't give makeup work ahead of time, especially in the competitive AP classes.

As much as it pains me to say this, if I was looking at missing one day before Christmas break I'd probably just say they were sick. You won't need a doctor's note for a one day absence. When are semester exams? If they are before Christmas that wouldn't work. Also, a lot of the AP classes have work over Christmas break.

Do you get the week of Thanksgiving off?

A parent call still counts as unexcused when it comes to the state though. However, it wouldn't be classified as a truancy necessarily.

 

[Dizznee Freak]

They get early dismissal on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and return to school the following Monday. I thought of this but unsure how packed Thanksgiving day is.

 

[juliebug1997]

They get early dismissal on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and return to school the following Monday. I thought of this but unsure how packed Thanksgiving day is.

I usually ignore the Thanksgiving threads, but I don't think it's as bad as Christmas. If you do a search of this forum, I'm sure you could find the answer to that question.

Christmas is nuts! MK usually closes early on Christmas Day, etc.

 

[TXPyroMom]

I really think you need to talk to your ISD. It has a lot to do with them. We took DD out for a week in Kindergarten and a week in 2nd grade with no problems.

In our district, absences are either recognized or not recognized. Being sick without a Dr's note is the same as going on vacation. I know for me, it would have been really tough to make up more than 3 days of high school work, but you know your kids best. You should also think about their end of semester exams... would them miss testing if you left a day or two before Christmas break?

Good luck with your decision... DH just started teaching, so our days of pulling DD out for vacations are gone

 

[Dizznee Freak]

I really think you need to talk to your ISD. It has a lot to do with them. We took DD out for a week in Kindergarten and a week in 2nd grade with no problems.

In our district, absences are either recognized or not recognized. Being sick without a Dr's note is the same as going on vacation. I know for me, it would have been really tough to make up more than 3 days of high school work, but you know your kids best. You should also think about their end of semester exams... would them miss testing if you left a day or two before Christmas break?

Good luck with your decision... DH just started teaching, so our days of pulling DD out for vacations are gone

Thanks for the advice. Ultimately we will not sacrifice their education for vacation.

 

[CaliTex]

My experience has been that it is very problematic when they are in HS. My DD was a SR. national level swimmer (qualifying for the Olympics) and she missed a week because of competition--I notified the school beforehand via phone and note, my daughter spoke with each of her teachers and requested the work for the week, and when she returned (with the qualifying time! ) she was basically told, "yeah, welcome back. You are suspended." BOO TO PFLUGERVILLE ISD!!! YOU STINK!!! And not that I am BITTER or anything, but they excused their football team all kinds of time. (Texas and their football! Nuts!) DD was a solid A/B student, FWIW.

Now we do take our DGS out of school to go to Disney in December, but he is in elementary school in a different school district, and we have not had any issues. Of course, he is a "big" little guy and already plays pee-wee football, so probably he has some sort of exemption in his file. Again, not that I am bitter!

Good luck...

 

[Richard M Nixon]

Don't take your kids out of school for a vacation. Especially in high school and with AP courses, there is so much material being covered daily that it's easy to fall behind. I would not rely on homework to teach core concepts. I missed a few days of Calculus in high school and I was trying to catch up for weeks. Treat education as the most important thing and not an area that can be blown off for frivolus trips.

 

[Dizznee Freak]

Don't take your kids out of school for a vacation. Especially in high school and with AP courses, there is so much material being covered daily that it's easy to fall behind. I would not rely on homework to teach core concepts. I missed a few days of Calculus in high school and I was trying to catch up for weeks. Treat education as the most important thing and not an area that can be blown off for frivolus trips.

Trust me we treat education very serious. This was just a fact finding excursion. Ultimately I think I know the answer is to not pull them out

 

[juliebug1997]

My experience has been that it is very problematic when they are in HS. My DD was a SR. national level swimmer (qualifying for the Olympics) and she missed a week because of competition--I notified the school beforehand via phone and note, my daughter spoke with each of her teachers and requested the work for the week, and when she returned (with the qualifying time! ) she was basically told, "yeah, welcome back. You are suspended." BOO TO PFLUGERVILLE ISD!!! YOU STINK!!! And not that I am BITTER or anything, but they excused their football team all kinds of time. (Texas and their football! Nuts!) DD was a solid A/B student, FWIW.

Now we do take our DGS out of school to go to Disney in December, but he is in elementary school in a different school district, and we have not had any issues. Of course, he is a "big" little guy and already plays pee-wee football, so probably he has some sort of exemption in his file. Again, not that I am bitter!

Good luck...

Can I just say that, in the school's defense, the football team actually represents the school and they were probably going to a UIL sanctioned event. Your daughter was going to an outside competition. I've had students miss a week here, a week there for national soccer team competitions and they had to do seat time to make up the time they missed. I do think that it's stupid that she was suspended.

 

[jodls01]

Thanksgiving is too short. Our HS girls left right after school on friday arrived on sat. afternoon (driving from s. tex) we did 5 days at wdw, rested on TG day and got back on sunday afternoon. It was very hard getting up on Monday.

This past Dec. we did 5 days of wdw and 2 US and we had several days of rest before we returned to work/school. It was the first relaxing vacation we have had because everyone was able to rest after arriving home.

We rented a 5 bdrm house w/pool and we had great weather to enjoy the pool and water rides. In Nov. we rushed to get everything in.

 

[LMN]

Even in the state of Texas, all school districts are different and make up their own rules. I would check with your school/district to see what their policies are. We are in a district outside of Austin and I have taken my kids out a few times for cheer competitions at DisneyWorld. The first year the entire family went (son was in 8th grade). He is an A student and the second and third times we went for cheer competitions he asked not to be taken out because it was just too hard to catch up (by this time he was in high school). He stayed home with his dad and I took my daughter cheerleader and my other daughter. The teachers were mostly accomodating as far as giving work ahead of time in elementary and middle school. Thankfully my daughter isn't cheering anymore, so we don't have this stress! And yes, it is stressful. The school districts make it too hard, in my opinion. Its all about making sure those kids are in their seats and getting those dollars for the district. My kids are great students and are never sick. I think its shameful that they make such a big deal over missing a few days.

 

[tiggerluver12]

If the last day of school in December is on the 19th, then you have plenty of time to go to WDW before the 25th. I would fly out the eve of the 19th and come home on the 24th. We have done that many times - the days prior to Christmas are very doable - just don't stay for the week between Christmas and New Years. I have heard it's mass chaos!!

 

[Richard M Nixon]

Its all about making sure those kids are in their seats and getting those dollars for the district. My kids are great students and are never sick. I think its shameful that they make such a big deal over missing a few days.

I don't know how school finances work, but I somehow doubt that Big Education is pushing to keep kids from missing class so the district can make a few dollars. More likely, the school wants to make sure that the few hours a day that kids are in the classroom are spent productively preparing for higher education and a prosperous career.

 

[Dizznee Freak]

I don't know how school finances work, but I somehow doubt that Big Education is pushing to keep kids from missing class so the district can make a few dollars. More likely, the school wants to make sure that the few hours a day that kids are in the classroom are spent productively preparing for higher education and a prosperous career.

I have actually been told that is the exact reason! My kids told me they are told that the school gets like $180 a day for each butt in a seat. I have heard it mentioned at PTA meetings as well. I dont think it is about education at all. If that were true why did my daughters high school collect all of the textbooks a week and a half before school let out.

 

[jenben8426]

I have actually been told that is the exact reason! My kids told me they are told that the school gets like $180 a day for each butt in a seat. I have heard it mentioned at PTA meetings as well. I dont think it is about education at all. If that were true why did my daughters high school collect all of the textbooks a week and a half before school let out.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner. We recently moved from Texas, but it is the same everywhere--kids in the seats means funding for the school. All these children facing suspension and truancy when they are straight A students on the honor roll and they are worried about them not being prepared for higher education--not likely. Everything revolves around money. I was brought my child back from a doctor's appointment, I had forgotten to have them write me a note. When they asked for it, I said, Oh I forgot, just mark it as unexcused. I got a huge lecture about the funding that would be missed out with that absence.

As for pulling your children out--yes talk to the individual school. I wouldn't even go to the district. Talk to the principal and the teachers. Most often it is the principal who can have the final say on whether it is excused or not.

And honestly I was in honors and AP classes in high school and I missed weeks due to being involved in a school club. Since it was school sanctioned I was obviously excused, but I was able to catch up just fine putting in the extra hours once I got back. It would completely depend on the discipline of your daughters. Taking a day or two off for Disney does not mean that you don't care about their entire education...