Change Katy Independent School District's Attendance Policy Regarding Funerals

Please let parents decide whose funeral is important to attend and whether it is excused. Deaths are tragic enough without the added stress of unexcused absences.

The school system no longer has any common sense and no compassion

How low can you go? I was raised in Texas and one of my favorite teachers was the Texas State teacher of the year and she would be appalled. This makes me physically ill. This was a tragic accident that devastated this family and to make this family suffer any more is beyond my comprehension.

This sort of thing makes me furious more than almost anything else. What right does ANYONE have to dictate to a family what is right for them ?! This is government overstepping by miles. Stay OUT of personal family decisions. You have no place there.

Your actions against a grieving family struck with a tragedy of the worst kind, as well as your thoughtless, blatant lack of compassion are disheartening. Actions such as what the Katy School District are imposing upon this family are precisely the reason that people are fed up with our schools and our government. Use some common sense. If your child was in your own school, what if your child's best friend passed away - would you tell your child that he/she couldn't attend the funeral of their best friend because it wasn't the funeral of a "nuclear" family member? And why does the law allow for the funeral of a grandparent, yet not a cousin? Aunts? Uncles? Who is the school to decide who in a person's life or family is deemed important enough to show appropriate grievance by attending a funeral? Does the school think they are better equipped to make decisions on behalf of a child than their own parents? This is a highly flawed system whose actions are both callous, and utterly ridiculous.

This school district should be ashamed of itself. This whole thing is appalling.

Money is the end game for education boards, it is clear that is the case here. Shame on you! Wonder why so many are looking at alternate schooling avenues, here is your answer!

Making the decision to have your child miss one day of school to be with family during a time of mourning and crisis with the death of another family member should be acceptable and encouraged.

You've overreached to the point of harming a grieving family and that's not okay. Families need to be able to make these kinds if decisions without facing inquisition.

Unbelievable. Mourning the death of a child, much less a close first cousin is as important to.a child as daily drilling.on TAAKS,isn't it?

parentalrights.org

A parent should have the right to decide what is important for their child and their family. Many non-related friends are closer than blood relatives and the school has no business being involved in those decisions.

This is atrocious. Parents should be able to decide what funerals their child /children attend.

This is not a school districts place to decide whose funeral a child is 'allowed' to attend.

Katy isd should be ashamed

A school district should not be limiting excused absences for a funeral. It should be the parents decision as to if a child attends any funeral, nuclear family, distant cousin or family friend. No school is in the position, or should be, to accurately judge the importance of a funeral to the family or the child.

This is so cruel - to punish a person for attending a funeral of a family member. Shameful!

Is it not enough that this family has suffered such a tragic loss? Now to be facing/threatened with criminal charges? How heartless!!!

Really?????

Texas needs to get a grip. Let parents do the parenting.