If they don't bring anything or choose to catch a few winks instead, they are sent home and assigned two more Saturdays in place of the one they missed. Garnie Hatch, assistant superintendent for student services, said Saturday School began in response to a new law regulating the number of days a student can miss school. The law also requires Texas districts to put an alternative program in place to allow students to make up their absences and avoid failing. Hatch said AISD could've scheduled the program before or after school hours, but chose Saturday. We've had success with it.
Attendance is the biggest problem in the school district.
It's always been a problem. Saturday School has a dual purpose, Hatch said. Sure, some kids wait until the last minute, but a lots of kids take advantage of it. It gives kids who make a mistake one more chance in order to keep from failing. Unless there are extenuating circumstances such as illness or family emergency, students can miss school only nine days each semester.