Information about the child’s schooling decisions often becomes a point of contention because the parent with primary physical custody assumes they have the right to make all of them. Fortunately, Texas state laws protect your right as a parent and permit you to continue to be involved in school decisions.
Both parents maintain a right to attend school activities
Unless the child custody order states otherwise, Texas law states that both parents have the right to attend their child’s school activities. That includes activities such as:
- Field trips
- School games
- Band or choir recitals
Both parents maintain the right to information about the child’s performance in school
Part of the joy of being a parent involves being informed about how well or how poorly your child is doing in school. You have the right to continue to follow their educational journey after your divorce. This includes the right to the following:
- Seeing your child’s grades
- Attending your child’s parent-teacher conferences
- Be on the contact list in case of emergency
You may or may not have the right to attend non-school activities
As a child’s parent, you have the right to attend most of their school-related activities. However, many of the activities that your school-age child attends will not be directly related to their school. Examples of common non-school related extracurriculars include:
- Ballet dance recital
- Scout meetings
- Theater performances
Even in these cases, it may be possible to modify your custody agreement in order to include your participation in these non-school related activities.
If your rights are denied, you have a right to challenge the other parent in court
If the other parent refuses to provide information about the child’s schooling, you have the right to contact teachers and school offices to inquire yourself. If the other parent continues to block your efforts, you also have the right to return to court to modify your custody agreement.