Front Office FAQs

  1. Home
  2. Front Office FAQs
welcome

Hello from the Clayton Elementary Welcome Committee (front office staff)!

We know you may have some questions and hopefully this will answer them, or lead you in the right direction. 

Front Office

Debbie Arya: Tech Support    (part-time, typically 7:30am-1:30pm, deborah.arya@austinisd.org)

Jenny Daughtry: Bookkeeper/School Coordinator    (jennifer.daughtry@austinisd.org)

Deanna McDonald: Attendance    (deanna.mcdonald@austinisd.org)

Registrar, Amy Turnage, has retired after 17 years at Clayton. 

Jennifer Henry (not pictured): Registrar (starting late July- will update contact info soon)

Nurse, Cassidy Bass, just had her 2nd baby and will stay home with her kiddos

Jillian DeBerry (not pictured): Health Room Assistant (starting mid August- will update contact info when available)

 

 

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  • Can I register for the 26-27 school year yet?
  • Yes! EACH child must be registered EACH year.
  • If you haven't registered yet- do it now : https://www.austinisd.org/enroll

  • Still have specific Clayton registration questions? Call (512-841-9200) or email (amy.turnage@austinisd.org) our registrar, Amy Turnage.

 

  • How do I pay for Clayton items?
    • Throughout the year, your students may have fees (example: Activity Fee, Choir Shirt, PE Field Day Concessions, etc)
    • You will pay these fees online at Clayton's Webstore: Clayton.MySchoolCentral.com 
      • If you get a message that says "Your user session has expired," press the "Please start again" button, and it will send you to the store.
      • If you have multiple students at Clayton, you will need to attach each student to your account: They can be found by their full registered name or their student ID (without an "S" in front).
        • NOTICE: You will need to create an account for EACH SCHOOL (if you have a student at Bowie High School AND you have a student at Clayton, you will have TWO different webstore accounts: one with Bowie, one with Clayton)
      • Cash or check is highlighy discouraged as AISD is limiting our deposits capability. Please reach out to the bookkeeper if you are unable to make a purchase online.
    • If you are experiencing financial hardship and are unable to cover a fee, please reach out to your student's counselor or homeroom teacher. Our PTA can often anonymously cover fees and the counselors can help facilitate that.
    • If you have any questions, please contact Clayton Bookkeeper, Jenny Daughtry, at jennifer.daughtry@austinisd.org

 

 

  • How do I stay connected and up-to-date on all things Clayton?   
    • Principal McCollum's weekly newsletter, News for the Nest, comes out every Friday. It's sent to the main email you used when registering your child. It's also posted here on the main page & News Section of our website.
    • Add yourself to the NEW google list to receive communication from our awesome PTA. This new one replaces the outdated list that's been around since 2006.
    • Facebook
    • SUBSCRIBE to the Clayton Website Calendar and it will link all events to your personal calendar- never miss a thing
    • Check out the Clayton PTA website!

 

  • How do I get help with my student's Device? Here is a Device Troubleshooting Guide. Please review this thoroughly before reaching out to the Help Desk or Ms. Debbie. It's easy to navigate and has lots of helpful information.
    • PK-2nd Grade will have classroom sets of chromebookss. These will only be used in class and will not go home with students.
    • 3rd-5th Graders will be assigned a chromebook as school starts.

 

  • Want a Tour?   If you are interested in a tour, please call or email Deanna McDonald (512)841-9200  deanna.mcdonald@austinisd.org.
    • all tours are complete for the 2025-2026 school year. 
    • check back in August for 2026-2027 tour dates

 

  • Need a Nurse?   Our beloved 2025-2026 nurse, Cassidy Bass is retiring to stay home with her kiddos. We'll provide contact information for our new nurse here (as soon as we get that information). If your student has medications they'll need on campus, please fill out this form and email it to our nurse.  You can find all AISD Medical forms here.

 

  • Bell Schedule:  Be in the building by 7:35  Learning starts at 7:40 and your student will be marked tardy if they aren't IN THEIR CLASSROOM by 7:40am. Any student arriving after this time will come to the front office and be marked Tardy for the day. Students are dismissed at 3:10pm. 

 

  • Dismissal: View our Dismissal Map for details.
    • - Car Riders - You can Request a Car Tag here
      • PK, Kinder 1st & 2nd grade (and their siblings) dismissed in the front.
      • 3rd, 4th & 5th grade dismiss in the back.
    • Escorted Walkers:
      • PK (and their siblings) dismiss at kinder doors (by small playground)
      • Kinder & 2nd grade (and their siblings) dismiss in the front
      • 1st grade (and their siblings) will dismiss through the 1st Grade doors (across from the portables).
      • 3rd, 4th & 5th grade dismiss in the back
    • Trail Walkers:
      • This Trail Walker Permission Form is required. Complete and turn in to your student's teacher
      • What if its raining & lightning & I have a Trail Walker?? - If lightning is visible at Clayton at 3:00, we will hold our Trail Walkers until the lightning has left the area. If its just raining, our trail walkers will be dismissed as usual. Administration will send an email to all families if we are holding Trail Walkers due to weather, and also notify families when the Trail Walkers have been released. You are always welcome to pick up your child in a car if needed.

 

  • How do I drop off items for my student?
    • Parents/Guardians complete the Drop Off Log Book at the front of the school AND attach a gold slip to the item 

Please Note: 

  • **Items dropped off before 10:00am will be delivered at 10:00am
  • **Items dropped off 10:01am - 1:00pm will be delivered at 1:00pm
  • **No items will be delivered after 1:00pm
    • Essential items like eyeglasses will be delivered immediately
    • Lunch boxes, water bottles, clothing items & school supplies will be delivered according to above schedule
    • Student Lunch Drop Offs (lunch boxes, take out food, etc.) will be picked up from the front cart and placed on a shelf in the front office for student to pick up.
      • Front office will notify the teacher of the lunch delivery so the student can come to the front office to then pick it up.

ATTENDANCE FAQs CAN BE VIEWED HERE

  • What if my child is sick and needs to stay home from school?  If your child is ill, please send an email to your child's teacher and copy our Attendance designee clayton@austinisd.org
    • Your child must be fever free (without fever-reducing medicine) for a full 24 hours
    • If your child throws up at school, they cannot return that day or the next.

 

  • What if my child has a doctor appointment? (Early pick ups)  NO PICK UPS ALLOWED AFTER 2:30PM!
  • When it is necessary to pick your child up early from school, we ask you do so by 2:30pm.
    • Please be mindful, it is very difficult to check a student out after 2:30pm due to preparations for end of day dismissal
    • Notify your child's teacher in advance
    • Parent’s/Guardian’s driver's license is required when signing a student out from school
    • Parents/Guardians cannot call in advance to have students retrieved from class.
    • Parents/Guardians must be on the Clayton Campus and physically visible on the front security camera in order for us to release your student from our building.
    • Once at school, call the front office with the doorbell outside our main doors, and request your child be retrieved from class.
    • Plan to allow extra time
  • For medical appointments, make sure you get a school note from the doctor's office. The doctor's note must be emailed via Clayton Mailbox at clayton@austinisd.org   OR   submitted via AISD Webform at https://austinisd.org/attendance/report-absence.

 

  • What if I need to reach my child's teacher?    You may email your teacher, but calls can only be sent to a teacher during their planning period.

 

  • Can I have lunch with my child?    No lunch visits UNTIL FRIDAY, SEP 19, 2025. During the time prior, students are learning and adjusting to the schedule & rules.
    • Your student's teacher can tell you lunch times (or you can call the front office for this information).

 

  • What if our plan for after school pick up changes?   After school change of pick ups should be done as early as possible via email with the teacher.  Change of dismissal message after 2:30 does not guarantee that it will be executed accordingly.

Health Guidelines for School Attendance

Keeping a sick child home protects other children, school staff, and visiting community members from catching an illness that can be spread from person to person. 

A sick child who is unable to participate at school should be kept home to rest and recover until symptoms improve. Please be aware of the following guidelines for school attendance. 

A student with any of the following symptoms should not attend school:

  • Temperature of 100 degrees or higher
  • Nausea, Vomiting, or Diarrhea
  • Eye redness and/or drainage
  • Undetermined rash and/or scaly patches over any part of the body or scalp
  • Intense itching with signs and symptoms of secondary infection
  • Open, draining lesions

A child with any of these symptoms must stay home until they are symptom-free for 24 hours and without the use of medication before returning to school. For more information please see "Health Reasons to Keep Your Student Home" (English/Spanish). 

If a parent suspects that his or her child has a contagious disease, the parent should contact the school nurse so that other students who might have been exposed to the disease can be alerted. Remember, hand washing can prevent the spread of diseases. 

When you take your child to a healthcare provider for an evaluation of illness or injury, please be sure to request a written letter stating when your child may return to school and any accommodations required upon his/her return.

For COVID-19: please refer to the Austin ISD COVID-19 Health and Safety Protocols for students who are experiencing symptoms, have tested positive, or have been in close contact with an individual who tested positive.

Austin ISD is required to report certain contagious (communicable) diseases and illnesses to the Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) or our local/regional health authority. For a complete list of Communicable Diseases, please see the Communicable Disease Chart for Schools from the Texas Department of State Health.

Please click on Common Illnesses for additional information.