DISTRICT POLICIES & PROCEDURES HANDBOOK - 24-25 - ATTENDANCE

The Governing Board believes that regular attendance plays a key role in student achievement. The Board recognizes its responsibility under the law to ensure that students attend school regularly. 

Parents/guardians of children aged six to eighteen are required to send their children to school unless otherwise provided by law. (Education Code 48200) The Board shall abide by all state attendance laws and may use appropriate legal means to correct the problems of excessive absence or truancy. 

A student’s absence shall be excused for the following reasons: 

1. Personal illness. (Education Code 48205) 

2. Quarantine under the direction of a county or city health officer. (Education Code 48205) 

3. Medical, dental, optometric, or chiropractic appointments. (Education Code 48205) 

4. Attendance at funeral services for a member of the immediate family, which shall be limited to one day if the service is conducted in California or three days if the service is conducted out of state. (Education Code 48205) Immediate family shall be defined as mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, spouse, son/son-in-law, daughter/daughter-in-law, brother, sister, or any relative living in the student’s immediate household. (Education Code 45194, 48205) 

5. Jury duty in the manner provided by law. (Education Code 48205) 

6. The illness of or medical appointment during school hours of a child to whom the student is the custodial parent. (Education Code 48205) 

7. Upon advance written request by the parent/guardian and the approval of the principal or designee, justifiable personal reasons including, but not limited to: 

a. Appearance in court 

b. Attendance at a funeral service 

c. Observation of a holiday or ceremony of his/her religion

d. Attendance at religious retreats not to exceed four hours per semester

e. Attendance at an employment conference or interview 

f. Attendance at an educational conference offered by a non-profit organization on the legislative or judicial process 

g. Services as a member of a precinct board for an 28 election pursuant to Elections Code 12302 

h. To spend time with his/her immediate family member who is an active duty member of the uniformed services, as defined in Education Code 49701, and has been called to duty for deployment to a combat zone or combat support position or is on leave from or has immediately returned from such deployment (Education Code 48205) 

i. Participation in religious instruction or exercised in accordance with District policy: 

- In such instances, student shall attend at least a minimum school day. (Education Code 46014) 

- The student shall be excused for this purpose for no more than four days per school month. (Education Code 46014) 

Truant Pupils Education Code 48260

Any pupil subject to compulsory full-time education who is absent from school without a valid excuse three full days or the equivalent number of periods in a school year or tardy or absent for more than any 30-minute period during the school day without a valid excuse on three occasions in one school year, or any combination thereof, is a truant and shall be reported to Child Welfare & Attendance.

Parent Notification Education Code 48260.5 

Upon a pupil’s initial classification as a truant, the District shall notify the pupil’s parent or guardian by U.S. Mail or other reasonable means. Parents/guardians are requested to contact the school to discuss reasons for unexcused absences. 

Within five days of a student returning to school after an absence, the parent/guardian shall provide an explanation to the school for the absence. Absences not cleared by the parent/guardian in this time frame will be considered unexcused and will contribute to the designation of a truant. 

Habitual Truant Education Code 48262

Any pupil is deemed an habitual truant who has been reported as truant three or more times per school year, provided that no pupil shall be deemed an habitual truant unless an appropriate District officer or employee has made a conscientious effort to hold at least one conference with a parent or guardian of the pupil and the pupil himself, after the filing of the reporting required by Education Code Sections 48260 and 48261. The Human Services Agency (if applicable) and law enforcement will be notified that the student is not attending school regularly. 

Chronic Absentee Education Code 48263.6 

Any pupil subject to compulsory full-time education or to compulsory continuation education who is absent from school for any reason, including illness, for 10 percent or more of the school days in one school year, from the date of enrollment to the current date, is deemed a chronic absentee. 

School Attendance Review Board Referral Education Code 48263 

If any minor pupil in any district of a county is a habitual truant, or is irregular in attendance at school or is habitually insubordinate or disorderly during attendance at school, the pupil may be referred to the Truancy Review Board and/or School Attendance Review Board (SARB).