Attendance & Absences
ATTENDANCE: SHOWING UP MATTERS
Attendance Secretary: Allison Eacret
School attendance is the law! California Education Code (Ed Code) section 48200, requires that every child 6 to 18 years old must attend school every day and on time, unless there is an acceptable reason (defined by Ed Code) for the absence. Acceptable reasons for excused absences include, but are not limited to, illness, medical appointments, and attendance at family funeral services. Unexcused absences include non-bereavement travel (such as for pleasure, business, visa renewal, etc.), attending sporting events or concerts, babysitting, accompanying parents/older siblings on travel, and more.
Parents/guardians are responsible for their child's school attendance and must notify the school when their child is not in school and include the reason, regardless of whether it is excused or unexcused.
TRUANCY
Ed Code states that a student is truant if that student:
- Is absent from school without an Ed Code-valid excuse three full days in one school year; or
- Is tardy or absent for more than a 30-minute period during the school day without an Ed Code-valid excuse on three occasions in one school year;
or any combination thereof (Ed Code, 48260(a)). Ed Code requires public schools to send parents notifications of truancy in writing. This notification is meant to promote communication between the home and the school. Parents are always encouraged to contact the school site when questions of school attendance arise.
CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM
Chronic absenteeism is when students have missed 10% or more of the school year. In this case, ALL absences are counted: excused, unexcused & suspensions.
For the safety and protection of all, students should not attend school and may be sent home for any symptom listed below:
- Temperature of 100 degrees or above and not feeling well
- Students should be fever-free, without the use of medication, for 24 hours before returning to school
- Diarrhea or Nausea accompanied by vomiting
- Students experiencing diarrhea or severe nausea and/or vomiting, must be kept at home for 48 hours after they no longer have symptoms
- Pain that does not subside after approximately 15 to 20 minutes rest
- Appears ill, even though symptoms are vague
- Any combination of cold symptoms with fever or if a student is too lethargic to participate in school.
- Flu symptoms: aching accompanied by fever
- Conjunctivitis (redness of eyes) with tearing or discharge
- Severe or worsening earache
- Severe toothache
- Unknown rash
- A note may be required verifying whether the rash is contagious or not
For contagious disease, students will need a doctor’s note verifying they can come back to school:
- All absences due to the contagious disease will be marked as “Illness” and be excused
For families who call in for an illness that is NOT a contagious disease:
- 3 or more days absent will require a doctor’s note
- If a doctor’s note, proof of video conference with doctor, is not submitted, the absence will be changed from Illness to Unexcused
If a student is at school with any of these symptoms, a parent/guardian will be called to pick up the student. Protocols for illness and outbreaks may change based on directions from the Public Health Department. Under certain circumstances, parents may be asked to consult a physician and provide a written note from that physician indicating that the student may return to school.
Thank you for helping keep our community safe and healthy!
