Attendance Policy

If your child is going to absent, please call the absence line at 760-331-6270. Leave a message stating the student’s name, date(s) of absence, reason for absence, teacher and grade, and your relationship to the student. If you know of any upcoming trips or if your student will be absent for an extended period, please notify the front office in advance. A doctor's note may be required to excuse excessive absences or check-outs due to illness or medical appts.

Absences

The regular school attendance of any child is very important. Regular daily attendance increases his/her opportunities for educational success. Daily automated phone calls and/or emails are generated to verify absences when we do not hear from parents/guardians. We encourage parents to assist us in the educational process by scheduling vacations based on the district’s calendar. 

Absences may be deemed excused only for the following reasons:

➢ personal illness

➢ quarantine under the direction of a health officer

➢ personal medical appointment

➢ 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.

➢ service on jury duty 

➢ exclusion from attendance for medical reasons

➢ personal court appearance

➢ observance of a religious holiday or for religious education

➢ attendance at an employment conference.

Absences must be supported by appropriate documentation or verification as specified in District Board Policy and Administrative Regulation concerning excused absences. For example, a physician’s note will be required when the absence is medically related. Other forms of documentation may be required depending upon the nature of the absence. Upon returning to school from a medical appointment, students should submit to the office a note from the doctor or dentist​. However, we do encourage the scheduling of such appointments after school hours whenever possible. 

Leaving School During The Day 

Parents/guardians must first go to the school office and obtain permission for the child to leave the grounds during the school day and sign out their child. If not known personally to the staff, the adult will be asked for identification and the parent will be contacted. Children will not be released during school hours to anyone not listed on the emergency card. For the welfare and protection of your child, your cooperation in the above procedure is necessary. We encourage parents to assist us in the educational process by scheduling vacations based on the district’s calendar. 

Truancy

After any combination of 3 Unexcused absences, tardies exceeding 30 minutes, or check-outs exceeding 30 minutes, a student is considered truant and will receive a letter from the district. Please reference CA Ed Code 48205 for a list of Excused Absences. If your student is absent for medical or dental appointments, please submit a note from the Medical provider to the Front Office. If a student has excessive absences due to illness, a doctor's note or evaluation from the school health technician may be required to clear any further absences.

Consequences of Truancy: 

When a student has been absent from school without a valid excuse for three (3) full days in one school year, or tardy for more than any thirty (30) minute period during the school day without a valid excuse on three (3) occasions, or any combination thereof, the student is considered to be truant. Upon a pupil’s initial classification as truant, the School will notify the pupil’s parent or guardian, by first class mail or other reasonable means, of the following:

➢ the pupil is truant.

➢ a parent/guardian is obligated to compel school attendance of the pupil.

➢ a parent/guardian may be subject to prosecution for failure to compel attendance of a pupil.

➢ a parent/guardian has the right to meet with appropriate school personnel to discuss solutions to the pupil’s truancy.

➢ the pupil may be subject to prosecution.

➢ the pupil may be subject to suspension, restriction, or delay of his or her driving privileges.

➢ that it may be recommended that the parent/guardian accompany the pupil to school and attend classes with the pupil for one day.

Any pupil who has once been reported as truant and who is again absent or tardy from school without valid excuse on one or more days shall again be reported truant. Any pupil who has been reported as a truant three or more times per school year (five or more occurrences of unexcused absences or tardies or combination of both for one or more days) is deemed a habitual truant. Habitual truancy may result in all of the following:

➢ Parent contract for student attendance.

➢ Attendance Behavior Contract.

➢Administrator/teacher/parent/student conference.

➢ Parent accompany child at school.

➢ Detention or Saturday School.

➢ A referral to the School Attendance Review Board (“S.A.R.B.”)

➢ A referral to the Probation Department or the District Attorney.

➢ Pupil may be adjudged a ward of the court by the Juvenile Court which may subject the pupil to do required community service, pay a fine, attend a truancy prevention program, suspension or revocation of driving privileges.

Click here to see A Message to Parents and Students from our District office regarding Truancies.