COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE LAW

 

It is a known fact that missing just 10% of a school year in the early grades can leave students behind and struggling academically. By 6th grade, missing that much school is strongly linked to course failure and even to dropping out of high school. School attendance is essential to academic success. We urge you to make sure your child gets to school every day.

CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM (EDUCATION CODE 60901)

 A student is considered a chronic absentee when he/she is absent on 10% or more of the school days in one school year, from the date of enrollment to the current date. Chronic absenteeism includes all absences – excused and unexcused – and is an important measure because excessive absences negatively impact academic achievement and student engagement.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITY OF PARENTS (EDUCATION CODE 48200, 48204, 46015, 48205)

Parents are responsible under the law to compel the attendance at school of their students who are between the ages of 6 and 18 unless otherwise exempt. Serious illness, medical or dental services, or funerals for immediate family members are excused upon presentation of explanation and other requested evidence. In case of emergency the parents should obtain permission for the student’s absence in advance. Reasons for all absences from school must be verified by school personnel, a medical doctor, a school nurse, or a member of the Child Welfare and Attendance department staff. Parents are responsible for explaining the reasons for a student absence and providing other such evidence as necessary for the verification of reasons for a student’s absence from school. Failure to compel a student’s attendance is an infraction of State law.

Alvord Unified School District urges parents to make sure their children attend school regularly and to make every attempt to schedule medical and other appointments after school or during school holidays. The District also asks that vacation or other absences be avoided during the time school is in session. The higher the District’s daily attendance rate, the more students learn and the greater amount of funding that the District will receive from the State for classroom instruction and academic programs.

The school calendar is designed to minimize problems for families planning vacations around traditional holiday periods, and thereby minimize student absences. When students who have been absent return to school, they shall present satisfactory documentation/explanation verifying the reason for the absence (i.e. written note or conversation in person or by telephone to their school office). Doctor and dental appointments are considered excused absences with proper documentation. Absences without proper documentation/explanation will be recorded as unexcused.

TARDINESS                                                

Students are expected to be at school on time. Under State law, frequent tardies (greater than thirty minutes) without a valid excuse, may be considered truancy.

TRUANCY DEFINITIONS (EDUCATION CODE 48260, 48261, 48262.6 and 48263.6)

Any student, subject to full time education, who is absent from school without a valid excuse three full days in one school year or tardy more than 30 minutes during the school day without a valid excuse on three occasions in one school year, or any combination thereof, is truant and shall be reported to the attendance supervisor or to the superintendent of the school district. After a student has been reported as truant three or more times in a school year and the district has made a conscientious effort to meet with the family, the student is considered an habitual truant.

A student who is absent from school without a valid excuse for 10% or more of the schooldays in one school year, from the date of enrollment to the current date, is considered chronic truant. Chronic absenteeism includes all absences – excused and unexcused – and is an important measure because excessive absences negatively impact academic achievement and student engagement. Unexcused absences are all absences that do not fall within Education Code 48205. A student who is an habitual truant may be referred to the School Attendance Review Board (SARB).

EXCUSED ABSENCE (EDUCATION CODE 46014, 48205, 48980, 449701)

(a) Notwithstanding Section 48200, a student shall be excused from school when the absence is:

(1) Due to his or her illness

(2) Due to quarantine under the direction of a county or city health officer

(3) For the purpose of having medical, dental, optometric, or chiropractic services rendered

(4) For the purpose of attending the funeral services of a member of his or her immediate family, so long as the absence is not more than one day if the service is conducted in California; and, not more than three days if the service is conducted outside California

(5) For the purpose of jury duty in the manner provided for by law

(6) Due to the illness or medical appointment during school hours of a child of whom the student is the custodial parent

(7) For justifiable personal reasons, including, but not limited to, an appearance in court, attendance at a funeral service, observance of a holiday or ceremony of his or her religion, attendance at religious retreats, or attendance at an employment conference, or attendance at an educational conference on the legislative or judicial process offered by a nonprofit organization when the student’s absence is requested in writing by the parent or guardian and approved by the principal or a designated representative pursuant to uniform standards established by the governing board

(8) For the purpose of serving as a member of a precinct board for an election pursuant to Section 12302 of the Elections Code

(b) A student absent from school under this section shall be allowed to complete all assignments and tests missed during the absence that can be reasonably provided and, upon satisfactory completion within a reasonable period of time, shall be given full credit therefore. The teacher of the class from which a student is absent shall determine which tests and assignments shall be reasonably equivalent to, but not necessarily identical to, the tests and assignments that the student missed during the absence.

(c) For purposes of this section, attendance at religious retreats shall not exceed four hours per semester and the student shall attend at least the minimum school day.

(d) Absences pursuant to this section are deemed to be absences in computing average daily attendance and shall not generate state apportionment payments.

(e) “Immediate family,” as used in this section, 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.