Attendance Policies
ATTENDANCE POLICIES
ATTENDANCE POLICIES
ATTENDANCE POLICIES
The most important factor in student academic success is classroom attendance. Students must be in school every day, on time, and ready to learn.
Legal Requirements & Truancy Guidelines
Under California law, parents/guardians are legally responsible for ensuring their children attend school regularly.
- Lates (29 minutes or less): Arriving late by 29 minutes or less is logged as a late arrival.
- Tardies (30+ minutes): Being late or absent for more than 30 minutes without a valid excuse counts as a late-tardy/unexcused absence.
- Truancies: A student is classified as truant if they have:
- 3 full-day unexcused absences in a school year, OR
- 3 unexcused tardies/absences of more than 30 minutes.
- Chronic Truancy: Missing 10% or more of total school days in a single year without a valid excuse results in a chronic truant classification.
If attendance concerns arise, a School Attendance Review Team (SART) meeting will be scheduled with the family to discuss support options.
Clearing Absences
Families have 5 school days to clear an absence. You can verify an absence using any of the following methods:
- A written note from a parent, guardian, or parent representative
- A direct phone call or conversation between a parent/guardian and a school staff member
- A home visit by a school or district employee
- Official medical verification for appointments or illness
Note on Frequent Illness: Once a student reaches 10 total absences in a school year due to illness, doctor appointments, or quarantine, all future medical absences must be verified by a licensed medical practitioner.
Leaving Campus Early
If a student needs to leave campus during the school day, they must be checked out through the main office.
- Only a parent, legal guardian, or an authorized individual listed on the student’s emergency contact list may check them out.
- The person picking up the student must present a valid photo ID.
Extended Absences & Missed Work
If a student is going to be absent, students and families should log into the student's Chromebook to check posted assignments and reach out directly to their teachers for any missed work.
-
Out-of-Country Travel: If a student will be traveling out of the country during an absence, please notify the school office in advance so we can contact IT to configure international access for their Chromebook and Google Classroom.
- Absences Over 30 Days: If a student is out of town for longer than 30 consecutive days, the student will be disenrolled and must undergo the re-enrollment process upon returning.
Tardy Policy & Interventions
A student is marked late anytime they do not make it to class by the starting bell. Tardies represent missed instructional time and can affect student success.
To encourage prompt attendance, the school uses progressive interventions for tardies:
- Interventions include: Behavior reflection, parent meetings, and referral to the School Attendance Review Board (SARB).
- Making Up Tardies: Students can clear tardies by attending detention and/or Saturday School (WIN).
- Phone Calls Home: To support students in getting to class on time, students will call home for each period they are late during the first two weeks of school (this policy may also be used if tardies become a larger issue later in the year).
Parents will be notified via ParentSquare / Aeries Portal whenever tardy policies or updates change.
