ATTENDANCE POLICIES
Regular school attendance plays an important role in your child’s school success. A note or phone call to the office from parent or legal guardian is required for each absence, whether due to illness or non-illness. A child who is absent with a communicable disease will need readmittance by a private doctor or the Health Department. Surgery, casts, stitches, orthopedic appliances and hospitalization require written clearance from a doctor.
The SVUSD attendance policy (Board Policy 5110) and state law (Education Code 48200, 48450, and 48260a) requires parents/guardians to send students aged 6 to 18 years to school regularly and on time, and to provide an explanation satisfactory to school personnel for all absences. Parents/Guardians who fail to meet these obligations may be subject to referral to the Student Attendance Review Board (SARB) and subject to prosecution (Education Code 48454 and Penal Code 272).
Both California and school district policies state that absences for the following reasons can be excused: student illness, student medical appointment, student attending a funeral for a close family member, or court appearance. Absences for family vacation cannot be excused and will be recorded as truant. Teachers are not required to provide make-up work or allow students to take tests missed due to unexcused/truant absences.
Student absences not verified by a note with parent signature or phone call to the office will be recorded as a truancy. Notes for absence need to contain the child’s full name, the date(s) of the absence, the reason for the absence and be signed by a parent or legal guardian, with the relationship to the child indicated. Example:
Dear Mrs. Smith,
Johnny Jones was absent on 9/20 & 9/21/07 with the flu.
Sarah Jones, mother
Parents have five days to clear an absence. Any uncleared absence will go down as unexcused absence.
All students who arrive to the classroom after the 8:00 a.m. bell must be issued a Tardy Slip. State law and district policies require that school sites keep accurate attendance records. Please discuss with your child the importance of being at school on time each day.
Please call the office (805) 520-6740 or email julie.killian@simivalleyusd.org