Reporting an Absence
All absences must be reported to the school Attendance Line or email, even if it does not meet the requirements for an excused absence. When leaving a message or sending an email, the parent/guardian should include:
- Student’s full name (spell the last name) and grade
- Reason for the absence (failure to provide reason results in absence marked as Unexcused)
- Date(s) of the absence(s)
- Parent/guardian name and relationship to the student
METHODS OF VERIFICATION FOR REPORTING ABSENCES
The following methods may be used to report or verify student absences:
- Phone call, or email from the parent/guardian. A signed written note from parent/guardian is also acceptable.
- Conversation, in person or by telephone, between the verifying employee and the student's parent/guardian. Voicemail on the attendance line is also acceptable.
- Visit to the student's home by the verifying employee, or any other reasonable method which establishes the fact that the student was absent for the reasons stated.
- Physician's verification.
- When excusing students for confidential medical services or verifying such appointments, district staff shall not ask the purpose of such appointments but may contact a medical office to confirm the time of the appointment.
- When a student has accumulated 10 full-day excused, scattered absences in the school year as verified by methods listed in #1-3 above, subsequent full or partial day absences for illness or physician’s appointment shall require physician’s verification or to be excused by method of the district's chronic illness form.
FULL DAY ABSENCES
Parents/guardians must contact the school Attendance Office/Line to report the student’s absence, providing the information listed above (Reporting an Absence). All absences must be reported within two (2) school days of the student’s return to school or the absence will be marked as a CUT.
PARTIAL DAY ABSENCES
ARRIVING LATE
Students arriving late must have a parent/guardian contact the attendance line prior to the student arriving at school, giving the same information as above (Reporting an Absence) as well as the approximate time of arrival. Students must always be signed in at the front office upon arrival before going to class.
Students whose late arrival results in missing one or more entire period(s) must have a parent/guardian call the attendance line to clear the absence within two (2) days or it will be changed to a CUT.
LEAVING EARLY
For students who need to leave class early, parents/guardians need to call the attendance line before 9:00 a.m. Please give the same information as listed above (Reporting an Absence) as well as the time the student will be leaving campus.
TARDY POLICY
Punctuality is a life-long skill which is stressed at John Baldwin Elementary School. Students are expected to be at school on time each day. If a student is late, for any reason, they must go to the office to get an Admission Slip before proceeding to class. A tardy will be excused when a valid reason is provided (illness, medical appointment, or other excuses listed below). A tardy will be considered unexcused if a student arrives late and a valid reason is not provided. Parents/guardians will be contacted via letter after a student has accrued 12 tardies. A student who is tardy for more than a 30-minute period during the school day without a valid excuse on three occasions in one school year is considered truant.
EXCUSED ABSENCES DEFINED
A student's absence shall be excused for the following reasons as outlined by California Ed Code 48205: (See AR 5113 for additional details)
- Student illness
- Medical, dental, optometrical, or chiropractic appointment
- Attendance at funeral services for a member of the immediate family
- Observation of a holiday or ceremony of the student’s religion
- Attendance at religious retreats not to exceed four hours per semester
- Appearance in court
- Jury duty
- Attendance at an employment conference
- Attendance at an educational conference on the legislative or judicial process offered by a nonprofit organization
- Service as a member of a precinct board for an election pursuant to Elections Code 12302
- Participation in religious exercises or to receive moral and religious instruction in accordance with district policy
EXCESSIVE EXCUSED ABSENCES
BP/AR 5113 Absences and Excuses
BP/AR 5113.1 Chronic Absence and Truancy
An administrator or designee may call a parent conference for each student when the student has accumulated ten (10) full-day excused, scattered absences during the school year. After the 10th full-day excused absence, a doctor’s note will be required for each subsequent full or partial day absence for illness or physician’s appointment to mark the absence as excused. We encourage students who are experiencing ongoing health issues that impact regular attendance to reach out to the school nurse or counselor for additional support.
MAKE-UP WORK FOR LEGALLY EXCUSED ABSENCES
When a student is absent for a legitimately excused or a justifiable personal excused absence, that student shall be allowed to complete all assignments and tests missed during the absence that can be reasonably provided. Upon satisfactory completion within a reasonable period of time, the student shall be given full credit for assignments and tests completed. The teacher shall determine what tests and assignments shall be reasonably equivalent to, but not necessarily identical to, the tests and assignments that the pupil missed during the absence. (Education Code 48205)
TRUANCY AND THE SCHOOL ATTENDANCE REVIEW BOARD (SARB)
Students meeting the definition for truancy begin the truancy process outlined in SRVUSD Board Policy AR 5113.1. Education Code section 48260 provides a definition for truancy:
- A student who is absent from school without a valid excuse three full days in one school year
- A student who is tardy or absent for more than a 30-minute period during the school day without a valid excuse on three occasions in one school year
- Any combination of these (SRVUSD Infinite Campus attendance codes triggering truancy are: CUT, UNX, VTY, EDT)
Steps in the Truancy Process:
- First notification letter is sent home by the school site notifying parent/guardian of the incidents of truancy.
- Second notification letter is sent home by the school site notifying parent/guardian of additional incidents of truancy. The school site may contact the parent/guardian to attend a required Student Attendance Review Team (SART) or Attendance Intervention meeting at the school to discuss concerns and collaboratively develop a plan to improve attendance. A follow-up meeting may also be scheduled to evaluate how the plan is working and make adjustments as needed.
- Third notification letter is sent home by the school site notifying parent/guardian of further incidents of truancy and that the school site may be making a referral to the District SARB panel.
- Certified letter is sent by the District SARB Coordinator indicating the date, time, and location of the SARB Hearing. Parents/Guardian and student are required to attend.
- Student is referred to Juvenile Court.
The School Attendance Review Board (SARB) process was created by the State Legislature in Education Code section 48320, et seq. to promote and support the coordination of school, community, and home efforts to deal with student attendance and behavior problems. The SARB panel maximizes the use of all available resources and services, avoiding unnecessary duplication of resources to resolve attendance and behavior problems, and diverting students with school related problems from the juvenile justice system.
For more detailed information related to truancy and our district’s policies related to truancy, SART and SARB, please visit the district website.
