Absences

Section 48205 of the Californian Education Code lists seven valid reasons for students to miss school.  Make up work is allowed only if their absence is based on one of these valid reasons:

1. Illness
2. Quarantine by health officer
3. Medical, dental or optometric appointments
4. Religious Holiday
5. School field trip or activity
6. Personal (up to three days per school year with prior administrator approval)

State Education code defines a habitual truant as any student who misses more than three days (unexcused/unverified).  Students who are habitual truants WILL BE referred to the School Attendance Review Board for consideration by the District Attorney.

Illnesses up to three days may be verified by the parent.  Illnesses of longer duration or that are chronic and cause the student to miss school frequently will require a doctor’s note.  Eighteen year old students are required to present a note from the parent/guardian for all absences. 

Procedure following an absence:

• Verification of the absence must be made within 24 hours to the attendance office.  The parent/guardian may call the attendance office at (714) 220-4175/ 4177 or send a signed note with their student to give to the attendance office. 

Procedure for leaving school early:

• Student brings a signed note from parent to attendance office before school
• Parent calls attendance office notifying school of early out request
• Student shows early out slip to appropriate teacher
• Student signs out in the attendance office before leaving campus

*A “U” (unexcused) will be placed on the student’s attendance record for medical visits until a doctor/dental note is presented.   

Students who accumulate ten unexcused absences (two weeks of instruction time) in a class may receive a failing course grade for that semester and may be removed from the class.  An unverified absence is the same as unexcused.  Teachers’ individual policies regarding make-up work after excused absences will be found in their class curriculum letter/syllabus.  Missed assignments and exams due to unexcused absences cannot be made up.  Attendance codes for unexcused absences are recorded as U (unexcused), A (absent), or T (truant).

*** Students who are truant from one to two periods will receive two hours of detention for each period.  Three or more period truancies will result in a disciplinary referral.

Tardiness

NO EXCUSES WILL BE ACCEPTED FOR FIRST PERIOD TARDINESS, except for doctor/dental notes and illness/health problem verified by school’s health technician.  Parents may not excuse students who arrive late for any reason. 

If a doctor/dental note is not presented during first period or the student verified ill/health problem by the health technician, students will be assigned a detention and sent to class.

Students who arrive late to school must:

• Sign in at the attendance office upon arrival before going to class and use their detention slip as their pass to class
• First period absences require a prior phone call or note from their parent/guardian at the time the student arrives at school (Notes and phone calls will not be accepted after the student arrives at school)

* Students who are late to school due to illness must first report to the attendance office where they may be directed to the health office for verification.

Every five UNEXCUSED tardies may result in the lowering of the student’s course grade by one full letter.