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Absence/Attendance

 

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RECORDING ATTENDANCE IS THE LAW.

PLEASE REMEMBER AND RESPECT THAT OUR OFFICE STAFF IS THE MESSENGER, AND SCHOOL ATTENDANCE IS A LEGAL REQUIREMENT.

It is mandatory that you report all absences on a daily basis regardless of the reason. 

ABSENCES MUST BE CLEARED WITHIN 72 HOURS OR THE ABSENCE TURNS INTO UNEXCUSED.     

Parents, please email sesattendance@lvusd.org to report your child's absence.

Please include:

  • your child's name
  • teacher's name
  • date(s) of the absence 
  • reason for the absence

ADDITIONALLY,

  • If your child is returning from a communicable disease, such as chickenpox, please see the school health clerk.
  • Students with lice should also check in with the health office before returning to class. They must be accompanied by a parent to be readmitted to school.
  • If you plan to take your child out of school for five or more days for any reason, please send a letter in advance to your child's teacher.  Independent Study contracts need to be approved by your child's teacher and the Principal.

  The law requires your student to attend school. It is not a district or school policy, it is the law. Public education is compulsory. Family vacations should coincide with the School District's recess days. If your child misses more than three days without a valid excuse (illness), you may receive a letter from Sumac and then, possibly, the School Attendance Review Board (SARB) about truancy. Tardiness is also tracked. If an absence or tardiness pattern continues, you may be required to attend a SARB meeting with the Los Angeles County District Attorney. We must take school attendance very seriously.  The school district calendar can be found on the  LVUSD website.
Feel free to contact the front office for additional information. 

Please allow 24 hours for the absence to be cleared.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the office. Thank you!

STUDENT/PARENT RESPONSIBILITIES AND GUIDELINES REGARDING ATTENDANCE

EXCUSED ABSENCES FROM COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE

Education Code Section 48205 permits a pupil to be excused from school under certain circumstances.

  • Illness
  • Medical, dental, optometry, chiropractic services
  • Quarantine
  • Funeral of immediate family, limited to one day in State, three days out of State.
  • Court Appearance*
  • Illness of custodial child*
  • Religious holiday or ceremony*
  • Religious retreats limited to 4 hours per semester*
  • Employment conferences*
  • Other reasons pursuant to board policy*
  • *Must be requested in writing by parent/guardian and approved by an administrator prior to the absence.
  • *All absences MUST be cleared within 72 hours (AR 5113).
LVUSD PHILOSOPHY

The primary responsibility of the student is to be in class to maximize his/her opportunities for success. Excessive tardiness and absences have a direct correlation to poor student performance and are detrimental to the learning environment. Parents, students, teachers, and administrators all have a shared responsibility to ensure that quality education is a priority. Las Virgenes Unified School District's attendance policy is directed toward achieving that goal.

Full-Day Absences:

A student can clear an absence by:

  • Have a parent or guardian call the school to report the full-day absence within 72 hours*. Please include your student's name, date(s) of absence, and the reason for the absence when you call. If the absence is one that needed to be pre-approved (see list below) please bring a copy of the signed/approved form.
  • Upon his/her return, the student can bring a note to school signed by the parent, clearing the absence. Students returning to school after an absence with a note from a parent/guardian can drop off the note at the Attendance Office for verification. Please include your student's name, date(s) of absence, and the reason for the absence in the note.

All absences* must be cleared within 72 hours or the absences will be considered truant absences (unexcused) and assignments may not be made up for credit. Parents will be notified by phone and/or mail regarding unverified or unexcused absences.

Students are deemed truant(in violation of compulsory attendance law) if they have three or more unexcused absences and/or tardies (30 minutes or more in duration)within one school year. (Education Code Section 48260)

Part Day Absences:
  • Students leaving campus for any reason throughout the normal school day must check out in advance through the Attendance Office.
  • A student may check out during the day if they have a note signed by the parent stating the reason for leaving and the time required to check out. The note must have a parent's signature and a phone number to verify the reason. If the student is leaving for medical reasons (i.e. doctor, dentist, etc.), the note must have the doctor's name. The medical absence must have a stamp from the doctor's office with the date for the absence to be excused.
  • Students should bring a note from their parents to the Attendance Office first thing in the morning before going to class. Students must sign out before leaving campus.
  • Students must sign in at the Attendance Office when they return to campus.
  • Students leaving campus for any reason and not checking out through the Attendance or Health Office will be considered truant for that particular day. A parent phone call will NOT clear a truant or unverified absence when a student has left campus without authorization.
Students Arriving Late to School:

All students must sign in (signature and arrival time) at the Attendance Office before going to class. A note signed by a parent/guardian or a phone call must be received within 72 hours in order to clear the absence*. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to notify the school within 72 hours of an absence* by either a telephone call or a note to the Attendance Office.

Tardiness:

It is the responsibility of the student to be on time for all classes.

EC Section 48260 (a): Any pupil subject to compulsory full-time education or compulsory continuation education who is absent from school without a valid excuse (EC48205) three full days or tardy or absent more than any 30-minute period during the school day without a valid excuse on three occasions in one school year, or any combination thereof, is a truant and shall be reported to the attendance supervisor or the Superintendent of the school district.

Truancies:

A student is truant when absent from school or a class without permission of the school or parent If a parent removes a student from class for any other reason other than those legal reasons stated above, the student will be truant per EC Section 48260(a).

Discipline for habitually tardy elementary students will be addressed by the Principal or his designee.

Students may not leave school without being checked out in advance by the Attendance or Health Office.

Unexcused absences:

All unexcused tardies and absences will be dealt with in the same manner as truancy. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to notify the school within 72 hours (AR5113) of an absence by either a telephone call or a note to the Attendance Office. Absent students are not permitted on campus to attend a class, take a test or turn in paper/homework. Absent students who are seen on campus are considered truant.

Absences, excused:

Illness normally will be excused with parent verification. Verification of an appointment by the doctor or dentist (i.e., doctor's stamp, receipt, etc., but NOT a doctor's signature) must be presented when the student returns to school. Full credit in the class will be given upon completion of make-up work or tests. The time limit for make-up work is one day for every day absent plus one day after returning from an absence. After 15 illness absences families will be asked for a doctor's note or they will have to check in with the Health Clerk to determine if the symptoms qualify for excusal. 

Absences, Excused (not ill): ED Code 48205

Absences due to death* in the family, religious observances*, court appearances*, illness of custodial child*, religious retreat* (4 hours per semester only), employment conference, or other reasons pursuant to board policy MUST have prior approval from an administrator. The notice must be received no later than two weeks before the absence begins. Full credit will be given upon completion of make-up work or tests. The time limit for make-up work is one day for every day absent plus one day after returning from an absence.
 
* Download the Request for Absence pre-approval form.

TRAVELING/EXTENDED ABSENCES

There are two types of extended absences of which parents/guardians need to be aware; both require action to be taken prior to the absence.

1. Request for Pre-approval form is required for an absence of 1-4 days that fall outside the general reasons (illness, doctor's appointment, funeral, etc.) for absences. This form is available here. Please fill this form out and turn the form into the office for principal and teacher approval.

2. Short Term Independent Study may be granted for an extended absence of three days or more.  Parents should contact the Principal's Office several weeks prior to the absence.  A Short Term Independent Study Agreement will be completed, then submitted for approval from the Principal. If approved, the office will notify the teachers, who will provide work to the student to be done during the extended absence.

Illness or Injury During School:

A student who feels too ill to continue school must obtain a pass from their teacher to report to the Health Office. Failure to report back to class or the Heath Office will be considered truancy unless the student has received permission to go home.

Make-up Procedure:

Students shall "make-up" assignments and tests during the time allotted by the make-up procedure. Students will have only one opportunity to do so unless extreme circumstances, as verified by the Attendance Office, cause further absence on the "make-up" deadline date. Make-up work shall be reasonably equivalent to, but not necessarily identical to, the work missed during the excused absence. Students must initiate the process.

Off-campus Passes:

Requests by a parent for a student to visit a doctor, dentist, or other appointments should be made prior to the appointment time. The student must bring a note, stating the time it will be necessary for him/her to leave, to the Attendance Office. The note must be submitted to the Attendance Office before school or during lunch. When returning from the appointment, verification from the doctor/dentist (doctor's stamp or receipt but not a doctor's signature) will be required.
*Prior approval of these absences must be requested in writing by a parent/guardian and approved by an administrator.

Change of Address/Telephone Number

In order to process an address change, you must provide the counseling office or attendance clerk with a copy of a current utility bill (gas, electric, or water.) Telephone number changes must also be requested in writing from a parent only.