ATTENDANCE POLICIES

Regular Attendance

Daily attendance at school is mandated by California State Law until the age of eighteen. No pupil is permitted to leave school at recess or any other time before the regular hour of closing without the approval of the school principal or designee. Violation will be considered as truancies (E.C. 48200).  All students leaving during the school day must check out through the attendance office.

Reporting a Student’s Absence

Parents at the secondary school level should send a note with their student explaining the absence on the day they return. (E.C. 46012; C.A.C. 306). To report a student absence, call 714-628-5322. Parents should call the attendance office on the day of the absence. Absences need to be cleared within two days of the absence. If an absence is not cleared within two days it will be converted to a truancy and the student will receive consequences.

Attendance at school is mandatory. In addition, no student is permitted to leave school before the regular hour of dismissal without the approval of the CHS Attendance Clerk. Students may not leave and then have their parents excuse them after the fact! Violations will be considered as truancies and detentions will be assigned. Parent notes or phone calls to excuse a student to leave early must be received in the morning prior to the beginning of school. Students who need to leave prior to the end of school must bring a note or have their parent call the attendance prior to the start of school. Students will be issued an “off campus pass” to verify they have permission to leave school. Students who leave without authorization will be assigned four hours of detention on the first offense (Board Policy 5113C, E.C. 48200). Calling after the student leaves campus will excuse the absence, but will not eliminate the detentions assigned for leaving campus without an “off campus pass”.

An explanation from a parent or guardian is required, either in person, by written note or a parent phone call to the Attendance Office (714-628-5322) whenever a student is absent for all or part of the school day (C.A.C. Title V Section 306).

Excused Absences

E.C. 48205: (a) notwithstanding Section 48200, a pupil shall be excused from school when the absence is (1) Due to his or her illness; (2) Due to quarantine under the direction of a county or city health officer; (3) For the purpose of having medical, dental, optical, or chiropractic services rendered; (4) For the purpose of attending the funeral services of a member of his or her immediate family, so long as the absence is not more than one day if the service is conducted outside California; (5) For the purpose of jury duty in the manner provide for by law; (6) Due to illness or medical appointment during school hours of a child whom the pupil is the custodial parent; (7) For justifiable personal reasons, including, but not limited to, an appearance in court, attendance at a funeral service, observance of a holiday or ceremony of his or her religion, attendance at religious retreats, or attendance at an employment conference, when the pupil’s absence has been requested in writing by the parent or guardian and approved by the principal or designated representative pursuant to uniform standards established by the board.
An unexcused absence is an absence that occurs with or without the knowledge and approval of the parent or guardian when there has been no prearranged agreement with the school administration.

Truancy

Any student, subject to full time education, or to compulsory continuing education, who is absent from school without a valid excuse for more than three days or tardy in excess of 30 minutes on each of more than three days in one school year is deemed by the State to be a habitual truant and shall be reported to the attendance officer or the superintendent of the school district (E.C. 48260). This will cause them to be labeled as a habitual truant.