VERIFICATION OF STUDENT ABSENCES

BOARD POLICY - 5113

Absences And Excuses

The Governing Board believes that regular attendance plays an important role in student achievement. The Board shall work with parents/guardians and students to ensure their compliance with all state attendance laws, and may use appropriate legal means to correct problems of chronic absence or truancy.

Excused Absences

Absence from school shall be excused due to the student’s health reasons, including an absence for the benefit of the student’s physical, mental, or behavioral health, as well as family emergencies, and justifiable personal reasons, as permitted by law, Board policy, and administrative regulations. (Education Code 48205)

Inasmuch as class participation is an integral part of students' learning experiences, parents/guardians and students shall be encouraged to schedule medical appointments during nonschool hours.

At the beginning of each school year, the Superintendent or designee shall send a notification to the parents/guardians of all students, and to all students in grades 7-12, informing them that school authorities may excuse any student from school to obtain confidential medical services without the consent of the student's parent/guardian. (Education Code 46010.1)

Students shall not be absent from school without their parents/guardians' knowledge or consent except in cases of medical emergency or confidential medical appointment.

Student absence for religious instruction or participation in religious exercises away from school property may be considered excused subject to law and administrative regulations. (Education Code 46014)

Effect of Absence on Grades/Credits

If a student's absence is excused under Education Code 48205, he/she shall be allowed to complete any missed assignment or test that can be reasonably given, as determined by the teacher of that class. The student shall be given full credit for the assignment or test if he/she satisfactorily completes the assignment or test within a reasonable period of time. (Education Code 48205)

A student's grades may be affected by excessive unexcused absences in accordance with Board policy.

Legal Reference:

EDUCATION CODE:

1740 Employment of personnel to supervise attendance (county superintendent)
2550-2558.6 Computation of revenue limits
37201 School month
37223 Weekend classes
41601 Reports of average daily attendance
42238-42250.1 Apportionment
46000 Records (attendance)
46010-46014 Absences
46100-46119 Attendance in kindergarten and elementary schools
46140-46147 Attendance in junior high and high schools
48200-48208 Children ages 6-18 (compulsory full-time attendance)
48210-48216 Exclusions from attendance
48240-48246 Supervisors of attendance
48260-48273 Truants
48292 Filing complaint against parent
48320-48324 School attendance review boards
48340-48341 Improvement of student attendance
49067 Unexcused absences as cause of failing grade
49701 Provisions of the interstate compact on educational opportunities for military children

ELECTIONS CODE:

12302 Student participation on precinct boards FAMILY CODE
6920-6929 Consent by minor VEHICLE CODE 1
3202.7 Driving privileges; minors; suspension or delay for habitual truancy

WELFARE AND INSTITUTIONS CODE:

601-601.4 Habitually truant minors
11253.5 Compulsory school attendance

CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 5:

306 Explanation of absence
420-421 Record of verification of absence due to illness and other causes

ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINIONS:

87 Ops.Cal.Atty.Gen.
168 (2004) 66 Ops.Cal.Atty.Gen.
244 (1983)

COURT DECISIONS:

American Academy of Pediatrics et al v. Lungren et al (1997) 16 Cal.4th 307 Management Resources:

CSBA PUBLICATIONS:

Improving Student Achievement by Addressing Chronic Absence, Policy Brief, December 2010 WEB SITES CSBA: http://www.csba.org (2/98 11/99) 11/11

Policy Adopted: October 24, 1973
Policy Revised: August 21, 2012
Policy Revised: December 14, 2021

Administrative Regulation