Attendance Counts!
Student success starts with good attendance and is the responsibility of the student, family, and school. School attendance is one of the most reliable predictors of student success. Regular attendance has been linked to higher achievement, stronger bonds to the school and community, lower rates of delinquent and high-risk behavior, and increased participation in higher education.
Parents and caregivers can help their children be successful by encouraging regular attendance.
We ask that you support our efforts in in the following ways:
- Ensure students arrive at school and class on time.
- Plan family vacations during non-school days and summer break.
- Try to schedule doctor appointments for your child after school hours.
- Bring your child to school before and after appointments that are scheduled during the school day.
- Only allow your child to stay home when he/she has a contagious illness or is too sick to attend school.
When should you keep your child home?
Students should not come to school if they are running a fever, vomiting, have diarrhea or an unexplained rash.
Did you know?
A pupil who is absent from school or tardy more than 30 minutes without a valid excuse three days in one school year is considered truant.
Chronic absence means your child has missed 10% or more of the school year for any reason to date. Missing just two days a month adds up to missing ten percent of the school year.
When your child is absent, you have 3 days to excuse the absence. After 3 days, the absence becomes an unexcused absence. If your child is too ill to attend school, be sure to call your child’s school every day of the absence.
After fourteen days of an excused absence, you will be required to provide a doctor’s note to the school for every excused absence after that point.
What is the difference between an excused and an unexcused absence?
Under state law, an absence is considered “excused” only for these reasons:
- student illness
- death in the student’s immediate family (one day is excused if funeral is conducted in California, and three days are excused if service is conducted outside California)
- for purpose of having medical, dental, vision or chiropractic services rendered
- observation of a religious holiday or ceremony
- court appearance (documentation must be provided and have the student’s name on it)
All other reasons for absences are considered inexcusable by California state law. If you have a special circumstance and are unsure whether it will be excused, please talk to your school’s principal for clarification.
Calaveras Unified Attendance Recognition
The Attendance Champion banner rotates each month to the school with the highest attendance rate, but may also rotate to schools with most improved attendance. At the end of the school year, a school is declared the overall champion. Looking forward to seeing where the banner will travel to next!
2018-19: Valley Springs Elementary
2019-20: Calaveras High School
2020-21: Sierra Hills Education Center
2021-22: Sierra Hills Education Center
2022-23: Jenny Lind Elementary
CUSD Multi-year Attendance Data
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1drKr6kvveh8HaXl6g56BcOQa8iQ9S68lh_0WmskdZWc/edit?usp=sharing
More Information
School Attendance Review Board (SARB)
https://www.ccoe.k12.ca.us/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=1093577&type=d&pREC_ID=1378334
CA Department of Education Truancy Information
https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/ai/tr/index.asp
Links to board policy:
http://www.calaveras.k12.ca.us/bp/policy/5000series/AR5113.pdf
http://www.calaveras.k12.ca.us/bp/policy/5000Series/AR5113.1.pdf
If you have questions about attendance or SARB, please contact:
René Malamed, Ed.D
Child Welfare & Attendance Officer
[email protected]
209.754.2124