Reporting Attendance
Please read below for information regarding the PRJUSD attendance policies. In order to report an absence, you can now email the attendance clerk at your school site. Listed are the attendance email addresses for each school site:
Marie Bauer [email protected]
Glen Speck [email protected]
Georgia Brown [email protected]
Pat Butler [email protected]
Kermit King [email protected]
Virginia Peterson [email protected]
Winifred Pifer [email protected]
Flamson Middle [email protected]
Lewis Middle [email protected]
Liberty High [email protected]
Independence High [email protected]
PRHS [email protected]
Attendance Policies
The importance of regular school attendance is vital to your child’s success in school. Children cannot learn if they are not in school. As a result of attending school daily and on time, your student will establish a pattern that will help them become successful in all facets of their lives.
To help ensure regular and punctual student attendance, absences and tardies will be monitored frequently in accordance with Paso Robles Joint Unified School District Board policy and California Department of Education codes.
Notification of Absence
BP 5113
State Law requires the parent or guardian to notify the school of the specific reason for absence. All school absences must be verified in person, by phone, or by written note within three (3) school days. When a student has had absences due to illness or other excused reasons surpassing 10 percent (18 days) of the school year, the student must obtain verification from a physician for additional absences to be excused. Failure to provide verification within 3 school days will result in those additional absences being recorded as unexcused. Unverified absences will be entered as “unexcused” absences. In the event of an absence of more than two days, the school should be notified of the expected date the child will return to school.
Excused Absences
No pupil shall have his or her grade reduced or lose academic credit for any excused absence or absences if missed assignments and
tests that can reasonably be provided are satisfactorily completed within a reasonable period of time.
Section 48200, a pupil shall be excused from school when the absence is:
1. Due to the pupil’s illness, including an absence for the benefit of the pupil’s mental or behavioral health.
2. Due to quarantine under the direction of a county or city health officer.
3. For the purpose of having medical, dental, optometry, 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 in California and not more than three days if the service is conducted outside California.
5. For the purpose of jury duty in the manner provided for by law.
6. Due to the illness or medical appointment during school hours of a child of whom the pupil is the custodial parent, including absences to care for a sick child, for which the school shall not require a note from a doctor
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 the pupil’s religion, attendance at a religious retreat, attendance at an employment conference, or attendance at an educational conference on the legislative or judicial process offered by a nonprofit organization, when the pupil’s absence is requested in writing by the parent or guardian and approved by the principal or a designated representative pursuant to uniform standards established by the governing board of the school district.
8. For the purpose of serving as a member of a precinct board for an election pursuant to Section 12302 of the Elections Code.
9. For the purpose of spending time with a member of the pupil's immediate family, who is an active-duty member of the uniformed services, as defined in EC 49701, and has been called to duty for, is on leave from, or has immediately returned from, deployment to a combat zone or combat support position. Absences granted pursuant to this paragraph shall be granted for a period of time to be determined at the discretion of the superintendent of the school district.
10. For the purpose of attending the pupil’s naturalization ceremony to become a United States citizen.
11. For the purpose of participating in a cultural ceremony or event.
12. Authorized at the discretion of a school administrator, as described in subdivision (c) of Section 48260.
BP 5113
State Law requires the parent or guardian to notify the school of the specific reason for absence. All school absences must be verified in person, by phone, or by written note within three (3) school days. When a student has had absences due to illness or other excused reasons surpassing 10 percent (18 days) of the school year, the student must obtain verification from a physician for additional absences to be excused. Failure to provide verification within 3 school days will result in those additional absences being recorded as unexcused. Unverified absences will be entered as “unexcused” absences. In the event of an absence of more than two days, the school should be notified of the expected date the child will return to school.
Excused Absences
No pupil shall have his or her grade reduced or lose academic credit for any excused absence or absences if missed assignments and
tests that can reasonably be provided are satisfactorily completed within a reasonable period of time.
Section 48200, a pupil shall be excused from school when the absence is:
1. Due to the pupil’s illness, including an absence for the benefit of the pupil’s mental or behavioral health.
2. Due to quarantine under the direction of a county or city health officer.
3. For the purpose of having medical, dental, optometry, 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 in California and not more than three days if the service is conducted outside California.
5. For the purpose of jury duty in the manner provided for by law.
6. Due to the illness or medical appointment during school hours of a child of whom the pupil is the custodial parent, including absences to care for a sick child, for which the school shall not require a note from a doctor
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 the pupil’s religion, attendance at a religious retreat, attendance at an employment conference, or attendance at an educational conference on the legislative or judicial process offered by a nonprofit organization, when the pupil’s absence is requested in writing by the parent or guardian and approved by the principal or a designated representative pursuant to uniform standards established by the governing board of the school district.
8. For the purpose of serving as a member of a precinct board for an election pursuant to Section 12302 of the Elections Code.
9. For the purpose of spending time with a member of the pupil's immediate family, who is an active-duty member of the uniformed services, as defined in EC 49701, and has been called to duty for, is on leave from, or has immediately returned from, deployment to a combat zone or combat support position. Absences granted pursuant to this paragraph shall be granted for a period of time to be determined at the discretion of the superintendent of the school district.
10. For the purpose of attending the pupil’s naturalization ceremony to become a United States citizen.
11. For the purpose of participating in a cultural ceremony or event.
12. Authorized at the discretion of a school administrator, as described in subdivision (c) of Section 48260.
A pupil absent from school under this section shall be allowed to complete all assignments and tests missed during the absence that can be reasonably provided and, upon satisfactory completion within a reasonable period of time, shall be given full credit therefore. The teacher of the class from which a pupil is absent shall determine which tests and assignments shall be reasonably equivalent to, but not necessarily identical to, the tests and assignments that the pupil missed during the absence.
For purposes of this section, attendance at religious retreats shall not exceed four hours per semester. “Cultural” means relating to the habits, practices, beliefs, and traditions of a certain group of people. “Immediate family," as used in this section, has the same meaning as that set forth in Section 45194, except those references therein to "employee" shall be deemed to be references to "pupil."
Absences pursuant to this section are deemed to be absences in computing average daily attendance and shall not generate state apportionment payments.
Attendance Recovery
Periodically throughout the school year, the school may offer opportunities for students to make up days missed due to absences. Attendance Recovery make-up classes can only be attended by students who have actually missed school, whether for excused or unexcused absences. Attendance Recovery make-up classes cannot be used or attended by students for disciplinary reasons.
You & your child may be referred to the North County SARB* if your student has 1 or more unexcused absences after the pre-SARB meeting is held.
Your phone call or note “verifies” your student’s absence; it does not necessarily “excuse” it unless the reason for the absence falls under Section 48200 “excused absence” illness or doctor’s appointment. You will be kept aware of your child’s absences by attendance letters that will be mailed home. These letters will be sent based on the combined total of any type of absence (Unexcused, Excused). Please see the chart above.
We understand that there are times when a child is ill, or there are family emergencies causing the child to be absent for an extended amount of time. In this case, either Home/Hospital instruction or Independent Study programs may be an educational option. Please contact your child’s school if you have any questions or need support with your child’s attendance.
Truancy Information
Definition of a Truant - Pursuant to Education Code Section 48260(a): Any pupil absent from school without a valid excuse for three days in one school year, 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 shall be reported as a truant.
Definition of a Habitual Truant - Pursuant to Education Code Section 48262: Any pupil has deemed a habitual truant who has been reported as a truant three or more times per school year, provided that no pupil shall be deemed a habitual truant unless an appropriate district officer or employee has made a conscientious effort to hold at least one conference with a parent or guardian of the pupil and the pupil themselves.
Definition of a Chronic Truant – Pursuant to Education Code Section 48263.6: Any pupil of six years of age or more who is in kindergarten or any of grades one to eight who is absent from school without a valid excuse for 10 percent or more of the schooldays in one school year, from the date of enrollment to the current date, is deemed a chronic truant.