Attendance Regulations and Procedures

Authorized Absence:

1. Parents should clear any absence within 24 hours.  Absences uncleared after 24 hours may be considered a truancy. Uncleared/unverified absences or truancy will result in appropriate disciplinary action, including but not limited to Thursday or Saturday School and Detention being assigned.

2. State Law requires all students to attend school daily.  Acceptable excuses which allow work to be made up include the following:

   1. Legitimate illness

   2. Medical appointment

   3. Court appearance

   4. Bereavement

   5. School-related activity

If a student’s anticipated absence is going to last for five or more days (i.e. personal travel), the principal may authorize placing the student on Independent Study for the duration of the absence.  The parent should contact the attendance office at least five (5) days prior to the anticipated absence to complete an Independent Study Contract. All arrangements and paperwork are to be completed prior to the absence.  All coursework assigned as per the contract is to be returned to the attendance office upon the student’s return to school.

Attendance Policies

It is well established that faithful and regular attendance in school is related to student progress and achievement.  In order for your child to do his or her very best, it is important that he/she be in school as many days as possible.

Since September 1998, SB727 has been in effect, which changes how schools receive funding for attendance.  School funding is now based on actual attendance of students and funding will no longer be given for excused absences.  The new law is intended to increase student attendance.

For both educational and financial reasons, we need your help in making sure your child has good attendance.  There are times when it is necessary for a child to miss school. For example, we do not recommend that a child come to school if he or she is ill or could spread his or her illness to others.  We need your help in minimizing all other absences.

Please note that parents are required to clear absences. Parents must clear absences prior to 5 days otherwise the absence will remain as uncleared and be considered a truancy.  Under the law, schools must continue to track all absences and report them to the state.

Our procedure is a period by period attendance check, which is posted by each individual teacher. Each day, we know the period or periods that a student has missed.  When a student is absent, students and parents should adhere to the following procedure.

1. All absences must be cleared by telephone. Notes will not be accepted. Absences may be cleared only by parents or guardians.

2. To accommodate the needs of the entire student body, telephone calls will be handled as follows:

   • Parents may call the Attendance Office between the hours of 7:15 a.m. and 4:15 p.m.and speak directly to one of the attendance clerks at (559) 327-4653.

   • Parents may leave a message on the attendance recorder between the hours of 4:15 p.m. and 7:15 a.m.  The recorder number is (559) 327-4653.

3. Hmong and Spanish interpreters are available to assist in any issues regarding attendance.

4. A school message machine calls home daily on any student missing one or more classes for the previous day.

5. Below:

   • All-day absences should be cleared within 24 hours of the occurrence.

   • Students must obtain permission prior to leaving campus during the school day.

   • Failure to obtain an off-campus pass prior to leaving may result in a truancy.  Students who are truant will be referred to student services for disciplinary action. Thursday/Saturday School and non-privilege may be the result of truancies.

   • It is the student’s responsibility to pick up his/her off campus pass for a pre-arranged appointment.  We do not send a reminder or deliver passes to class.

   • Students arriving at school late are considered tardy or truant.  A teacher may refer a student for disciplinary action. A student arriving to class late with an excused pass from the attendance office is not considered tardy.  A student who arrives to class late without a pass from the attendance office is considered tardy or truant.

6. In order to minimize classroom interruptions and to maintain a positive learning environment, messages to classrooms are limited to the first and last 5 minutes of class.

7. We do not accept deliveries of balloons, flowers, and other non-school related items (drinks, food etc.) for students.

8. The Attendance Office will not accept any messages or articles from non-parents or legal guardians.