Attendance

Making sure every student is present each day and ready to learn is a priority at the WCSD. This requires that all community members work together to set clear expectations for daily attendance and support those students who are struggling to get to school on time.

Research indicates that students who are excessively absent are at greater risk of dropping out and becoming involved in delinquent behavior. In order to encourage regular and timely attendance, certain measures have been put in place to help parents be aware of their student's attendance. Parts of those measures include, letters sent home on a regular basis to make parents aware of any absences or tardies their student might have. Phone calls will also be made on the same day as the unexcused absence to give parents the opportunity to excuse the absence in a timely manner.

Parents have 20 school days, from the date of the absence to call in to the school or send a written notice to excuse the absence with a valid reason CA ED Code 48205(a).

If a student is chronically absent and/or tardy a home visit by the school principal and/or District Personnel may take place.

Truancies

A student is considered truant after three (3) absences or three (3) tardies of more than 30 minutes each time and the absences or tardies are unexcused. A truant student may be referred to the District Attendance Review Team (DART) and/or School Attendance Review Board (SARB). Unexcused absences are all absences not listed below.

Excused Absences

According to California Education Code 48205(a) Notwithstanding Section 48200, a pupil shall be excused from school when the absence is:

Due to illness
Due to quarantine as directed by a county or city health officer
Having medical, dental, optometric, or chiropractic services rendered
Attending funeral services of a member of the pupil's immediate family
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 (not to exceed 4 hours a semester), or attendance at an education conference on the legislative or judicial process offered by a nonprofit organization when pupil's absence is requested by parent or guardian and approved by the principal or designated representative

Please see the Parent Information Booklet for more information.

Specific Laws Related to Attendance

Students between the ages of 6 and 18 are required to attend school full time, unless otherwise exempt. EC 48200
A student is truant when he/she is absent from school without an excuse three full days in one school year, or tardy or absent for more than any 30-minute period during the school day three times. EC 48260
If any minor pupil in any district is an habitual truant or is habitually insubordinate or disorderly during school, the pupil may be referred to SARB. EC 48263
A parent or guardian may be held responsible if a student does not follow the SARB contract. EC 48293(a)
Parents are responsible to send their children to school or they will face charges in court. EC 48292