PVSD Attendance & Chronic Absenteeism Policies

School attendance is essential to every student’s success, and absences can easily lead to academic trouble and create gaps in relationships with friends. PVSD encourages all families to minimize absences. Parents are responsible for making sure their students attend school on a regular basis, on time, and align vacations and appointments with the school calendar to avoid unnecessary absences. Each day missed at school is a missed day of instruction, a day of classroom interaction with students and teachers that cannot be recovered.

Research shows that missing 10 percent of the school year, or 18 days in a school year, negatively affects a student's academic performance. Poor attendance can affect students' reading proficiency as early as the end of third grade. Reading proficiency can affect learning in other subjects, and could result in the child being held back a grade. By 6th grade, chronic absence is a leading indicator of success in high school. When students improve their attendance rates, they improve their academic prospects and chances for graduating.

What’s the difference between truancy and chronic absenteeism?

Truancy (Unexcused Absences):

The California Education Code (“Ed Code”) states that a student is truant if that student:

• Is absent from school without an Ed Code-valid excuse three full days in one school year; or
• Is tardy or absent for more than a 30-minute period during the school day without an Ed Code-valid excuse on three occasions in one school year;
• Or any combination thereof. (Ed Code, 48260(a))

Chronic Absenteeism (Excused and Unexcused Absences):

A "chronic absentee" is defined in Ed Code section 60901(c)(1) as "a pupil who is absent (both excused and unexcused) on 10 percent or more of the school days in the school year for a full day."  PVSD sends letters to families at the end of each quarter if their child is at risk of chronic absenteeism.

Chronic Absenteeism (Excused & Unexcused Absences):

See PVSD Board Policy & Administrative Regulation 5113, and 5113.1

FAQs:

1. How are absences categorized as excused or unexcused?

Parents are not able to decide if an absence is excused or unexcused; parents provide the notification and the reason, and the decision of whether the absence is excused, or unexcused, is determined by California Education Code. Strict and limited definitions of excused absences are listed below; any reason that is not on this list is unexcused. (Administrative Regulation 5113)

Under CA Education Code Section 48205, a pupil shall be excused from school if 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, optometrical, or chiropractic services rendered.
4. For the purpose of attending the funeral services of a member of the pupil's 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 for whom the student 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 religious retreats, 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.
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 Ed Code Section 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. Authorized at the discretion of a school administrator, as described in subdivision (c) of Section 48260.

* For purposes of this section, attendance at religious retreats shall not exceed four hours per trimester.

*"Immediate family," as used in this section, means the parent or guardian, brother or sister, grandparent, or any other relative living in the household of the pupil.

2. What happens if my child's absence is defined as excused?

Students are given the opportunity to make up schoolwork missed due to an excused absence. Please work with your child’s teacher directly to make arrangements for make-up work. PVSD BP 6154

3. What happens if my child's absence is defined as unexcused?

Schools are not required to provide an opportunity to make up missed schoolwork. Examples of unexcused absences include travel for any reason not defined as excused by Ed. Code; vacation, parents' business trips, travel for visa renewal purposes, etc. are not excused per Ed. Code. PVSD BP 6154

4. When do I need a doctor's note to excuse health-related absences?

The District may require a note from a licensed medical provider or physician in order to excuse health-related absences. The District is likely to ask for a physician’s verification in the following circumstances:

• If a student shows a pattern of chronic absenteeism due to illness;
• Cases of chronic absenteeism, where the student is absent the equivalent of 10% or more of the school year for health reasons;
• When there is a pattern of health-related absences immediately before or after a weekend or school break;
• When the District is otherwise concerned about a student’s truancy or absenteeism.

Under certain circumstances, parents may be asked to consult a physician and to provide a written note from a doctor indicating that the student is no longer contagious and may return to school.

5. My child is sick, should I send them to school?

If your child displays any of the symptoms listed below, or, if a communicable disease has been confirmed, report it to the school office right away and keep your child home until they are no longer contagious:

• Any contagious disease

• Nausea or vomiting within the last 24 hours
• Diarrhea within the last 24 hours

• Temperature over 100 degrees F. Temperature needs to be normal for 24 hours without Tylenol or fever reducing medications before returning to school

• Frequent coughing or very runny nose with green/yellow mucus not associated with seasonal allergies. Productive cough that disrupts normal activity.

• Eye drainage and/or eye pain. Conjunctivitis or eye infections.
• Unexplained skin conditions/rash with fever or behavior change, until a health provider determines that these symptoms do not indicate a communicable disease.

As per PVSD Administrative Regulation 5113, if a student shows a pattern of chronic absenteeism due to illness, district staff may require physician verification of any further student absences.

6. What should I do if I receive an attendance letter for my child?

Parents are encouraged to follow the suggestions and/or instructions contained in the letter. Excessive absences are frequently an indicator of other problems. If your student is frequently absent, or is refusing to go to school, please contact your school for support; the school will partner with you and provide strategies and available resources to address the problem. In particularly difficult cases, the school may enlist the district nurse or support staff, or provide a referral to the School Attendance Review Board (SARB) to deliver interventions to assist families in re-engaging the student to return to school.