Attendance  - Absences, Tardies, & Truancy

Research shows that school attendance is a strong indicator of academic success.  It’s about students learning what they need to know, connecting to the school community, and preparing for success this year and in future years. Our fast facts on attendance can be found here.

Absences & Tardies

Please report all absences and tardies as soon as possible by either:

Calling the school attendance line (650) 637-4843

OR

Emailing Julie Bakhtegan and your teacher.

Please include the following information when emailing or calling:

1. Student's First and Last name

2. Teacher's Name

3. Reason for absence OR if tardy, reason and approximate time of arrival

4. Your name and relationship to the child

Our primary focus with attendance is the safety and location of every child. Communication about a child’s planned absence or tardiness helps prevent safety concerns. If you know in advance that your child will have to miss any amount of school, please be sure to notify the school office and the classroom teacher ahead of time.

TARDINESS

Students are considered tardy if they are not lined up when the 8:15 am bell rings for grades TK-K, and if not lined up by 8:25 am for grades 1-5.  Any student arriving after their bell rings must first go to the office for a tardy slip before entering their classrooms. We ask parents to set a routine for on-time arrival at school.  Chronic tardies can result in letters sent home, problem-solving meetings with school personnel, and/or wellness checks from law enforcement or community agency personnel.

APPOINTMENTS

We encourage you to make appointments for your student outside regular school hours, if at all possible. If it is necessary for you to remove your child from school, please come first to the office to sign out your child. The child must be signed out by an adult (parent or someone authorized on the emergency card) and signed back in upon arrival back at school.  Please provide a "school note" from your health care provider upon arrival back to school.

HOMEWORK DURING ABSENCES

Requests for homework should be requested from the teacher via email at least 5 days prior to the absence. Please do not interrupt classroom instruction to ask for missed assignments.

Truancy

The California Legislature defined a truant in very precise language. As defined by Education Code Section 48260 (a), a pupil subject to compulsory full-time education or to compulsory continuation education who is absent from school without a valid excuse three full days in one school year or tardy or absent for more than a 30-minute period during the school day without a valid excuse on three occasions in one school year, or any combination thereof, shall be classified as a truant and shall be reported to the attendance supervisor or to the superintendent of the school district. This classification and referral help emphasize the importance of school attendance and is intended to help minimize interference with instruction.

DEFINITION OF A CHRONIC TRUANT

Education Code Section 48263.6: Any pupil subject to compulsory full-time education or to compulsory continuation education who is absent from school without a valid excuse for ten percent or more of the school days in one school year, from the date of enrollment to the current date, is deemed a chronic truant, provided that the appropriate school district officer or employee has compiled with Education Codes Sections 48260, 48260.5, 48261, 48262, 48263, and 48291.

Belmont-Redwood Shores School District staff believes that every minute of a child’s time at school is important. Children who are absent for even one day, or who arrive later than their classmates, miss valuable instruction time and can easily fall behind in school. They also miss important socialization time and fun with their peers. Our pupil attendance policies include state truancy legal requirements and Intervention strategies.

• 1st and 2nd unexcused absence or tardy - When a student has a first or second unexcused absence or tardy in excess of 30 minutes, the school may choose to contact the parents to speak about the absence/tardy.

• 3rd unexcused absence or tardy - The law requires that a 1st Notification of Truancy be provided to a guardian, and reported to the attendance supervisor or superintendent. All additional truancies must be reported to them as well. The notice must include certain information required by law.

• 4th unexcused absence or tardy- The law requires that a 2nd Notification of Truancy be provided to the district attendance supervisor or superintendent. Guardians will also be notified. The school may choose to hold a Student Study Team Meeting with the guardian and school staff to discuss an attendance plan.

• 5th unexcused absence or tardy- The law requires that a 3rd Notification of Truancy be provided to the guardian. The district is required to make a conscientious effort to meet with the guardian. After the third report of truancy or if a student has irregular attendance, a student may be referred to a School Attendance Review Board (SARB), a multi-agency board that connects families with services in exchange for a plan to improve attendance.

• Habitually Truant- Once the school has filled the appropriate reports regarding truancy and made a conscientious effort to meet with the parent, the student is then deemed a “habitual truant”.

• Chronically Truant- A student who has missed 10% or more of the school days in one school year—from the date of enrollment to the current date---due to unexcused absences is deemed a “chronic truant”.

CONSEQUENCES FOR TRUANCY

If the truancy is not corrected, students will be referred to the San Mateo County School Attendance Review Board (SARB). Truancy letters are generated during the school year. For more information on excused/unexcused absences and truancy, contact the school principal.

More information can be found on the District Website.