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Clark Intermediate

Part of the Clovis Unified School District

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  2. Attendance

Attendance

Attendance Office Procedures

Parents/guardians may report an absence at this school in one of the following ways:

 

  1. By Phone
    Call the 24 Hour Hot-Line 327-1517
    Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 7:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M.

    OR
     
  2. Through Parent Connection
    Log in to Parent Connection and report the absence. Detailed instructions are downloadable below.

 

ABSENCES

Actual Attendance, (SB727) has been in effect since September 1998, which changed how all schools receive state funding for attendance. This law makes school funding based strictly on students attending school, consequently, if your student is not in school for ANY reason, other than co-curricular or cleared Independent Study, the district does not receive funding. The intent of this law is to improve and encourage student attendance, therefore, your support in making sure your student attends school daily is not only vital for financial and educational reasons, but also because it’s the law.

 

How to Clear Absences:

Absences must be cleared by telephone and only by the student’s parent or legal guardian. (Doctor’s notes are welcome and encouraged and must be submitted no later than 10 days from the excused day of absence. Parent’s notes are not accepted.)

 

Absences not cleared on the day of absence will prompt a call from our “Automated Calling system”.

 

You may leave a message and clear the absence at this time, or call the next day and speak directly to an attendance specialist at 327-1517. It is extremely important your student’s absences are cleared within 5 school days to avoid being considered truant.

 

Note:  Please keep in mind our “Automated Calling Systems” call for one or more uncleared periods.

 

If your student informs you he/she was indeed in class, please have him/her report to the Attendance Office.

If the student does not follow this process, absence(s) will remain uncleared, and are at risk of receiving a * “Truancy Letter”

The following are “excused” absences, or “exempt” from truancy, as stated by the State of California Ed.code:

  • Illness or injury
  • Quarantine
  • Doctor’s appointments
  • Court Appearances
  • Immediate Family Member Funeral
  • To obtain Immunizations
  • Religious Holidays/Retreats (limited)

In addition to the above, the school may excuse the following absences:

 

  • Extenuating family or personal needs.
  • Other reasons deemed justifiable by school authority.


Note: Parents are encouraged to use Independent Study as an option, whenever a student is going to be absent for more than 5 days for any reason other than suspensions. Please contact your team office to begin a contract.

 

Uncleared absences are considered unexcused and could lead to receiving a “Truancy Letter” in accordance with Ed. Code section 48260.5.

Unexcused absences may lead to a student receiving a “Truancy Letter” in accordance to Ed. Code 48260.

 

UNAUTHORIZED ABSENCE – UNEXCUSED AND/OR TRUANCY:

Policy 2207 states, “A pupil, whose absence is not excused is not entitled to complete assignments, or other class work missed due to the absence”.

 

EXCESSIVE ABSENCES:

If at any time a student’s attendance problem prevents him/her from succeeding in school, he/she may be referred to CUSD Child Welfare and Attendance Office, and may be subject to a SARB hearing (Student Attendance Review Board)

 

Below are a few facts about excessive absences:

  • Absenteeism hurts the school and district, State financial support for schools is directly linked to student attendance.
  • Absenteeism hurts the community. Students who are truant are more likely to be involved in criminal activity.
  • First and foremost, absenteeism hurts the student’s chance of a successful future.
     

The bottom line is that students who are not in school can’t learn as much as they could if they were in school. I’m also afraid many students will get a real wake-up call when they hit the “real world” and find they are not allowed to miss as much work as they did in school.

 

TRUANCY LETTER:

Education Code Section 48260—defines truancy as: Any pupil subject to compulsory education, who is absent from school without a valid excuse 3 full days in one school year or tardy or absent for more than any 30 minute period during the school year,  or any combination thereof.