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Attendance

Attendance Notification (English)

LONG BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

Parent/Guardian Attendance Notification

Positive attendance supports your student’s achievement. Every day a student misses school, he/she is at risk of falling behind academically. Not only is the missed day lost, the return day is spent catching up. Every day a student attends school is also a lesson in responsibility and commitment.

Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10 percent or more of the school year, which is equivalent to 18 days out of a 180-day school year, regardless of whether absences are excused or unexcused. Truancy refers to unexcused absences only.

Below are Long Beach Unified School District’s (LBUSD) policies and procedures for providing notification of a student’s absences to the school. The following procedures will take effect immediately.

Reporting Absences

  • Student safety is the LBUSD’s utmost concern. Therefore, if your child will be absent, please notify the school.

Monitoring Attendance

  • Parents/Guardians are encouraged to monitor their student’s attendance records on a regular basis through ParentVue.

Clearing Absences

  • Parents/guardians must clear all absences within 5 school days. After this time, parents/guardians must contact the school administrator for approval.
  • To clear your child’s absence, call your school’s main office. A parent/guardian can also send a note with their child, or email the school. The school’s parent notification system will contact you in the absence of your child.

Verification Of Illness

  • The LBUSD allows parents to excuse up to three (3) consecutive days without verification of illness from a medical professional or school employee. Anytime your child has a doctor’s appointment and/or documentation requiring them to stay home from school, provide this verification immediately to the attendance office when your student returns to school. These absences will be recorded as excused. Per district policy, absences extending beyond the three (3) day consecutive rule will be considered unexcused, unless a parent/guardian provides a doctor’s verification to the school.

Legally Excused Absences – Per EC 48205

  • Personal illness:  *** District policy- The district will allow three (3) consecutive days or “all day” illness absences without doctor’s verification. Absences after that will be recorded as unexcused. If the student surpasses the three-day (3) limit or if illness absences seem to be pattern-based, a doctor’s verification note must be provided to the school. Thus whenever you have a doctor’s verification, it should be submitted.
  • Quarantine under the direction of a health officer.
  • Personal medical, dental, optometric or chiropractic appointment.  *** District policy- Parent/guardian must provide doctor’s verification to the school.
  • Funeral services for a member of the immediate family (limited to one day within the state of California, and three days out of state).  *** As defined by the California Education Code.
  • Student serving on jury duty.
  • For illness or medical appointment of a child of whom the pupil is the custodial parent.

Administrator Approval of Student Absence (Discretionary Excused Absences)   ***District Policy- Must give three-days (3) advance notice to administrator

Although absences for any reason are discouraged, the Parent/Guardian Request for Administrator Approval of Student Absences Form (see Attachment A) may be provided to parents/legal guardians requesting administrator approval for” justifiable personal reason” absences.  These absences include, but are not limited to:

  • Active military duty in combat zone (immediate family member; maximum 3 days).
  • Funeral services for a member of the immediate family (extended days outside of the legally excused allotted period).
  • Personal court appearance (requires verification).
  • Prior Principal approval for employment conference.
  • Employment in the Entertainment Industry for a maximum of up to five absences per school year with a valid entertainment work permit.
  • Observance of a religious holiday or ceremony (recommend three (3) days advance notice to school; up to four (4) days per school month), must be requested in writing and approved by principal
  • Religious retreat (limited to four hours per semester).
  • Prior Principal approval for reasons, which may not be included elsewhere, but are pursuant to uniform standards established by the district’s policy.
  • For the purpose of serving as a member of a precinct board for an election pursuant to Section 12302 of the Elections Code.
  • Other reasons that are within the discretion of school administrators and, based on the factors of the pupil’s circumstances, are deemed to constitute a valid excuse.

Unexcused Absences

  • Missed the bus
  • Out of town
  • Family vacation
  • Any illness other than the student’s illness
  • Accompany parent to a parent’s appointment, etc.

Short-Term Independent Study

  • If a child will be out of school for a minimum of consecutive five days for an unexcused absence, parents need to contact the school office at least two weeks in advance of the absence to inquire about a short-term independent study contract. However, an independent study contract is a privilege, not a right.

Chronic Illness

  • If your student has a diagnosed chronic illness, you may receive a physician’s authorization to excuse absences for your child. The form requires the treating physician to verify the diagnosis and list symptoms that would not necessitate an office visit, but require the student to remain home from school. With this authorization, the parent sends a note when the child returns to school listing one or more of the symptoms the physician has identified. These absences will be considered doctor verified (excused).

Truancy

  • State law defines a truant as a student who has an unexcused absence or is more than 30 minutes tardy three or more days in one school year or a combination of unexcused absences and over 30 minutes or more tardy.
  • By law, written notices to parents/guardians regarding truancy and excessive absences are required. Parents will receive a truancy notification if their child has been absent from school without a valid excuse three full days in one school year or tardy or absent for more than any 30 minute period during the school day without a valid excuse on three occasions in one school year or any combination thereof.
  • A second (2nd) truancy notification will be sent if the child has one additional unexcused absence and a parent conference will be required with the School Attendance Review Team or Student Success Team to discuss the child’s absence and how the school can work with the family to ensure the child’s success in school.
  • The parent will receive a third truancy notification if a child has one additional unexcused absence. After the third (3rd) truancy notification, the family will be referred to SARB.

Excessive Illness Absences Notifications

  • If a student has accumulated more than three (3) consecutive days of illness, per district policy the parent/guardian will be required to submit verification of illness by a medical doctor. Or parent/guardian will send student to school to be checked/released by the nurse or administration if ill. 

 

Student Attendance Review Board (SARB) 17
Tucker Administrative Offices
2221 Argonne Ave., Long Beach, CA 90815
Tel: (562) 986-6870 Ext. 244, Fax: (562) 498-9742