Attendance Policy and Procedures

Reporting an Absence

All students are expected to attend school on a consistent and on-time basis. If your child is going to be tardy, absent, or leave school early for any reason, please be sure to email OR call and notify the office. Absences, tardies, and early leaves due to illness, medical appointments, religious observances, and/or family emergencies are excused. 

Please Provide the Following Information

• First and last name of your child
• Your relationship to the child
• Teacher's name
• The reason for the absence or tardy
• Use 'Absent Student' as the subject line in an email

Other Information

Absences

If your child is marked absent and you have not contacted the school, the office will contact you for verification and ask the reason for the absence. If your child must be absent due to an extended illness a doctor’s note is required upon his/her return to school.

Excused Absences

Per Education Code 48205, a student's absence shall be excused for the following reasons:

1. Personal illness
2. Quarantine under the direction of a county or city health officer
3. Medical, dental, optometrical, or chiropractic appointment 
4. Attendance at funeral services for a member of the immediate family, which shall be limited to one day if the service is conducted in California or three days if the service is conducted out of state 
5. Appearance in court
6. Observation of a holiday or ceremony of his/her religion
7. To spend time with his/her immediate family member who is an active duty member of the uniformed services, as defined in Education Code 49701, and has been called to duty for deployment to a combat zone or a combat support position or is on leave from or has immediately returned from such deployment 

Early Leaves

Any adult picking up a student within the school day must sign the student out in the school office and may be asked for a photo ID. Early leaves due to illness, medical appointments, religious observances, and/or family emergencies are excused. Early leaves for extra-curricular activities or other non-emergency events are considered unexcused.

Tardiness

If your child arrives late, please have your child go directly to the office to sign in and pick up a tardy slip before going to the classroom. Tardies due to illness, medical appointments, religious observances, and/or family emergencies are excused.  Tardies for extra-curricular activities or other non-emergency events are considered unexcused. 

Unexcused Absences

The district discourages removing your children from school for extra-curricular activities and/or extended vacations. Missing school for family activities and/or vacation is considered an unexcused absence. Teachers are not responsible to prepare individual study packets and/or assist students in making up missed work to compensate for missed instruction due to unexcused absences. 

Truancy

Truancy occurs when a student is absent from school without an approved excuse three full days in one school year, or tardy or absent for more than any 30-minute period during the school day without an approved excuse on three occasions in one school year, or any combination thereof. (Education Code 48260)

Related Board Policies and Administrative Regulations

For additional information about RUSD policies related to attendance and truancy please refer to Board Policy and Administrative Regulation 5113 (Absences and Excuses) and Board Policy and Administrative Regulation 5113.1 (Chronic Absence and Truancy).