Schools now only receive funding for students who are actually present each day. When a student is absent from school, excused or unexcused, the school loses income. We ask for your support in increasing our student attendance by:

• Planning family trips during our school holidays

• Schedule doctor and dentist appointments AFTER school hours (If the appointment is in the middle of the day, please bring your child to school for the morning, then come and check them out)

• Allow your child to stay home when he/she has a contagious illness (fever, vomiting, diarrhea)

ATTENDANCE/ABSENCES
State law requires regular and punctual attendance.  Parents must report an absence when their student will miss school. For each day your child is absent, please call the attendance number 760-290-2000 and press 4.  Leave a message that states your student’s name and the reason for the absence.  Excused absences are those due to illness, a medical appointment, a court appearance, a death in the family, or a religious holiday.  All other reasons will be unexcused.  If an absence is not reported within 72 hours, it will be considered unexcused.

Please be aware the State of California requires our school to begin notifying parents by letter when three (3) unexcused absences occur.

Should a special situation arise which requires your child to be absent from school for five consecutive days or more, please notify the teacher at least one week ahead of time, and he/she will prepare an Independent Study contract. This contract will allow your child to stay current with school work and receive credit during their time of absence.

Education Code 490678 and the SMUSD Board Policy 5115 "Absences and Excuses" authorizes teachers to assign a failing grade to any student with more than ten (10) days of unexcused absences in a trimester. The school must notify the parent, either by written report or by conference whenever a student is in danger of failing based on unexcused absences.