Attendance and Truancy
The RCSD believes that regular attendance plays an important role in student achievement. We recognize our responsibility under the law to ensure that students attend school regularly. Parents/guardians of children aged 6 to 18 are obligated to send their children to school unless otherwise provided by law. We follow the state attendance laws and may use appropriate legal means to correct the problems of excessive absence or truancy.
Absence from school shall be excused only for health reasons, family emergencies and justifiable personal reasons, as permitted by law, Board policy and administration regulations. [BP/AR 5112.2]
Daily class participation is an integral part of students' learning experience. Parents/guardians and students shall be encouraged to schedule medical appointments during non-school hours. A student's grades may be affected by excessive unexcused absences in accordance with Board policy. [BP/AR 5121]
Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school – and themselves. Start building this habit in preschool so they can learn right away that going to school on time; every day is important. Good attendance will help children do well in high school, college, and at work.
Did you know that?
-
Starting in kindergarten, too many absences can cause children to fall behind in school.
-
Missing 10 percent (or about 18 days) can make it harder to learn to read.
-
Students can still fall behind if they miss just a day or two days every few weeks.
-
Being late to school may lead to poor attendance.
-
Absences can affect the whole classroom if the teacher has to slow down learning to help children catch up.
What to do when a student must be absent/verifying absences
-
If you know in advance when your student will be absent for 5 days or more, you can request an Independent Study Packet. Independent Study Contracts are available through your school office.
-
Please do NOT send your child to school when they are ill. We want students to rest and recover when they are sick, and we want to reduce the change of contagious illnesses spreading.
Attendance Achievement by Instructional Days 2024-25
| Instructional Days | Date | 95%-100% = Excellent | 90-95% = Basic | <90% = Chronic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | September 18 | 1 | 2 | 3 or more |
| 50 | October 25 | 0-2 | 3-4 | 5 or more |
| 75 | December 6 | 0-3 | 3-6 | 7 or more |
| 100 | January 28 | 0-4 | 5-8 | 9 or more |
| 125 | March 12 | 0-5 | 6-10 | 11 or more |
| 150 | April 24 | 0-6 | 7-12 | 13 or more |
| 175 | May 30 | 0-7 | 8-14 | 15 or more |
| 180 | June 6 | 0-7 | 8-14 | 15 or more |
EXCELLENT Attendance means having NO MORE THAN 1 absence per 25 DAYS OF INSTRUCTION
BASIC Attendance means having NO MORE THAN 2 absences per 25 DAYS OF INSTRUCTION
Attendance Notification Letter: In accordance with the State of California’s Education Code [EC § 48260-48273], when any pupil is absent from school for 3 days or more without a valid excuse, and/or tardy 3 or more times in excess of 30 minutes, we must notify the parent/guardian. Parents will receive a letter from the school administrator. If school absences continue, families will receive other absence notices to ensure that attendance data is available to families regularly.
Compulsory Education Law: California compulsory education law requires everyone between the ages of six and eighteen years of age to attend school, except students who have graduated from high school or passed the California High School Proficiency Exam (CHSPE) and obtained parental permission. Some students, however, violate compulsory education laws and have a pattern of unexcused absences. Although truancy and excessive absenteeism are not new problems, they cause costly, long-term problems for the students, school, and the community.