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Attendance

Attendance is Key to Academic Success!

Attendance is Key to Academic Success!

Teachers build your child's education one day at a time so every day is essential.  If too many school days are missed, your child's academic success can be put into jeopardy.  If your child must miss school due to an illness or other critical reason, please contact his/her teacher to make-up the lost time in class.   Please ask for homework assignments that were missed and do extra review on the missed material.

In addition, student absences directly affect the district's finances.  The majority of state funding is based on each day each student attends school.  The state only pays the school district for the days the student is physically in class.  It does not pay for excused absences, even if a doctor note is provided.
General Absences

General Absences

According to Education Code 48200, a student shall be excused from school when the absence is:

  • Due to an illness.
  • For the purposes of having medical or dental services rendered.
  • Due to quarantine under the direction of a county or city health officer.
  • For the purposes of having medical or dental appointments during school hours of a child for whom the pupil is the custodial parent.
  • For the purposes of attending the funeral service of a member of the student's immediate family, so long as the absence is not for more than one day (if the service is in California) or not for more than three days (if the service is outside California).
  • For justifiable personal reasons, including, but not limited to: an appearance in court, attendance at a funeral service, observance of a holiday or ceremony of his/her religion, attendance at religions retreats, attendance at an employment conference, when the student's absence has been requested in writing by the parent/guardian and approved by the principal or designated representative pursuant to Board policy.
  • For the purposes of serving as a member of a present board for an election (pursuant to Section 12302 of the Elections Code.
  • Participation in religious instruction or exercises in accordance with District policy.

A student absent, under the above guidelines, shall be allowed to complete all assignments and tests missed within a reasonable period of time, and be given full credit. The teacher of any class from which a student is absent shall determine the tests and assignments, which shall be reasonably equivalent to, but not necessarily identical, to the test and assignments that the student missed.

For purposes of this section, attendance at religious retreats shall not exceed four hours per semester.

No Leaving School at Lunch

No Leaving School at Lunch

Washington Unified Board of Education has established a closed campus policy at all school sites. Students may not leave campus at any time during the school day. This is for the security of the campus and to protect your student's health, safety, and welfare.

Parental Consequences for Failure to Ensure Student Attendance

Parental Consequences for Failure to Ensure Student Attendance

Any parent or guardian who fails to ensure their student's attendance may be guilty of an infraction and can be punishable as follows: $100 for the first conviction; $250 for the second conviction; and $500 for the third conviction. A parent or guardian may be placed in a parent education program or counseling program in lieu of a fine. A willful violation of a court order directing that a student must be enrolled in a school or program can mean a $1,000 fine.  (Ed Code 48239)