Parents » Student Attendance

Student Attendance

ATTENDANCE 


The student’s daily attendance is critical to support academic success. Some absences are unavoidable and may have resulted due to safety procedures put in place by public health. We thank parents/legal guardians for their support as Los Angeles Unified continues to prioritize health and safety. Students who maintain good attendance are much more likely to be successful, both academically and socially. Every student is expected to attend school for the length of the school day on a daily basis unless there is a valid justification for the absence (EC Section 48200). Schools are required to maintain up-to-date attendance records throughout the school year.


Additional information and resources are available on the Student Health and Human Services, Pupil Services website at: https://achieve.lausd.net/pupilservices or by phone at (213) 241-3840.


California Compulsory Full-Time Education Law Each person between the ages of 6 and 18 years not otherwise exempted must attend public school full-time (EC 48200). Students shall attend the public school in the school district of residence of their parent/ legal guardian, educational rights holder, or caregiver. In addition, minors under the age of 18 are prohibited from being present in a public place during school hours without a valid excuse (Los Angeles County Code Section 13.57.010). More information is available at: LACC Section 13.57.010.


Absence Verification It is the parent’s/legal guardian’s responsibility to provide documentation to verify the reason(s) for absence within 10 school days after the student returns to school in order to prevent absences from being recorded as uncleared/unexcused and counting towards truancy. Absences include coming to school late, leaving early, and missing class periods. Upon learning from a parent/legal guardian the reason(s) for a student’s absence, the following staff may verify the validity of an absence due to illness or quarantine (CA Code of Regulations, Title 5, Section 421):

gulations, Title 5, Section 421): 

  1. A school or public health nurse; 
  2. An attendance supervisor (e.g., Pupil Services and Attendance (PSA) Counselor); 
  3. A physician; 
  4. A principal; 
  5. A teacher; 
  6. Any other qualified employee of a school district assigned to make such verification.

School site staff authorized to verify absence excuses of any kind may, when presented facts that call into question the authenticity of the excuse, request additional information in support of the absence excuse, and/or may refuse to excuse the absence (CA Code of Regulations, Title 5, Section 306). 


For any student with a history of excessive parent/guardian excused absences, schools may revoke a parent/guardian’s privilege to excuse absences.