Student Attendance

The Pleasanton Unified School District wants to build awareness around the importance of regular attendance at school for all students. Student who attend school regularly have higher academic outcomes than those who are absent, even if it is only for a few days. Every Student, every day. With a few rare exceptions, we want you here!

We know that when students feel safe and connected to school, attendance goes up and absenteeism goes down. Our school sites are focusing on building position relationships with all students to help create campus cultures where students choose to be at school because they feel connected, and safe when they are there.

Regular and punctual school attendance of students is expected, encouraged, and as necessary, enforced. School attendance is an area of mutual cooperation between the school, the parents and the student.

We realize some absences are unavoidable due to illness. Absences due to illness and medical appointments are considered excused absences as long at the school receives a phone call and/or documentation from a parent or guardian cleaning the absence within 72 hours the occurrence. Failure to excuse the absence results may result in notification of Truancy letters, a School Attendance Review Team (SART) Team meeting with a Child Welfare and Attendance liaison and school staff, or a referral to the School Attendance Review Board (SARB Board).

Additionally, we strongly encourage that families plan vacations on scheduled school breaks. Please refer to our annual calendars and Short Term Independent Study Contracts for specific procedures, if you anticipate your child missing school for a duration of 5-10 school days.

For shorter anticipated absences of 1-4 days, there is a "pre-approved absence" form, allowable in for specific situations, that may be submitted to the School Principal for approval. That form and the details are linked here.

California Attendance Requirements and Truancy

California State law only allows for a few excused absences, which are outlined in Administrative Regulation (AR) 5113, which is linked here. All other absences are considered unexcused, per state law, even if a parent calls to report their child's absence.

Any tardy over 30 minutes, except for medical reasons, is also unexcused. If at student has three (3) unexcused absences and/or three (3) unexcused 30 minute or more tardies in a given school year, the student is considered truant and the the student's parent/guardian will receive a truancy notification letter. For easier reference of Truancy notification the chart below outlines the process.

Truancy Letters

3 instances* of unexcused absence	1st Truancy Letter
2 additional instances* of unexcused absence (5 total instances)	2nd Truancy Letter
2 additional instances* of unexcused absence (7 total instances)	3rd Truancy Letter (Designated at Habitually Truant by the State)

Excessive Excused Letters

7 instances* of excused absence	1st Excessive Excused Letter
7 additional instances* of excused absences (14 total instances)	2nd Excessive Excused Letter

*Instance = any absence that is between 1 period through 1 full school day OR being tardy (late) to school of 30 minutes or more.

We believe that with guidance and support all students can reach their greatest potential.

School Attendance Review Team (SART)

More information about this process will be published shortly.

School Attendance Review Board (SARB)

More information about this process will be published shortly.

Student Access & Success Letter