Student Attendance Policies

Helpful Information For Parents 2009-2010

Basic Information

The compulsory education law requires students between the ages of 6 and 18 to attend school during the day. For that reason, attendance is taken in each class period.

• If a student is not present in class, his or her record is marked with an A (for absence).
• Any student with more than three unexcused absences or who leaves school without written permission from the Attendance Office or Health Services can be considered truant. Such students may be referred for school discipline or to the juvenile justice system.
• To excuse an absence, a parent or legal guardian must call the Attendance Office no later than three school days after an absence.
• Legally excused absences according to the Education Code are those due to:
  1. Personal illness
  2. Health Department quarantine
  3. Medical, dental, optometric or chiropractic appointments
  4. Attendance at funeral services for an immediate family member
  5. Jury duty or any other court order requiring a personal appearance such as a subpoena
  6. Exclusion for failure to present evidence of immunization
  7. Observance of a religious holiday or ceremony
  8. Attendance at a SART or SARB hearing

  9. Justifiable personal reasons (Board Policy 5113/AR-1)

• Students should not leave school grounds without the written permission of the Attendance Office. If a student must leave campus for an appointment or any other reason, his or her parent should first call the Attendance Office to obtain a written pass before the student can leave the campus.

• Sick Students Should Exit School through the Health Office:
  If your student becomes ill at school and needs to go home, they should leave through the Health Office. The Health Tech will contact you, report your child's condition, and make arrangements with you for your student to go home if they are too ill to be at school. In the event that a student leaves campus ill without going through the Health Office, be sure to call and clear the absence with the Attendance Office within three school days in order to avoid recording a truancy.
   
  Daytime Loitering Law: 
  The San Diego Police Department is ramping up efforts citywide to decrease truancy. Officers are on the lookout for students off campus during school hours. The City's daytime loitering law states that students under 18 must be in school between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Students found off campus during school hours, except 11th and 12th graders at lunch, may be arrested for daytime loitering and brought back to school by police, even if they do not have a class scheduled at the time they are stopped by Police." This citation will result in a minimum fine of $250 and cause student and parent to spend half a day in court. If your child has an off-campus class or an unscheduled period, please see Lori Wilson in the Student Center to obtain a school-issued off-campus schedule. This document should be presented in the event that law enforcement stops the students while off campus during the day.

School Board policy states the following:

• Students shall be classified as truant if absent from school without a valid excuse three days in one school year, or tardy without a valid excuse in excess of 30 minutes on each of more than three days in one school year. Such students shall be reported to the superintendent or designee.
• The parent/guardian of a student classified as a truant shall be notified for the following:
  1. The student is truant.
  2. The parent/guardian is obligated to compel the student to attend school.
  3. The parent/guardian who fails to meet this obligation may be guilty of an infraction of the law and subject to prosecution pursuant to Education Code 48290 et seq.
  4. The parent/guardian has the right to meet with appropriate school personnel to discuss solutions to the student's truancy.
  5. Alternative educational programs are available in the district.
  6. The student may be subject to arrest under Education Code 48264.
  7. The student may be subject to suspension, restriction or delay of his/her driving privilege pursuant to Vehicle Code 13202.7.
  8. It is recommended that the parent/guardian accompany the student to school and attend classes with the student for one day.
• Upon his/her first truancy, a student may be given a written warning by a peace officer. A record of this warning maybe kept at school for not less than two years or until the student graduates or transfers from the school. If the student transfers, the record may be forwarded to the new school. A record of the warning also may be maintained by the law enforcement agency. (Education Code 48264.5).

Have You Moved?

The school wants to be sure that you receive report cards and other school mail.  Your child also risks being disenrolled if you cannot provide proof that at least one parent lives within the Torrey Pines High School District.  We cannot change your address in our database without proof of residence.

• your San Diego Gas & Electric bill
• your lease/rental agreement showing your physical address
• a page from your closing papers (f you purchased a home)

Please bring, or have your child bring to the Attendance Office or Registrar, proof of your current physical address so that we can change the address in the school computer.   You may also:

1)  Fax proof of residence to the Registrar at 858 792-8127.

2)  Copy proof of residence and email it as an attachment to Danna.Gunther@sduhsd.net.

If you have moved to an address within the San Dieguito Union High School District, but not in the Torrey Pines District,  go to the San Dieguito H.S. District Office at 710 Encinitas Blvd., Encinitas, CA, and apply for an intradistrict transfer.