Attendance

Students will attend all of their classes (E.C. 48260). All absences must be cleared by a parent or guardian within 1 school day to be considered excused. Only listed contacts on student contact list may write notes or phone in absences.

Legally Excused Absences and Tardiness Per Education Code 48205

Personal illness or injury.

Medical, dental, optometric, or chiropractic services rendered with a Doctor’s note.

Attendance at funeral services for a member of the immediate family.

Observance of a religious holiday or ceremony.

Appearance in court with documentation.

Quarantine under the direction of a county or city health officer, failure to present evidence of

immunization, carrier of a contagious disease.

School business including, when applicable, conferences, WHS sponsored field trips, SARB meetings,

Alternative to Suspension programs and on-campus testing.

School issued suspension

 

Unexcused Absences and Tardiness Per Education Code 48260-48273

Truancy
All absences not covered in the above list of excused absences (including family business and vacation.)

 

Truancy: Students without a valid excuse (unexcused absence) for three (3) full school days in one school year or tardy in excess of thirty (30) minutes during a school day on any three (3) school days in one school year without a valid excuse, or any combination thereof, shall be classified as a truant. Students with 10 or more tardy marks in one period in one semester shall be classified as a truant. Students exhibiting irregular attendance, with excessive or unusual absences or patterns of absences, can be classified as a truant. The parent/guardian of a student classified as a truant will be notified via a SARB letter noting the following: (Education Code 48260.5)

1. The student is truant.

2. The parent/guardian is obligated to compel their 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 48260 et seq.

4. The availability of alternative educational programs in the district.

5. The right of the parent/guardian to meet with appropriate school personnel to discuss the solution to the student’s truancy.

Habitual Truant: Students who have been defined as a truant three (3) or more times in one school year shall be classified as a Habitual Truant. A Pre-SARB conference will be set up with the student and his/her parent, the site administrator and district officials. This meeting may result in a referral to attending a meeting with the local District Attorney to discuss truancy laws and/or the SARB panel (Education Code 48261).

SARB Panel: The IUSD SARB panel meets at the Irvine Police Department. Representatives from the school site, the District Office, Health Services, Social Services, Guidance Services, Probation, the District Attorney’s office and the Irvine Police Department sit on the panel. More information about the IUSD School Attendance Review Board process is available here.

WHS Tardy Policy: Students are expected to arrive to class on time every day. Students who arrive 0-29 minutes late to class will be marked tardy by the instructor. The following consequences will apply to all WHS students as they accumulate unexcused tardy marks.

  • 0-3 tardy marks: Teacher’s discretion on action. Could result in warning, in class detention or after school
  • detention
  • 3-6 tardy marks: Any of the following: Detention, Campus Beautification, Parent Contact
  • 7-9 tardy marks: Referral to administrator. Saturday School assigned.
  • 10+ tardy marks: SARB letter sent to family

Independent Study Contract: Absences between 5 and 14 school days, with documentation, must be approved through the Attendance Office 3 days prior to leaving school. Students must gather assignments and approval from all teachers as well as Administration. Once completed, students must return the contract to the Attendance Office within 3 days of return.