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Attendance

Attendance

School Attendance Review Board 

The District School Attendance Review Board (SARB) attempts to understand why students experience attendance problems and makes every effort to assist in correcting the problem(s).  

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Chronically Absent Students
SMUHSD contracts with A2A to help provide proven interventions to reduce chronic absenteeism through proactive, personalized outreach paired with inbound support for families in their home language. The unique approach allows social workers to collaborate with site attendance teams to develop and monitor highly effective practices. The attendance intervention is rigorous in its evidence basis, research, and design—but thoughtful and supportive in its delivery. We monitor attendance data and target our families. When students become at risk of learning loss, our system targets our families in need with outreach and support. The personalized, consistent outreach, in families' home language, district-wide has proven to help improve attendance of students. 

Attendance

Regular attendance and class participation are an integral part of our students' learning experience and together determine student success. Burlingame High School is committed to cultivating exemplary attendance habits. Attendance in school is mandatory for all students under the age of 18. By definition:

A student is tardy when he/she is less than 30 minutes tardy to a single scheduled class period. 

A student is absent when he/she is more than 30 minutes tardy or is not present during a scheduled class period. 

A student is truant when he/she is absent from class without school and parent/guardian knowledge or permission, or when he/she leaves class or school campus without permission before the class or school day is officially over. All unverified absences will be considered truant after 2 school days. 

The following are legally excused absences as defined by the California Education Code 48260, 48261,48262, 48913

  • Illness
  • Quarantine
  • Medical, Dental, Optometrical, Chiropractic Appointments
  • Funeral
  • Jury Duty
  • Justifiable Personal Reasons: parents must submit an advance written request and receive the approval of the principal. The Education Code defines justifiable personal reasons as funeral attendance, court appearance, religious holiday or ceremony observance, religious retreats, some pre-approved, work-related conferences, service on an elections precinct board, and/or participation in religious instruction of no more than one hour per week. (Education Code: 48205)

What to Include When Reporting an Absence:

Reporting any absence in the three ways listed above must include:  1. the students legal name;   2. The dates/periods of the absence; 3.  the reason for the absence.  When stating the reason, please be as specific as possible so the absence is coded correctly.  For example, stating the reason for your child’s absence is that he has an appointment is very different from stating the reason is because they have a doctor or dentist appointment.  The general unspecified appointment is coded an “N” and therefore unexcused, while the medical appointment is coded an “I” and is excused according to the state criteria.

When to Report an Absence:

Parent/Guardian Responsibility:  Parents are expected to clear a student’s absence on the day the student is absent. Absences must be cleared only by a parent/guardian phone call to the Attendance Office at 650-558-2808 within 48 hours of the absence.  After this period, an absence cannot be cleared and can affect a student’s overall grade in a class and participation in extracurricular activities. This policy applies to tardies as well.  

Absences not cleared by the parent/guardian within 48 hours of the absence will be considered a permanent cut/truancy absence. 

Parent/guardians and students should make every effort to schedule non-school appointments outside school hours. If this is unavoidable, the student must have the parent/guardian call the Attendance Office at 558-2808 to obtain a “Permit to Leave” prior to departure. Students who leave campus without a “Permit to Leave” will receive a permanent cut/truancy absence – even if a parent calls to clear the absence afterward.  A “cut” is identified by a “T” on a student’s attendance record. Students are responsible for any missed work/assignments.

Attendance Codes in Aeries 

Students and parents are advised to check Aeries often to check for the accuracy of each student’s attendance.  This is even more important in the event that they receive a call from the Attendance Office indicating that the student has been marked absent for one or more periods in a day.  Please call the attendance office immediately if there are any incorrect entries in your student’s attendance record.

A – Activity

B – 30+ Minutes Tardy

G – Religious

I – Illness

L – Tardy

M – Tardy Excused

N – Unexcused Absence

S – Suspended 

T – Truant (Cut)

U – Unverified

X – Excused

Y – ATS/Alternative to Suspension Program

Excused Absences:

Illness: Verified quarantine, medical, dental, or optometry services are defined by state law as excused absences. Students are permitted to make up all work missed.

Non-Illness: Absences for the funeral of a student's immediate family or court mandated appearances may be excused upon proper verification. These absences are considered excused and warranted. Students are permitted to make up all work missed if the absence is excused. 

Religious released time: Pupils with the consent of their parents or guardians, through phone call to the Attendance Office, may be excused from school in order to participate in religious or moral exercises and instruction as provided by the Education Code. Students are permitted to make up for all work missed.

Hall Pass and Not At School (NAS) Policies:

Hall Passes

All students must have a hall pass when they are out of class during instructional time, including Teaching Assistants. Students that do not have a hall pass may receive detention. Students loitering or roaming the campus without a hall pass may also receive detention.

Not at School (NAS) Periods 1 or 6 or 7

Students with a free 1st and 7th period who wish to remain on campus must obtain a “NAS” (Not at School) sticker from Ms. Chavez Solorzano in room A134 and must remain in the library to do academic work, Career Center, classroom with teacher permission and presence, or for a school related activity/event. Otherwise, students must be off campus. NAS periods are periods 1 or 6 or 7 only. 

Excused Absences

Please see SMUHSD Administrative Regulation 5113 for a list of excused absences.