Attendance FAQs

Every minute of a child’s time at school is important. Children who are absent for even one day, or who arrive late to class, miss valuable instruction time and can easily fall behind in school. They also miss important socialization time and fun with their peers. To assist you in better understanding our District’s attendance policies and procedures, here are some of the most frequently asked questions regarding attendance.

Who must attend school in California?

What do I do if my child is absent from school?

How do I verify my student’s absence?

Why do I have to verify my child’s absence?

Once you have called in your student’s absence…

What happens if I forget to call in my child’s absence on the day of their absence?

What absences can be excused?

Examples of unexcused absences:

What if my child’s absences do not fall under any of the Excused absences categories?

State law, EC §48260-48273, is very specific about these types of absences. A student who is absent from school without a valid excuse will be marked “unexcused” for the day. An unexcused absence may be either an unverified absence (e.g., when a student “cuts” school) or a verified unexcused absence that occurs with the approval of the parent/guardian that does not meet California EC for excused absences. For example, missing school due to a family vacation would be an unexcused absence. An unexcused absence is a truancy.

I thought “truancy” indicated that my child skipped/cut school. Why would my child be considered “truant” if I called to verify the absence?

In accordance with the Education Code of the State of California [EC § 48260-48273], any pupil who is absent from school for 3 days or more without a valid excuse, or tardy in excess of 30 minutes or more is “truant”. Your school is required to notify you if your child is truant under California law. These notifications come in the form of a truancy letter. At FUSD, we typically choose to discuss truancy by using words such as “absent” or “ severely tardy” (tardy greater than 30 minutes). Our focus is not on punishing or shaming students or families, but to acknowledge the areas of improvement we work on together.

In accordance with Fowler Unified School Attendance Policy, you will receive letter #1 after 3 absences, letter #2 after 6 absences and letter #3 after 9 absences.

Do I need a doctor’s note to verify an absence for illness?

Typically, no, a doctor’s note is not needed. However, a doctor’s note helps verify an excused absence and may be required if excessive absences due to illness have previously occurred. Please keep in mind, parent/guardian verification is typically sufficient for absence clearance as per Ed. Code 56102, however, if a student is chronically absent due to illness r, FUSD may require a doctor’s note for absence verification. FUSD AR 5113.

What can I do if my student has an unavoidable absence need?

If your student must be absent, you may request that your child is signed up for short term independent study. Short term independent study is administered at your child’s school site and is approved by the site principal. State law allows up to 15 days per year, for short term independent study. This allows for your student to continue to actively participate in their education, therefore, these days will not add towards their chronic absenteeism count. Ed. Code 46300(e), EC Sections 51747(g)(9)(A) and 51749.6(b)(1), and EC Section 51747.5(b)(2)(A)(ii)

Chronic Absenteeism – What It Means & What You Can Do

What is it?

Missing 10% or more of school days for any reason - excused, unexcused, or off-campus suspensions - in a single school year. That's about 18 days in a typical 180-day year.

Why it matters:

Even a few missed days can cause your child to fall behind academically and feel disconnected.
Could signal early dropout risks.
High absence rates affect school funding.

What you can do:

Track all absences - keep a calendar for easy monitoring.
Watch the red flag - 10% missed days = (≈ 2 days/month).
-Satisfactory = 8 or less absences per school year
-At Risk = 9 to 17 absences per school year
-Moderate Chronic = 18 to 36 absences per school year
-Severely Chronic = 37 or mroe absences per school year
Reach out early - talk with teachers, counselors, or other school staff if absences tack up.
Address issues together - transporation, health, or social barriers can often be resolved with suppport from school personnnel.
Celebrate improvements - recognizing better attendance motivates studetns to continue improving!