STUDENT/PARENT RESPONSIBILITIES AND GUIDELINES REGARDING ATTENDANCE

 Excused Absences from Compulsory Attendance

Education Code Section 48205 permits a pupil to be excused from school under certain circumstances.

• Illness
• Medical, dental, optometry, chiropractic services(documentation from office required)
• Quarantine
• Funeral of immediate family, limited to 1 day in the state, 3 days out of state
• Court Appearance*
• Illness of custodial child*
• Religious holiday or ceremony*
• Religious retreats limited to 4 hours per semester*
• Employment conferences*
• Other reasons pursuant to board policy*

*Prior approval of these absences must be requested in writing on the appropriate form (click here) by parent/guardian and approved by an administrator.

*All absences MUST be cleared within 72 hours

PHILOSOPHY

The primary responsibility of the student is to be in class to maximize his/her opportunities for success. Excessive tardiness and absences have a direct correlation to poor student performance and are detrimental to the learning environment. Parents, students, teachers, and administrators all have a shared responsibility to ensure that quality education is the priority. Las Virgenes Unified School District attendance policy is directed toward achieving that goal.

Parents may review their student's daily attendance by accessing the school's website, www.lvusd.org/agoura, and logging on to the Aeries system with your student's username and password. Passwords are mailed to parents at the beginning of each school year. If you misplace your password, they are available with a picture ID in the Counseling Office.

Full Day Absences: A student can clear an absence by:

Parent or guardian must complete the AHS Absence Verification Form (CLICK HERE FOR FORM) within 72 hours*.  Medical office visits require documentation, which can be uploaded to the form or brought by the student to the attendance office upon the student’s return to school. If the absence is one that needed to be pre-approved please bring a copy of the signed/approved form.

*All absences must be cleared within 72 hours or the absence will be considered a truant absence(unexcused) and assignments may not be made up for credit.  Parents will be notified by phone and mail regarding unverified absences.

Students Arriving Late to School: All students must sign in (signature and arrival time) at the Attendance Office before going to class. A parent/guardian must complete the AHS Absence Reporting Form(must be completed within 72 hours in order to clear the absence. 

Early Leave Absences: Students leaving campus early for any reason(except health) throughout the normal school day must check out in advance through the Attendance Office. A student may check out during the day if:  The parent/guardian has completed the AHS Early-Leave Reporting Form (Early Dismissal Form (click here) by 9:00am, so the off-campus pass can be generated.  Students can pick up their off-campus pass during Nutrition and Lunch. Medical office visits require documentation, which can be uploaded to the form or brought by the student to the attendance office upon the student’s return to school.

Students leaving campus for any reason must check out at the Attendance or Health Office. Students must sign in at the Attendance Office when they return to campus. Students leaving campus for any reason and not checking out through the Attendance or Health Office will be considered truant for that particular class period. A parent phone call or email will NOT clear a truant or unverified absence when a student has left campus without authorization. Students must be in school all day in order to practice or participate in a game, practice, rehearsal, performance or activity. Requests for exceptions must be made in advance through the Attendance Office.

Attendance Policy: Students may be recommended to a SARB(School Attendance Review Board) meeting if he/she has accumulated six (6) unexcused tardies or three (3) unexcused absences to a class. 

Tardiness: It is the responsibility of the student to be on time for all classes. Eight minutes are allowed for students to pass from one class to the next. Teachers will make the determination regarding excused or unexcused classroom tardies. Exceptions will be made by administration decision only. A student is truant if up to 30 minutes late to class.

Truancies: A student is truant when absent from school or a class without permission of the school or parent. Truant students will be assigned hours of discipline and may be cited by the Sheriff. No make-up work is permitted when a student is marked truant. Students may not leave school without being checked out in advance by the Attendance or Health Office.

Absences: All unexcused tardies and absences will be dealt with in the same manner as truancy. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to notify the school by completing the AHS Absence Reporting Form within 72 hours of an absence. Absent students are not permitted on campus to attend a class, take a test, or turn in paper/homework. Absent students who are seen on campus are considered truant.

Absences, Excused: Illness normally will be excused with parent verification. Verification of an appointment by the doctor or dentist (i.e., doctor's stamp, receipt, etc., but NOT a doctor's signature) must be presented when the student returns to school or uploaded to the appropriate form. Full credit in the class will be given upon completion of make-up work or tests when the absence is considered excused. The time limit for make-up work is one day for every day absent plus one day after returning from an absence.

Absences, Excused (not ill): Absences due to death* in the family, religious observances*, court appearances*, illness of custodial child*, religious retreat*(4 hours per semester only), employment conference, or other reasons pursuant to board policy MUST have prior approval from an administrator. Notice must be received no later than two weeks before the absence begins. Full credit will be given upon completion of make-up work or tests. The time limit for make-up work is one day for every day absent plus one day after returning from an absence.

Independent Study should be requested prior to the absences if your student will be absent for longer than 5 days. 

Illness or Injury During School: A student who feels too ill to continue in the school day must obtain a pass from their teacher to report to the Health Office. Failure to report back to class or the Heath Office will be considered a truancy.

Make-up Procedure: Students shall "make-up" assignments and tests during the time allotted by the make-up procedure. Students will have only one opportunity to do so unless extreme circumstances, as verified by the Attendance Office, cause further absence on the "make-up" deadline date. Make-up work shall be reasonably equivalent to, but not necessarily identical to, the work missed during the excused absence. Students must initiate the process.

Off-Campus Passes (for appointments): Requests by a parent for a student to visit a doctor, dentist, or other appointments should be made prior to the appointment time.   The parent/guardian must complete the AHS Early Leave Reporting Form. When returning from the appointment, verification from the doctor/dentist (doctor's stamp or receipt but not a doctor's signature) will be required.

Off-Campus Passes For Lunch: 11th and 12th-grade students who are eligible with parental consent, are eligible to go off campus during lunch and support. 9th and 10th graders are to remain on campus at all times.

18-Year-Old Waiver: In order for 18-year-old students to report their absences, a parent waiver must be on file in the Attendance Office. Students must pick up the waiver in the Attendance Office. When the waiver is returned, Attendance Office personnel will call to verify that the parent/guardian has signed the waiver.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS/TELEPHONE NUMBERS: In order to process an address change you must provide the attendance office with a copy of a current utility bill (gas, electric or water.) Telephone number changes must also be requested in writing from a parent only.