Attendance

To assist you in better understanding TVCS policies we will answer some of the most frequently asked questions regarding attendance. 

What do I have to do if my child is going to be absent from school?
To verify and report an absence: Online TVCS – Report Absences Online or call the TVCS Attendance Line at 951-294-6775, option 1 or email tjasso@tvcscougars.com.
You must leave your child’s full name, grade, reason for the absence, date of the absence and your name to verify that it was a parent/guardian that is verifying the absence. Or, you may send a note upon your child’s return to school. 

What does it mean to “verify” my child’s absence?
When a student is absent, parents are required to call/email/send a note to the attendance office in order to validate the reason for your child’s absence. We call this process: Absence Verification. 

What happens after I have called in my child’s absence?
The attendance clerk will then proceed to mark your child’s attendance record with an Excused or Unexcused absence according to Ed. Code and TVCS policies. 

What happens if I forget to call my child’s absence on the day of his/her absence?
You may call to verify your child’s absence up to 72 hours after your child has been absent. Absences that are not verified within the time allowed will be considered unexcused absences. After our attendance month accounting cycle closes unexcused absences due to non-verification cannot be overwritten or changed. 

What is considered an Excused Absence?
By law [EDC 48205], excused absences are: illness (fever 100 or more, your child must be fever free for twenty four hours before returning to school), persistent runny nose with yellow-green mucous discharge, rashes (unless there is a note from your physician stating that your child is not contagious). Vomiting/diarrhea (if your child is sent home from school with diarrhea/vomiting he/she needs to be diarrhea free for twenty four hours before returning to school), Medical/Dental appointments (doctor’s note required for verification), death in the family, specific religious reasons, required appearance in court, and exclusion from school for a contagious disease.

How many absences can my child have in one school year?
While we know students do become ill and are unable to attend school, the average number of days missed due to illness is 3 (three) per school year. A student who is absent for any reason on 10 percent or more of the school days in the school year, when the total number of days the student is absent is divided by the total number of days the student is enrolled and school was actually taught in the regular schools of the district, exclusive of Saturdays and Sundays the student is considered a Chronic Absentee [EDC 60901]. 

What happens if my child is absent more than 10 percent during the school year?
In order to be consistent in our communications, our computers are pre-programmed to notify parents of student illnesses at different intervals. You will receive an attendance letter from school upon your child’s 5th and then subsequently on the 10th excused and or unexcused absence. After reaching 10 excused absences for “illness” parents will be required to provide a doctor’s note for each subsequent absence regardless of the reason. 

What can I do if my child has a chronic illness that prevents him/her from being at school regularly?
TVCS will provide options for students with special circumstances that have been verified by a physician. 

What if my child’s absences do not fall under any of the Excused Absences categories?
State law [EDC 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. Three or more of these types of absences are also called “Truancies”. 

I thought “truancy” indicated that a child skipped/ditched school. Why would my child be considered “Truant” if I have called to verify the absence?
In accordance with Education Code of the State of California [EDC 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 (Tardies are only excused with a parent note for illness, doctor/dental note for appointments), is “truant”. 

What about coming in late (tardy) or leaving early for an appointment?
According to State Law [EDC 48260-48273] a student that has an unexcused absence from school in excess of 30 minutes during a school day is also considered “truant”. Compulsory Education Law therefore, requires a student to attend a full day every day! 

What is the process for a child with more than 3 unexcused absences/Tardies?
You will receive letter 1 absence/truancy from the school. On the second absence/truancy letter you will be asked to attend a SART (School Attendance Review Team) meeting which is a meeting with a TVCS Administrator. Additional unexcused absences will result in a referral to the School Attendance Review process. Additional unexcused attendance may result in involuntary withdrawal of the student(s).