Attendance Office Information
Report an Absence
The Faculty, Staff and Administration believe that regular attendance plays a key role in the success a student achieves in school. We recognize it is a responsibility under law to ensure that students attend school on a regular basis. Parents / Guardians of our students are responsible for sending their children to school full-time.
To report an all-day absence, please call the TVHS 24-Hour Attendance line: 951-695-7315
Attendance Office Hours: 7:30 am - 4:00 pm
951-695-7300 x 25003
When leaving a message please remember to leave the following information:
- Student's full legal name (we have many students with the same or very similar names)
- Grade
- Reason for absence
- Your relationship to the student
- A phone number where we can reach you
You can also:
- Bring a note to our Attendance Office
- Click here to report a student absence
- Visit our Attendance Office - please remember to bring your ID
We must receive one of these within 24 hours of your students' absence. After 24 hours, if we have not heard from a parent/guardian, all absences will then be marked as TRUANT.
TVUSD Attendance Policy
Students need to check in with the attendance office when arriving 30+ minutes after their first class of the day. If students do not check in at attendance, the student's absence will not be cleared even if a parent has called in to excuse the absence.
Please be advised that we do not accept walk-ins or call in checkouts for the last 30 minutes of the normal school day which would be 3:00pm or on Early Release Wednesdays,which would be 1:45pm. If you know that you will need to check your student out after 3pm, please call 951 695-7300 ext. 25003 at least 2 hours in advance to check your student out OR send a note with your student. Please DO NOT leave a message on the 24 hour absence recorder to check your student out. Remind your student to come to the Attendance Office before class, during break, at lunch or during passing periods to pick up his or her pass.
Excusing Absences
Parent/Guardians have 15 days from the date of the initial absence to change the truant mark to the correct reason for the absence (ie: illness, doctor/dental/ortho appt., personal business, etc.) To change the mark from truant to the actual reason for the absence the parent or guardian needs to do one of the following: Call the 24 hour Attendance Line @ 951-695-7315 to report the reason for the absence, come into the Attendance Office to address the reason for the absence or send a note with your student to give to attendance briefly explaining the reason for the absence.
If the truant mark remains after 15 days the student's name is sent to Campus Supervision and will possibly be given a Saturday School.
Attendance & Check-Out Procedures
Please give the office at least a 2 hour notice, or call in the morning on the day of the absence to check your student out. Please advise your student to go to the Attendance Office window to pick-up an off campus pass before school, at break, lunch or between classes. Your student will be instructed to meet you outside by the circular drive-way in front of the Administration Office.
Closed Campus
The Governing Board, as authorized by Ed. Code 44808.5, has established a closed campus at all TVUSD schools. Once a student arrives on school ground, he/she must remain on school grounds until the end of the school day, Students may not leave campus for lunch. Students may not have other students from others schools visit at any time.
Effect of Absence on Grades/Credits
If a student's absence is excused under Education Code 48205, he/she shall be allowed to complete any missed assignment or test that can be reasonably given, as determined by the teacher of that class. The student shall be given full credit for the assignment or test if he/she satisfactorily completes the assignment or test within a reasonable period of time. (Education Code 48205)
Checking Out Early During AP, State Testing, & Finals
During testing times the Attendance Office cannot interrupt class to release students. Please plan ahead by giving the Attendance Office at least 1-2 hours notice that you will need your student released.
The Attendance Office cannot interrupt classrooms to release students. Please arrange for your student to go to the Attendance window and pick up their pass to leave between classes, at break or lunch.
Reminder
When a student has had more than 14 absences in the school year for illness verified by methods listed (see Board Policy 5113ar) any further absences for illness shall be verified by a physician.
Excused absences from school shall be excused only for health reasons, family emergencies and justifiable personal reasons, (see absence and excuses Board Policy 5113ar), as permitted by law, Board Policy, and administrative regulations. (Education Code 48205)
Arriving Late to School
Students who are late to school, arriving after 8:30am but before 9am, need to report directly to class. These tardies are handled by the classroom teacher.*
If arriving after 9:00am, students are considered tardy-truant and they must check in at the Attendance Office - they'll receive a tardy slip. If they come in with a note from a parent/guardian it's an excused tardy.* If they do not have a note they may bring one in the following day or a parent may call us to clear or excuse the tardy-truant.
*Please note: regarding an excused tardy slip from the Attendance Office OR a note given to the teacher from the student (if arriving before 9am) it is the individual teachers' discretion to accept a note or tardy slip as "excused". If excused tardy is denied by the teacher, it's usually due to too many notes and/or tardies.
Attendance Makes A Difference!
Elementary Parents and Students - Did you know?
- Starting in kindergarten, too many absences can cause children to fall behind in school.
- Missing 10 percent (or about 18 days) can make it harder to learn to read.
- Students can still fall behind if they miss just a day or two days every few weeks.
- Being late to school may lead to poor attendance.
- Absences can affect the whole classroom if the teacher has to slow down learning to help children catch up.
- Missing two or more days a month will make your child chronically absent.
- Only 17% of kids who are chronically absent in kindergarten and 1st grade can read at grade level after 3rd grade.
- Set a regular bedtime and morning routine.
- Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.
- Find out what day school starts and make sure your child has the required shots.
- Introduce your child to his/her teachers and classmates before school starts to help him/her transition.
- Don’t let your child stay home unless he/she is truly sick. Keep in mind complaints of a stomach ache or a headache can be a sign of anxiety and not a reason to stay home.
- If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to teachers, school counselors, or other parents for advice on how to make him/her feel comfortable and excited about learning.
- Develop backup plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, a neighbor, or another parent.
- Avoid medical appointments during the school day if possible.
Middle/High School Parents and Students - Did you know?
- Students should miss no more than 7 days of school each year to stay engaged, successful and on track to graduation.
- Absences can be a sign that a student is losing interest in school, struggling with school work, dealing with a bully or facing some other potentially serious difficulty.
- By 6th grade, absenteeism is one of three signs that a student may drop out of high school.
- By 9th grade, regular and high attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than 88th-grade test scores.
- Missing 10 percent, or about 18 days, of the school year can drastically affect a student’s academic success.
- Attendance is an important life skill that will help your child graduate from college and keep a job
What you can do...
- Talk about the importance of showing up to school everyday, make that the expectation.
- Help your child maintain daily routines, such as finishing homework and getting a good night’s sleep.
- Try not to schedule dental and medical appointments during the school day.
- Don’t let your child stay home unless truly sick.
- Complaints of headaches or stomach aches may be signs of anxiety
Help your teen stay engaged
- Find out if your child feels engaged by his classes and feels safe from bullies and other threats. Make sure he/she is not missing class because of behavioral issues and school discipline policies. If any of these are problems, work with your school.
- Stay on top of academic progress and seek help from teachers or counselor if necessary. Make sure teachers know how to contact you.
- Stay on top of your child’s social contacts. Peer pressure can lead to skipping school, while students without many friends can feel isolated.
- Encourage meaningful after school activities, including sports and clubs
Communicate with the school
- Know the school’s attendance policy – incentives and penalties
- Talk to teachers if you notice sudden changes in behavior. These could be tied to something going on at school.
- Check on your child’s attendance to be sure absences are not piling up.
- Ask for help from school officials, after school programs, other parents or community agencies if you’re having trouble getting your child to school.