Attendance

 

Attendance & Tardy Policies | Attendance Office: (916) 567-5740

Your child’s attendance patterns often have a direct link with their achievement. Frequent absences hurt academic performances. California State Law mandates that children must be on time and attend every day school is in session unless they are ill.
Excused Absences:
  1. Student illness
  2. Student medical appointment
  3. Bereavement (for member of immediate family)
  4. Observances of religious holiday
For any of the above reasons, parents must notify the NP3 school office within 24 hours. This must be done by phone.
Absence Procedure: When a student is absent, the parent/guardian is to call the office (High/Middle 916-567-5740, Elementary 916-567-5890, or bring a written note stating the reason and date(s) of the absence(s) on the day the student returns to school.
All other absences shall be considered unexcused including absences for family vacations and/or trips.
Process for Upholding the Attendance Policy
First Day of School Policy:
  • Students who are not in attendance on the first day of school will be contacted by phone to ensure their intent to enroll.
  • Students who have indicated their intent to enroll, but have not attended by the third day will receive a communication (phone call, letter, and email) indicating the student will be disenrolled after the end of the third day.
Extended Unexcused Absence Policy:
Students who have ten (10) consecutive unexcused absences during the school year will be at risk of being disenrolled from the roster after a hearing with the SARB.
Procedure:
  • If a student reaches ten (10) consecutive unexcused absences during the academic year, the parents will be contacted by phone to review the policy and its consequences.
  • If required a follow up letter will be sent after the phone conversation stating possible consequences and a referral to the SARB.
Cumulative Absence Policy:
  • Students who have been absent for 10% of the school year (combined excused and unexcused) may be referred to the SARB.
Procedure
  • Students who have unexcused absences totaling 2% of the school year (5 days) will receive a communication notice by phone.
  • Students who have unexcused absences totaling 8 days will receive a written communication notice and a follow-up phone call.
  • Students who have unexcused absences totaling 11 days of the school year may be referred to the SARB.
These policies will be enforced fairly, uniformly, and consistently without regard to race, creed, color, sex or physical or mental disabilities.
Student Attendance Review Board (SARB)
NP3 School has implemented a Student Attendance Review Board (“SARB”) process to address attendance and tardy issues. The SARB is designed to meet with parent/ guardians of children who have exceeded the allowable amount of unexcused absences. 
The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the child’s attendance record and develop a plan for the child’s regular participation in school drawing from community resources where possible. The team may include representatives of the school, including teachers and the Executive Director.
SARB Procedures
1: Formal Written Notice
Formal Written Notice sent home to parents/guardians alerting them to their child’s absence or tardiness pursuant to the above referenced attendance issues.
2: Formal Meeting Notice – SARB Meeting
(Parent/guardian and student are required to be in attendance)
When a student is referred to the SARB, the parent/ guardian will be sent a formal meeting notice inviting them to a mandatory SARB meeting.
The parent/ guardian and the Student will be required to attend the SARB meeting, during which time the SARB will consider whether it is in the best interest of the student to remain enrolled in NP3. This meeting shall be held as soon as possible. The parent/guardian may request one postponement, not to exceed five (5) school days, of the SARB meeting for good cause.
At the SARB meeting, the parent/ guardian and student shall be informed of the reason for the Attendance review and the evidence of the student’s violations of this policy. If the parent and/or representative do not attend the SARB meeting, the SARB will review the relevant information and make a determination in the student’s absence.
The parent and/or his/her representative shall be given the opportunity to present information and/or witnesses to the SARB either orally or in writing or both during the meeting. The SARB shall take any information presented by the parent/ guardian and student into consideration when determining whether to recommend that the student be placed on an attendance contract and subject to disenrollment upon further violation of this policy. Additional factors to be considered include but are not limited to the following:
  • Students’ grades at the time of the evaluation Teacher observation/feedback
  • Student’s progress in the curriculum
  • Disruption to other students when student arrives late
The SARB’s decision shall be provided in writing to the parent/guardian within two (2) days of the meeting.
The SARB may:
  • Place the student on probation and require an attendance contract be signed by both the Parent and the Student acknowledging that any further unexcused absences or tardies shall be cause for another hearing in front of the SARB, which may result in dismissal from NP3.
  • Place the student on attendance probation to be evaluated again at a later time if the student continues to fail to attend school on time,
  • Use other alternatives to improve attendance,
  • Disenroll the student from NP3
Appeal of Disenrollment
If a student is disenrolled from NP3 by the SARB, the parent/guardian may appeal the SARB decision to the governing Board of NP3.
The appeal must be in writing and delivered to the Executive Director within five (5) business days after the postmarked date of the notice of disenrollment. During the appeals process the student must continue to attend NP3 until the Board makes the final decision regarding the appeal.
The Board shall schedule the appeal to be heard within thirty (30) days.  The Board shall send out written notice of the date, time and location of the meeting to the parent/ guardian.
The appeal shall proceed as follows:
  • The Board shall review the attendance records and any documents submitted by the Parent. The Board shall also review all records considered by the SARB.
  • The Student/Parent or his/her representative may address the Board regarding the matter.
  • The Executive Director or SARB representative may address the Board regarding the Student’s attendance.
The final decision with regard to continued enrollment at NP3 shall be Made within ten (10) school days following the conclusion of the hearing. The parent shall be informed in writing of the Board’s decision. The decision of the Board is final.