Best practice is to return your child to school with a written note stating the following:

1. Student Name
2. Student ID Number
3. Date and Reason for the absence
4. Your contact number
5. Your signed name as the parent/guardian.

This note is to be submitted to the Attendance Window located in the front office.

Per State Law and Board Policy, you must verify each absence within 72 hours of the absence. After 72 hours, unverified absences are considered unexcused.

You may also call the FHS  Attendance Office at (805) 389-6462 to leave a message with the same information required on the written note. 

All notes and call logs received are stored in your student’s attendance folder. Please do not leave messages on any other phone line or leave notes in any other location on campus. 

You can monitor your child’s attendance on ParentVUE. 

Per Ed Code [EC 48205], valid or excused absences are:

1. Student illness
2. Student medical/dental appointment
3. Illness or medical appointment during school hours of a child to whom the student is the custodial parent
4. Quarantine under the direction of a county or city health officer. 
5. Attendance of funeral of an immediate family member is five (5) days.
6. Specific religious activities, court orders, and limited visits with immediate family members called to or returning from military combat duty

You will receive your First Excessive Excused Absence Notification in the mail after eight excused absences (missing class time 30 minutes or more of any day)and your Second after twelve excused absences. After reaching 14 days of excused absences, all future absences due to illness must be verified by a physician for each day of absence.  Excessive Excused Absence Letters are generated to alert the parent/guardian of the student's accrued excused absences.  After 14 ill/medical appointment absences, any additional absences for illness/medical appointment must be verified by a physician to be considered excused (Board Policy 5113).

State law [EC 48260-48273] is very specific about these types of absences. A student whose absences are not within Ed Code [EC 48205] will be marked “unexcused” for the day. These types of absences are also called “truancies.”

By law [EC 48260-48273], any pupil who misses 30 minutes or more of three or more school days without a valid excuse, whether it’s one period each day or three whole days, is considered truant. Unexcused absences include but are not limited to: Skipping class, Vacations, Family Events, Going out of town, FMC appointments, Car trouble, Traffic, Missed bus/ride, Caring for a family member, Non-school sports or other activities, improperly leaving campus early, Late and/or incomplete attendance notes, and any other reason not included in [E.C. 48205].

Compulsory Education Law requires that students attend FULL days every day. Losing 30 minutes or more of instructional time also considered a truancy if it does not fall within Ed Code 48205 .

Make sure that you send your student to school on the day of an appointment with a note to excuse the absence and to get a pass to class or a pass to be excused from class at the right time.

Letters are automatically generated approximately every two weeks alerting you of your child’s attendance. You will receive a “First Notification of Truancy” after your child’s 3rd unexcused absence. You will receive a “Second Notification of Truancy” after your child’s 5th unexcused absence.

Depending on the severity of absences, you will be asked to attend a meeting with the Attendance Advisor at 805-389-6462 to discuss how to improve your child’s attendance.

If your child’s attendance doesn’t improve after the conference and the 10^th unexcused absence occurs, you may receive a “Third Notification of Truancy” and could be scheduled for a School Attendance Review Team meeting.  This team of educators and members of the community, including the District Attorney,  will review your child’s attendance record and situation to provide support and intervention to encourage improved attendance. Should attendance continue to be an issue after this meeting,  penalties may be issued.

OUHSD offers alternative educational options for students with special circumstances that have been verified by a physician. Please contact your student’s counselor if you are in this situation.

If your child must go out of town for 5 or more days, you may request that your child be signed up for an Independent Study Agreement by his or her counselor. Please note that teachers will need at least one week in advance to prepare materials.

In order to obtain an off campus pass and get your student to their appointment on time, you must bring a note signed and dated with the reason and time of release for your student. This will avoid disrupting the instructional environment. 

Off campus passes are distributed by the Attendance Office and/or the Front Office. 

You must come to the office to sign your student out of school. Under no circumstances will a student be allowed to leave with any person other than his/her parent or guardian without written consent.  For the safety of our students, we are required to see a Photo ID. 

Leaving campus without clearance will be treated as a truancy.

Off campus passes are distributed by the Attendance Office and/or the Front Office.