Attendance Phone Numbers

Attendance Office (7:30 am-4:00 pm)  461-6186
Absence Recorder   (4:00 pm - 7:30 am) 

Attending class regularly and being on time have a direct effect on a student’s success in meeting course requirements for high school graduation.  Parents are requested to encourage students to attend school punctually everyday unless they are truly ill, and to schedule vacations during student non-attendance days.

Reporting and Clearing Absences

If your student will be absent from school please notify the Attendance Office during school hours at 461-6186on the day of the absence. All absences need to be cleared within 72 hours of the absence. Absences may not be cleared beyond 72 hours.

Attendance and Eligibility

Students must attend school a minimum of 4 periods to be eligible for participation in any school-sponsored activity for that day.

Tardiness and class cuts

Amador Valley High School utilizes a computerized period-by-period attendance system.  Students are accountable for attendance in every class and are marked tardy if they are not in their seats when class begins.  If, after 30 minutes a student is not in class, the absence may be considered a cut.

Closed Campus

Amador Valley High School is a closed campus.  Students may not leave campus without checking out.  If your student needs to leave school during the day please call the Attendance Office at 461-6186 before the time your student needs to leave campus.  A pass will be written and ready for your student to pick up in the office prior to leaving.  If your student becomes ill during the day, he/she needs to check out through the Health Office.  Classrooms cannot be interrupted to notify a student of an appointment.  If a student is expecting an early dismissal, he/she should come to the Attendance Office throughout the day to confirm if it has been arranged.  Leaving campus without prior parental permission or checking out through the office will result in a Saturday School. 

Dialer Information

The telephone dialer makes calls each evening to inform parents if their student was marked absent or tardy for one or more periods that day.  Please call the Attendance Office during the school hours at 461-6186 if you would like clarification or additional information regarding a dialer call. Absences may not be cleared after 72 hours.

Absences and Make-Up Work

Excused Absences

A pupil with an excused absence from school shall be allowed to complete all assignments and tests missed during the absence that can be reasonably provided and, upon satisfactory completion within a reasonable period of time, shall be given full credit. The teacher of any class from which a pupil is absent shall determine the tests and assignments that are reasonably equivalent to, but not necessarily identical to, the tests and assignments that the pupil missed.

Unexcused Absences

Teachers are not obligated to permit make-up work for unexcused absences.  A pupil with an unexcused absence from school under this section may receive a grade of “zero” for assignments in each class for each day of unexcused absence.

Suspensions and Make-Up Work

The teacher of any class may require the suspended pupil to complete any assignments and tests missed during the suspension.

Attendance and Grading

The School Board authorizes a teacher to assign a failing grade or no credit to any pupil whose absences from the teacher's class that are not excused pursuant to Section 48205 equal or exceed a maximum number which shall be specified by the Board in this regulation.

Procedure  

1. School personnel will contact parent/guardian of any pupil whose unexcused absences from a teacher's class equals or exceeds 5 days in order to schedule a School Attendance Review Team meeting at the school.  At this meeting the reasons for the student’s absences will be explored, and the administration will notify the parent that the student will lose credit for the class and will possibly be transferred to an alternative program in the district if the number of unexcused absences for a class has reached or exceeds 10 days.

2. Written notice shall be sent to the parent/ guardian of any pupil whose unexcused absences from a teacher's class equal or exceeds 10 days. Such absences will result in the pupil’s removal from that class and loss of credit for that class and shall result in the transfer to an alternative program in the district unless otherwise determined by the school principal.

3. Included in the written notice shall be the date and time at which the pupil and/or parent/ guardian may appeal the decision to the principal.

4. If the principal denies the appeal, a no credit will be recorded on the pupil's report card, with the notation that the cause was excessive unexcused absences. If the principal approves the appeal, an attendance plan will be drawn up in order to try to improve the student’s attendance.

Appeal Procedure

The pupil and/or parent(s) or guardian(s) have the right to appeal the school-level decision.

1. Within ten days of being notified of the denial of the school level appeal and an impending loss of credit, the parent/guardian may appeal to the Senior Director of Pupil Services.

2. The appeal must be in writing and include valid documentation for absences.

3. Any appeal made after the ten day period will be not accepted. 

4. The Senior Director of Pupil Services will judge each case individually and will have the authority to place the pupil on an attendance probation contract. 

5. At the conclusion of the course, the Senior Director of Pupil Services will consider each case appealed and may, according to circumstances, either deny credit for the course, or restore credit for the course. 

6. The Senior Director of Pupil Services will notify parents, in writing, of the decision.