Regular attendance is essential to your child’s success in school. Please make every effort to avoid absences and tardies. We appreciate your cooperation in helping each student to receive the best education possible. If you have any questions please call the office at 688-4025.

In the event that your child will be absent or tardy please remember the following.

Tardies:

• Students who arrive late to school must report to the school office for a tardy slip. Attendance is taken first thing in the morning and if late students do not report to the office they may be counted as absent for the entire day.

Absences:

• Each day that a student is absent the school office must be notified. Please notify the office in person, call the school office at 805-688-4025 or send an e-mail to the attendance office, Larissa Cortez. If leaving a message or sending an e-mail please make sure to include the student’s full name, grade, and the reason for their absence.
• If you are unable to call during an absence please send a note with your student upon their return giving the date, number of days absent, and reason for the absence. If a student returns without a parent excuse notification must be given within two school days or the absence will be considered a truancy.
• Please note that Ed. Code 48205 states that the only valid excuse from school is illness, quarantine, medical, dental, optometric, or chiropractic appointment, attending a funeral of an immediate family member, jury duty, religious holiday, religious retreat attendance, employment conference attendance or court appearance.

Independent Study:

• If a student will be absent for 5 or more days please notify the office at least 2 weeks prior to request an Independent Study. Homework and schoolwork for the days they will be absent will then be put together for them to complete during their absence and submit upon their return.
• A student on independent study is responsible for the completion of all work assigned during their absence and is responsible for submitting their completed work to their teacher(s) for credit.

Truancy Prevention and Parent Accountability Program

Santa Barbara County has reinstated the Truancy Prevention and Parent Accountability Program. With the program reinstated every school in the county is subject to strict attendance policies. A Deputy District Attorney and the School Attendance Review Board (SARB) oversee the Truancy Program.

The Truancy Prevention and Parent Accountability Program has set the following policies in regards to attendance. Please be aware that Los Olivos School will be adhering to these policies and students who meet the criteria for unexcused absences (including any 30 minute period during the school day) and/or tardies in excess of 30 minutes will be subject to the law. Please note that Ed. Code 48205 states that the only valid excuse from school is illness, quarantine, medical, dental, optometric, or chiropractic appointment, attending a funeral of an immediate family member, jury duty, religious holiday, religious retreat attendance, employment conference attendance or court appearance.

SARB Attendance Policies:

for students with unexcused full day absences or

tardies/partial day absences in excess of 30 minutes:

3 unexcused: Truancy Letter #1

6 unexcused: Truancy Letter #2 and mandatory meeting with SARB representatives

9 unexcused: Truancy Letter #3, meeting with Principal and classified as habitual truant

12 unexcused: Truancy Letter #4, meeting with Truancy Mediation Team and District Attorney

14 unexcused: Truancy Letter #5, meeting with SARB, District Attorney and Probation

In addition, Los Olivos School will be holding students accountable with the detention policy that was put in place last school year.

Los Olivos School Attendance Policies:

Students whom have three unexcused absences or tardies in a trimester will serve detention.

Grades 1-3: Ten Minutes          Grades 4-8: Fifteen Minutes

Students whom have six unexcused absences or tardies in a trimester will serve detention:

Grades 1-3: Twenty Minutes          Grades 4-8: Thirty Minutes

Students whom have nine unexcused absences or tardies in a trimester will serve detention:

Grades 1-3: Thirty Minutes          Grades 4-8: Forty-five Minutes

Our goal is to reinforce the importance of being on time and at school. Parents can certainly help by supporting our goal with family routines at home. We encourage your cooperation. Attendance is one of the keys to a successful school experience.