Brookside

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• California compulsory education laws require schools to report truancies. Truancy, as defined by the law, is a student who has missed three school days or is tardy or absent more than 30 minutes during the school day on three occasions in one school year without a valid excuse.
• Valid excuses are illness/injury, quarantine under the direction of a health officer, a medical/dental appointment that can only be scheduled during school hours, and funeral services for a member of the immediate family. Please note that, even with an illness excuse, the school will require a note from a medical practitioner if the number of illness days exceeds three consecutive or ten in a school year. Of course, we understand that illnesses occur and appreciate you contacting the office and keeping children home when fever, vomiting, or contagious virus/infection occurs. For a complete list of excused absences, please refer to AR 5113. 
• Religious Holidays: An excused absence for a religious holiday will be granted upon prior written request of parents or guardians. Please contact the school in advance of these holidays.
• Trips and family vacations are not valid excuses under the law. These absences must be reported as truancies. However, there is a provision made for this if your family will be away for five or more school days: with advanced notice, an Independent Study contract may be requested. In this case, the absence can be excused if assigned class work is completed during the absence and turned in upon returning to school. Independent Study Contracts (timelines and requirements) can be obtained through the school office.  While Independent Study Contracts are available, we encourage families to schedule vacations during non-school days because of the student stresses and academic disruptions that often accompany these absences.
• Attendance/Truancy letters are automatically generated and mailed home once a student misses three or more school days without having reported a valid excuse as defined under the law OR, because of mounting and excessive absences, even with a valid excuse.
• Chronically Absent refers to a student who misses 10% or more of school, even with a valid excuse.  
• Once a student is designated a truant, state law requires schools, districts, counties, and courts to intervene to ensure that parents and pupils receive certain services to assist them in complying with attendance laws.