Attendance

Excused Absences

24 Hour Absence Message Hotline (949) 493-7685

An excused absence may include illness/injury, medical or dental appointments, serious illness or death in the immediate family, religious holidays, college visits, & court appearances. At any time, you may leave a voicemail regarding your child's absence on our 24-hour Message Line.

ID Cards

Students must carry their school ID cards at all times. Students who are permitted to leave campus early, due to their class schedule, must have the appropriate sticker on their ID card. If a student has forgotten or misplaced their ID card, they may only leave campus if a parent/guardian calls to excuse them. Replacement ID cards are available for a fee at the Activities Office.

Leaving Early from School

It is sometimes necessary for the student to leave before the school day is over. In this case, a parent/guardian must contact the Attendance Office prior to the student leaving campus. It is the responsibility of the student to come to the Attendance Office before he/she leaves campus to pick up a prearranged early out slip – not during class time. Please coordinate with your child the details regarding his/her early departure from school and where you will pick up your child. Students who leave campus without permission are considered truant and parents are unable to clear the truancy. Parents are expected to follow DHHS’ closed campus policy and not pick up students before first notifying the Attendance Office staff. Students who leave without an Off-Campus Pass will be subject to disciplinary actions.

Tardy Policy

Tardies

Attendance Hotline (949)496-6935

Students who arrive at school after the bell but less than 30 minutes late should proceed directly to class, since the Attendance Office will not write tardy excuses. Any student who arrives to class after the bell, but less than 30 minutes late, will be considered tardy.

If your child arrives late due to a medical appointment, please have them bring a note and see the Attendance Office upon arrival.

Those who are more than 30 minutes late will be marked absent by the teacher and will need a pass from the Attendance Office. Per Education Code and Board Policy, all rules pertaining to unexcused absences will also apply to a tardy of 30 minutes or more.

For additional information regarding possible consequences resulting from tardies and truancies, please reference the CUSD High School Disciplinary Policies and Procedures Handbook.

Truancies

Attendance Hotline (949) 496-6935

Any unverified absence that is not cleared with the Attendance Office within 72 hours becomes a truancy and disciplinary action may be taken by DHHS Administration.
If your student receives a truancy letter/message, this absence must now be verified through the truancy hotline.
Please use your Parent Portal to check your student’s attendance records and update any contact information.

For additional information regarding possible consequences resulting from tardies and truancies, please reference the CUSD High School Disciplinary Policies and Procedures Handbook.

Attendance Corrections

If your student is marked absent for a period in error: Please have your student pick up an Attendance Correction Form in Attendance. The student needs to complete the form, obtain the teacher signature, and return the completed form to the Attendance Dept. in order for Attendance to make the correction.

Independent Study

If a student will be away from the classroom for a minimum of 3 days and a maximum of 14 days (per school year), a Short Term Independent Study Contract (ISC) can be arranged through the Attendance Office.

This contract provides students with lessons/activities to complete while away from the classroom so they do not fall behind in their studies.

To request an Independent Study Contract, the following procedures are necessary:

A telephone call, email, or note from the parent must be received at least two weeks prior to the student’s first school day away from the classroom
Students must have a minimum of 4 academic classes to qualify
The student is responsible for picking up the contract packet, filling out all information on the contract, gathering all required parent and teacher signatures, and distributing/collecting homework assignment sheets to/from the teachers.
At least one school day prior to the student leaving on the trip, the student must bring the completed packet to the Attendance Office for processing. The student will then be given copies of all paperwork/assignments to take on the trip.
The first school day after the ending date of the ISC, the student must turn in all paperwork and completed homework to the Attendance Office (not the teacher). The Attendance Office will return all homework assignments for grading purposes to the teacher after processing.
If work was done solely on Canvas, the student must print a minimum of TWO completed assignments from two DIFFERENT subjects and attach them to their corresponding assignment sheet.
Independent Study contracts will not be issued the first two weeks of a semester, the last week of a school year, or during final exams. Please plan accordingly.

Due to the strict auditing process by the State, if these procedures are not followed, the contract becomes invalid. Additionally, if a student does not follow the Independent Study Contract requirements then they might not qualify for another Independent Study Contract for the remainder of the year.

Please contact the Attendance Office at (949) 496-6935 to arrange an Independent Study Contract. If you have any questions, please feel free to email Connie Gutierrez at cbgutierrez@capousd.org.