Attendance and Policies

Full Day Absence

Every student must be in school unless it is necessary for him/her to be absent due to illness, medical appointments (doctor’s note required), court subpoena, religious holidays (4.0 hours per semester) or funeral of a member of the student’s immediate family.

On or one day before the absence a parent/guardian must call the Attendance Office and leave a message. 

Follow these instructions:

• Call the Homestead Attendance Line at 408-522-2513 and leave a voicemail 24-hours prior to the absence OR as soon as possible
• Leave the following information:
  • Student ID number
  • Spell your student's last name and first name
  •  Date(s) of absence
  • Reason for the absence (if no reason is provided or type of appointment is not specified, the absence will be marked as unexcused)
  • Your name, phone # and your relationship to the student

Partial Day Absence

When arriving on campus after school has started your parents should report your late arrival to school.  Permission to leave school before the close of the day’s program for any reason requires parental consent the day before or the morning of the absence. You must obtain an off-campus pass from the Attendance Office before leaving campus!

Follow these instructions:

• Call the Homestead Attendance Line at 408-522-2515 and leave a voicemail one day prior to their absence or as soon as possible  ***This line is constantly being monitored for students that need to leave, but is not answered by a staff member***
• Leave the following information:
  • Student ID number
  • Spell your students last name and first name
  • Date of partial absence
  • Time the student will need to leave or will be arriving back
  • Reason for the absence (if no reason is provided or type of appointment is not specified, the absence will be marked as unexcused)
  • Your name, phone # and your relationship to the student

Students are expected to:

• Attend school daily
• Make up assignments missed within a reasonable period of time
• Attend all classes regularly and punctually
• Follow established attendance procedures

Parents/guardians are expected to:

• Send the student to school daily
• Provide adequate supervision of the minor student so as to ensure regular attendance
• Report all absences of which the parent/guardian is aware to the school within 48 hours
• Cooperate with the school in motivating regular student attendance by:
  • Reinforcing the positive value of regular, punctual school attendance with the student
  • Following established school attendance procedures

District Expectations Regarding Attendance - AR 5113

Students are expected to have on-time, regular school attendance. Parents/legal guardians are expected to support such attendance and to contact the school promptly when a student is absent. When a student has accrued absences due to illness equal to or surpassing ten percent (10%) of the school days, from the date of enrollment to the current day, subsequent absences may be verified by a physician, school nurse, or other school personnel for each additional absence. Absences must be cleared daily, unless other arrangements are made with the school principal or designee. Failure to provide verification from the physician or school health services support specialist will result in those additional absences being recorded as unexcused. Each principal shall be responsible for specific implementation of the District Attendance Policies and Procedures at their school, including written communication regarding the District and School attendance procedures. Students who fail to abide by District expectations regarding attendance, including those who are truant or those students with excessive excused absences may be referred to Truancy Mediation or be required to appear before the District Attorney. 

Excused Absences – EC 46014 and 48205, AR5113

Pupils, with the written consent of their parents or legal guardians, may be excused from school in order to participate in religious exercises or to receive moral or religious instruction.

No pupil shall have their grade reduced or lose academic credit for any excused absence or absences, if missed assignments and tests that can reasonably be provided are satisfactorily completed within a reasonable period of time.   

(a) Notwithstanding Section 48200, a pupil shall be excused from school when the absence is:

(1) Due to their illness.

(2) Due to quarantine under the direction of a county or city health officer.

(3) For the purpose of having medical, dental, optometric, or chiropractic services rendered.

(4) For the purpose of attending the funeral services of a member of their immediate family, so long as the absence is not more than one day if the service is conducted in California and not more than three days if the service is conducted outside California.

(5) For the purpose of jury duty in the manner provided for by law.

(6) Due to the illness or medical appointment during school hours of a child of whom the pupil is the custodial parent.

(7) For justifiable personal reasons, including, but not limited to, an appearance in court, attendance at a funeral service, observance of a holiday or ceremony of their religion, attendance at religious retreats, attendance at an employment conference, or attendance at an educational conference on the legislative or judicial process offered by a nonprofit organization when the pupil's absence is requested in writing by the parent or legal guardian and approved by the principal or a designated representative pursuant to uniform standards established by the governing board.

(8) For the purpose of serving as a member of a precinct board for an election pursuant to Section 12302 of the Elections Code.

(9) For the purpose of spending time with a member of the pupil’s immediate family, who is an active duty member of the uniformed services, as defined in Section 49701, and has been called to duty for, is on leave from, or has immediately returned from, deployment to a combat zone or combat support position. Absences granted pursuant to this paragraph shall be granted for a period of time to be determined at the discretion of the superintendent of the school district.

(b) A pupil absent from school under this section 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 therefor. The teacher of the class from which a pupil is absent shall determine which tests and assignments shall be reasonably equivalent to, but not necessarily identical to, the tests and assignments that the pupil missed during the absence.

(c) For purposes of this section, attendance at religious retreats shall not exceed four hours per semester.

(d) Absences pursuant to this section are deemed to be absences in computing average daily attendance and shall not generate state apportionment payments.

(e) "Immediate family," as used in this section, has the same meaning as set forth in Section 45194, except that references therein to "employee" shall be deemed to be references to "pupil."

Absences due to illness, including doctor's appointments during the school day, may be considered verified in the following ways:

1. Communication from the parent/guardian
   • Call the attendance office (full day or partial day line) on or one (1) day before the absence.
   • All absences must be verified by the parent/guardian within 2 school days, or the absence will be permanently designated as “unexcused”.  Once the 2 days have passed, an unexcused absence cannot be changed regardless of any documentation that you provide.
   • Student may not call themselves in for their absence
   • 18 year-old students may clear their own absences ONLY if they have an “Adult Status” letter on file in the Attendance Office. 
   • If the absence has not been cleared on the day of the absence before 3:00 PM, the attendance automatic calling system will contact your home as a reminder of the absence and the need to clear it. Please be sure the phone number listed as the “household” number on the emergency form filled out at the beginning of the year has a voice messaging system. To make changed to your emergency contacts please login to Infinite Campus or stop by the Main Office.
2. A physician's verification
   • Students should always bring a physician's note if an appointment interferes with any part of a school day. 
   • physicians note should include the date and time of visit
   • When excusing students for confidential medical services or verifying such appointments, staff shall not ask the purpose of such appointments. Staff may contact a doctor or medical office only to verify the time of the appointment
   • 3 consecutive schools days of illness require a doctor’s note
3. School Health Clerk
   • Students who become ill during the school day must check out with the Health Clerk and the parent/guardian will be contacted. If we cannot reach the parent/guardian or someone on the student emergency information, your student will have to wait in the office until contact can be made.  

Student absence for religious instruction or participation in religious exercises may be considered excused. In order to receive an excused absence for participation in a religious exercise or holiday, advance written request by the parent/guardian must be submitted to the school site. Failure to provide the advance written request will result in your child receiving an unexcused absence. Attendance at religious retreats shall not exceed four (4) hours per semester.

Extended absences for family trips are strongly discouraged. Absence due to family trips are unexcused unless the absences has been pre-arranged in advance and has been approved by the principal or a designated representative.

Students are responsible for contacting each teacher to request make-up work. The most efficient way to get missed work is to e-mail teachers directly via Schoology.

Missed work as a result of unexcused absences may result in no credit.

Students with one or more unexcused absences cannot participate in extra-curricular activities (Athletics, band, instrumental and vocal music performances, drama productions, speech contests, all honorary and elected offices (e.g. Homecoming King/Queen/court, class officer, student government officer or representative), FBLA, DECA, robotics, state contests and performances for cheerleading and drill team, mock trial, or any other activity where the student represents the Fremont Union High School District in a defined competition/contest) on the day of the absence.

College visits, Senior ditch/cut day, family trips, DMV or any appointment that is not for medical purposes are considered unexcused.

All absences must be verified by the parent/guardian within 5 school days, or the absence will be permanently designated as “unexcused”.  Once the 5 days have passed, an unexcused absence cannot be changed regardless of any documentation that you provide. 

Cutting classes will result in parent/guardian contact, a conference with the Dean and detention.

The potential effects of unexcused absence are:

1. Student report cards may be noted incomplete
2. Student grades may be affected
3. Students will not be allowed to make up missed assignments
4. Forfeit of extra-curricular activities (sports, drama, music programs, clubs, dances/prom)
5. Suspension
6. Referral to the Truancy Abatement Program and/or removal from the class

Students must remain on campus during brunch and tutorial. Students are permitted to leave campus for lunch or, in the case of a hole in a student’s schedule, a student can leave campus if a signed waiver is on file with the school. Waivers are available in the Guidance Office.

Students who must miss classes for medical, court or other appointments must check out through the attendance office. Students who become ill during the school day must check out with the Health Clerk (located in School Climate). Students checking out of school early will be given an "Off Campus Pass" and released only to a parent, guardian or an emergency contact listed on the Emergency Screen.  

In order to minimize disruptions to instructional time we discourage calling students out of class. Parents should call in advance, the day before or the morning of, to the partial day attendance line. It is the student’s responsibility to pick up an “Off Campus” pass before class or during brunch or lunch. Parents may come to the attendance office to check their student out of school but please keep in mind that calling the student out of class and releasing them takes approximately 20 minutes.

Students leaving campus without a pass will be breaking closed campus rules and may receive an unexcused absence for classes missed.

Student punctuality is vital to avoid classroom disruptions and to promote a solid learning environment. Students are considered tardy when they arrive to class after the second bell (tardy bell). After 30 minutes it is considered a truant tardy. 

1. Excused tardiness is defined as tardiness over which the student cannot reasonably be expected to have control.
2. Unexcused tardiness is defined as tardiness which could reasonably have been avoided by the student (woke up late, missed the bus, schedule confusion, etc.)

Incidents of tardiness will be handled on a class-by-class basis. The first three tardies will be dealt with by the teacher. After the 4th tardy, the student will be referred to the Dean who will assign one hour of detention. Students with excessive tardies (10+ tardies in a month) will be assigned an intervention. Intervention may include: student conference, develop of an attendance plan, detention, parent conference and placed on the “cannot attend” list. 

• Students arriving late within the first 30 min should go directly to class.
• Students arriving 30 min after the tardy bell must check in with the Attendance Office to obtain an “admit to class” pass before heading to their classroom. 
• Students who are coming late with an excused reason (medical appointment or Illness) report immediately to the office to submit documentation regardless of the time they check in

If a student was marked absent by mistake, it is the student’s responsibility to talk with the teacher that marked him/her absent. Best way to clear up the mistake is email the teacher who marked the student absent and cc the Attendance Office Secretary. Once the teacher can confirm, the Attendance Office can reverse the absence. The teacher is the only staff member that can verify the student’s presence.

When a student has accrued absence due to illness/medical, equal to or surpassing ten percent (10%) of the school days, from the date of enrollment to the current day, subsequent absences may be verified by a physician, school nurse or other school personnel for each additional absence. Absences must be cleared daily, unless other arrangements are made with the school principal or designee. Failure to provide verification from the physician or school health services support specialist will result in those additional absences being recorded as unexcused. 

Placing a student under the requirement of the ten percent (10%) policy or removing a student from said requirements prior to the end of the current academic year, will be left to the discretion of the school site principal or principal designee. 

Any pupil (student) subject to compulsory full-time education who is absent from school without valid excuse three (3) full school days in one year or tardy or absent for more than a 30-minute period during the school day without a valid excuse on three (3) occasions in one school year or any combination thereof, is a truant and shall be reported to the attendance supervisor. 

A student who is a habitually truant, irregular in school attendance, or habitually insubordinate or disorderly during attendance at school may be referred to, and required to attend a school attendance review board (SARB) program, a truancy mediation program established by the district attorney or the probation officer, or a comparable program deemed acceptable by the district's attendance supervisor.

Truancy notification letters are sent to families as unexcused absences are accumulated

• A truancy letter will be sent when your child accrues three (3) days (or 15 periods) of unexcused absences of 30-minutes or more in a school year
• A habitual truancy letter will be sent when your child accrues five (5) days (or 25 periods) of unexcused absences of 30-minutes or more in a school year
• Required attendance at either a District’s Student Attendance Review Board (SARB) meeting or a mediation meeting with the Santa Clara County District Attorney and District staff once your child accrues ten (10) days or 35 periods of unexcused absences of 30 minutes or more in a school year.
• Failure to comply with the law and education codes may result in an infraction or misdemeanor.