CHS Attendance
- How To Report An Absence
- Early Dismissal
- Correcting Attendance Errors
- Student Attendance Expectations
How To Report An Absence
If your student will be late or absent, please Fill out the Google form or call the Cordova High School Attendance line at 916-294-2450 ext. 810800.
Speaking slowly, please leave a detailed voicemail with the following information:
- Student’s first and last name
- Student’s grade
- Date of absence
- Reason for absence
- Please include your name, phone number and relationship to student
If you need to provide documentation for the absence (doctor/dentist note or appointment), please give this to the front office or email to trodriguez@fcusd.org.
Cordova High School is compliant with the FCUSD Board Policies as well as California’s state education codes.
The following are common absences that are not excused per California’s state education code:
- Family emergencies
- Personal/family matters
- DMV appointments
- Transportation issues
- Vacations/out of town trips
Early Dismissal
If your student needs an early dismissal please call 916-294-2450 ext. 810162 (this line is checked frequently throughout the day) or email trodriguez@fcusd.org with the following information:
- Student’s first and last name
- Student’s grade
- Time of early dismissal
- Reason for early dismissal
- Please include your name, phone number and relationship to student
Please note that parents cannot excuse early dismissals after the fact, nor single period absences within the school day.
Please give at least 1 hour notice to ensure your early dismissal request is received.
Correcting Attendance Errors
If your student has been marked absent from one or more classes incorrectly, please contact their teacher first to report the absence via email within 5 days of the reported absence. The teacher will verify the student’s presence in class and if the student was marked incorrectly, they will reach out to the attendance office to correct the error with the attendance office retroactively.
Student Attendance Expectations
As required by California State Law and FCUSD Policy, students are expected to attend every day that school is in session. For further information on our district’s attendance policies, please refer to our student handbook
- Closed Campus
- Medical Notes/Medically-Verified Absences
- Truancy, Excessive Excused & Chronic Absences
- Chronic Absence Letter
- SART & SARB
- Attendance & Engagement Resources
Closed Campus
Folsom Cordova Unified School District has implemented a closed campus policy for all of its schools. This means that students are not allowed to leave their respective school campus during school hours without prior notification from the parent/guardian to the Administration Office.
Additionally, students should not be on another school’s campus during school hours unless they have been permitted for a school/district-sanctioned activity.
The closed campus policy is for the safety and wellbeing of every student.
Medical Notes/Medically-Verified Absences
- Students who are absent due to a medical/dental appointment should obtain a note from their doctor/dentist to turn in to the Admin Office. A student’s dated medical note may excuse their absence from school (coded ‘IMV’ in attendance for a full day, or ‘EED’ if they were dismissed early from the Admin Office).
- FCUSD & its schools allow 10 parent-verified absence days per school year due to illness, medical appointments &/or mental health days (coded ‘IPV’ in attendance). Any absences after the 10th will require a medical note or will be marked ‘unexcused’ (UNX).
- Appointment reminders do not equate to a medical note.
- FCUSD & its schools do not accept indefinite/open-ended medical notes to excuse absences.
Truancy, Excessive Excused & Chronic Absences
- Truancy accrues from any of the following attendance codes: NOC, CUT, TDY, UNX & IZ.
- California requires parents/guardians be notified when their student is deemed ‘truant’.
- FCUSD mails 1st, 2nd and 3rd truancy letters when a student has a minimum of 3, 6, & 9 occurrences of truancy, as defined by CA Ed Code.
Excessive Excused Absence Letters (1&2)
Excessive Excused Absence letters are automatically generated when a student has reached their 5th & and their 10th parent-verified absence (IPV in attendance). These are not truancy letters. The letters are intended to advise parents/guardians of a student’s learning loss due to their absences from school. The letters also serve as a reminder that obtaining medical notes help to keep the number of allotted IPVs for the school year to a minimum.
Chronic Absence Letter
Chronic Absence letters are sent when a student has missed 10% of school. This includes both excused & unexcused absences. Chronic absence letters are not truancy letters. They do, however, highlight learning loss and the potential for struggles and barriers to form and grow.
State and country-wide, more institutions are turning their focus to reducing chronic absenteeism, because studies have shown that attendance is the #1 indicator of student success. When students are present to school, they have increased opportunities for academic success, social-emotional learning, positive engagement, and connectedness to their school & peers.
SART & SARB
- School Attendance Review Team is a school site-based intervention scheduled after a 2nd truancy letter is generated.
- School Attendance Review Board hearings are held after a referral is made to the FCUSD’s Attendance & Due Process Dept. by the school site for students with notable attendance concerns.
SART
- SART meetings cover attendance policies and best practices with a goal of support for the student &/or their family.
- Members of the team make themself available to conference with the student & parent/guardian in hopes of addressing barriers and a plan for improvement going forward.
- A contract between the school, student & parent/guardian may be offered at the meeting.
- Failure to appear at a SART meeting &/or abide by SART expectations may result in a referral to FCUSD’s Attendance & Due Process Dept. for a SARB hearing.
SARB
- SARB is a panel comprised of district staff, as well as school site representatives &/or community agencies, and includes the student and their parent/guardian(s).
- SARB meetings are legal meetings recorded at the request of the District Attorney’s Office.
- A contract is initiated and signed by the parties present with a set review date.
- Students may remain on a SARB contract until they are 18 years of age.
- Violation of a SARB contract may result in interventions that include but are not limited to: a referral to alternative educational placement &/or Sacramento County for Truancy Court.
Attendance & Engagement Resources
Brianna Malone
FCUSD Attendance Specialist
916-294-2450 ext 810119
Email Me
- Printable CHS Attendance Roadmap (available in English, Spanish, Russian & Farsi)
- FCUSD Attendance & Due Process webpage
- FCUSD Parent/Guardian trifold - Interventions & Incentives Tips for Parents/Guardians
- Attendance Works website
- FCCP (Folsom Cordova Community Partnership) website
Tricia Rodriguez
Attendance Clerk
916-294-2450 ext. 810162
Email Me
If you want to achieve something great, you have to show up first.