Attendance

Ed. Code 48200- "Each person between the ages of 6 and 18 years not exempted under the provisions of this chapter or chapter 3 (commencing with Section 48400) is subject to compulsory full-time education."

Ed. Code 48260- "A pupil subject to compulsory full-time education or to compulsory continuation education who is absent from school without a valid excuse three full days in one school year or tardy or absent for more than a 30-minute period during the schoolday without a valid excuse on three occasions in one school year, or any combination thereof, shall be classified as a truant and shall be reported to the attendance supervisor or to the superintendent of the school district."

Ed. Code 48262- "Any pupil is deemed an habitual truant who has been reported as a truant three or more times per school year, provided that no pupil shall be deemed an habitual truant unless an appropriate district officer or employee has made a conscientious effort to hold at least one conference with a parent or guardian of the pupil and the pupil himself, after the filing of either of the reports required by Section 48260 or Section 48261."

Ed. Code 60901 (c)(1)- "For purposes of this section, "chronic absentee" means a pupil who is absent on 10 percent or more of the schooldays in the school year when the total number of days a pupil is absent is divided by the total number of days the pupil is enrolled and school was actually taught in the regular day schools of the district, exclusive of Saturdays and Sundays."

SARB stands for School Attendance Review Board and is composed of representatives from various community agencies that help students and their guardians solve school attendance problems through the use of available resources. In 1974, the Legislature enacted California Education Code (EC) Sections 48320 to enhance the enforcement of compulsory education laws. Although the goal of SARBs is to keep students in school and provide them with a meaningful educational experience, SARBs do have the power, when necessary, to refer students and their parents or guardians to court.