Attendance
Please call before 9:00 AM on each day your child is going to be absent or late.
The attendance line is (949) 858-0343 (24 hours), extension 1.
Attendance voicemail is reviewed every morning several times.
Important Attendance Information
Schools are provided funding by the State of California based on student attendance. Funding is not received for any student absence, including excused absences. In the 2017-2018 school year, Trabuco Elementary lost more than $22,000 due to student absences. In the 2016-2017 school year, we lost more than $16,000. To ensure our students receive the maximum amount of resources, the district asks that vacations and other non-essential activities be scheduled after school hours and during school breaks. Please pay particular attention to the following:
- Tardies - Any student arriving between 8:01 am and 8:30 am is tardy. Parents will receive Tardy Letters when a student has accumulated 5, 10, 15, and 20 tardies. All students must check into the office and receive a tardy pass when arriving after 8:00 am.
- Truant Tardies - Any student arriving more than 30 minutes late to school without a valid excuse is considered “tardy truant”.
- Early Dismissals - Any student leaving school more than 30 minutes early for reasons other than medical appointments will be marked unexcused. Dismissals from the health office will be excused.
- Unexcused Absences - Excused absences include personal injury or illness, and required medical services/appointments. There are some exceptions to this, but most other absences are unexcused.
- Truancy Letters - Parents receive Unexcused/Truant Letters when a student reaches 3, 6, and 10 unexcused absences or truants: a combination of unexcused absences, unexcused early dismissals and truant tardies.
- Absence Letters - Parents will receive an Absence Letter when a child reaches 8 and 14 or more excused absences. After 14 excused absences, a doctor’s note is required to excuse additional absences.
If your child is late, absent, or leaves early due to a doctor’s appointment, please request a note from your doctor. Tardies and absences cleared by a doctor’s note do not count toward Unexcused/Truant Letters or 14-Day Absence Letters.
Please call the 24 hour attendance line when your student is absent for any reason. The Attendance Line is (949) 858-0343, ext. 1.
For students who will be out of school for 5 or more consecutive days, an Independent Study Contract may be available. Please contact the office or your student’s teacher, with advance notice, for further information regarding these contracts.