Attendance

When a student is absent, a parent/guardian must inform the Attendance Office by email or by phone. A parent/guardian is expected to call the morning of the absence and follow up with a note from either the parent/guardian or from the doctor. You may reach the Attendance Office by email at sch785@sfusd.edu or by phone at 415-749-3469 ext. 80322. Please leave a message at this extension if no one is available to answer.

Please have your student deliver the follow-up note to attendance to ensure the absence will be excusable. This note should include the following information:

Student’s Name

Date

Date of Absence

Reason for absence

Signature of Parent/Guardian

Phone Number

• Please allow a few days for attendance to be updated on the attendance system. IF you and your student still haven't seen a change to their attendance record in 3 days, have your student come to the Attendance Office and check in, or call (415) 749-3469. If the line is busy please leave a message.
• As a reminder, Excused absences means your child is allowed to make up work (homework, quizzes, tests). Unexcused absence means teachers are not required to allow the student to make work up.

VALID EXCUSED ABSENCES

State Education Code for Excused Absences:

1. Due to his or her 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 his or her 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 his or her religion, attendance at religious retreats, or attendance at an employment conference, when the pupil’s absence has been requested in writing by the  parent or guardian and approved by the principal or a designated representative pursuant to uniform standards established by the governing board.
   • Attendance at religious retreats shall not exceed four hours per semester.
8. For the purpose or serving as a member of a precinct board for an election (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.
10. For the purpose of attending the pupil's naturalization ceremony to become a United States citizen.

A pupil absent from school 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 therefore. 

*** The teacher of any class from which a pupil is absent shall determine the tests and assignments to be reasonably equivalent to, but not necessarily identical to, the tests and assignments that the pupil missed during the absence.

San Francisco Unified Board Policy for Excused Absences:

1. Students may be excused from assignments at the teacher’s discretion when they are unavoidably absent from school. (Board Policy 5113)
2. Court appearances either as a defendant or as a subpoenaed witness.
3. Observation of a holiday or a ceremony of the student’s religion.
4. An employment conference when requested in writing by the parent/guardian/caregiver and approved in advance by the principal.
5. An absence while the student is in Juvenile Hall, the Children’s Shelter or other shelter care or other custodial facilities.
6. Personal or family emergency requiring the student’s absences when approved at the discretion of the school administrator.
7. Administrative summons or when detained by other classified or certificated personnel.
8. Appointments, conferences or interviews with attorneys, law enforcement officers, probation officers, and immigration appointments.

Verification of student absences is accepted only from parents/guardians/caregivers, or the student if he/she is 18 years old or older.

*Please refer to the Student and Family Handbook - 4.1 Attendance Guidelines for more information

Students must have an excusable reason for their tardy to be excused. A student will not be excused for reasons such as traffic, missed bus/late, etc.

PTLs are distributed by the Attendance Office. If a student needs to leave early/during the day due to a Doctor/Dental appointment (other than illness), a Parent/Guardian will need to call, email, or send a note with the student in order to receive a PTL. The note to receive a PTL should include the following information: 

Student’s Name

Date

Time

Reason for early departure

Phone Number

Signature of Parent/Guardian

Parent/Guardian On-Site Pick-Up: Please sign in at the Main Office for a visitors badge then proceed to the Attendance Office where they’ll call the student(s) out of class. We recommend that parents do not come during school lunch hours (M: 12:15-12:50; T-Th-F: 12:35-1:10; W: 11:40-12:15 ) as it is difficult to find students.

SFUSD COVID-19 Response Updates and Resources

If a student gets sick at school and needs to go home, they must first go to the Wellness Center and be evaluated by the school nurse (who will call the parent/guardian) for a Permit to Leave.

If the student has one of the following Covid-19 symptoms the student will automatically be excused for 10 days and their teachers notified so that the student has access to their assignments through google classroom:

• fever greater than 100.4 F/38 C 
• cough; sore throat
• shortness of breath
• chills, repeated shaking, shivering
• headache; muscle or body aches

• unusually tired or fatigued
• loss of smell or taste
• nausea/vomiting  
• diarrhea
• runny nose; congestion

When your student is ready to return to school in person, please contact the principal first. All criteria to return must be met before they can return to school in person. When the student returns please have them bring a copy of the Covid-19 Test Results with them to the Attendance Office. Any remaining excused absences will be cleared for the student to participate in their classes once again. They’ll receive a Readmit Slip in order to check in with their teachers for any other make-up work.

We strongly recommend that your student get a test for COVID-19. PCR and rapid antigen tests are both acceptable, but must be done at a testing site. We cannot accept the results of a home test. Find out about your COVID testing options in SF. Please let the principal know the test result as it may affect your student’s return to school date and initiate contact tracing.

• If the result is negative your student may return to school immediately if:
  • symptoms are improving 
  • at least 24 hours with no fever, without taking medicines to lower a fever, like acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin), and
  • you can provide a copy of negative test results 

• If the result is positive, inform the principal right away and continue to isolate. Your student can return to school  if:
  • at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared, and  
  • at least 24 hours with no fever, without taking medicines to lower a fever, like acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin), and
  • symptoms have improved (symptoms do not need to be completely better)

• If you choose not to test your student, they must continue to isolate. They can return to school if: 
  • at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared, and  
  • at least 24 hours with no fever, without taking medicines to lower a fever, like acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin), and
  • symptoms have improved (symptoms do not need to be completely better)

• If a student is absent 10% of the school year, equivalent to 18 days, they are considered truant
• Legal Truant: 3 or more full day unexcused absences, 3 unexcused tardies or absences of 30 minutes or more in a school year or any combination of the previous.

We look forward to seeing your child every day–however, there are times when it is okay for a student to stay home from school. More Information.

• Make sure your child goes to bed early and gets a good night’s sleep.
• Develop a morning routine (get dressed, eat breakfast, brush teeth) and stick with it.
• Talk with your child about the importance of attending school every day for academic success.
• Arrange a time every night without interruptions for your child to do homework.