Attendance Matters!

Show Up, Stay Engaged, Succeed as ONE PVPUSD!

Help Your Child Succeed in School

At Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District, regular school attendance is crucial for your child’s academic success. Schools, students, and families must work together to ensure consistent attendance and foster an environment where every student can thrive.

Join us in our mission to help every student succeed! Commit to being on time and present every day this school year.

Absences Add Up

Missing one or two days of school can have a significant impact on student learning. While it’s okay to stay home when sick, being in class and ready to learn when you are feeling well is crucial.

Let’s look at the facts:

• Missing just two days per month equals 10 percent of the school year, negatively impacting academic performance at any grade level.
• Students with poor attendance in early grades are less likely than their peers to be able to read proficiently by the end of 3rd grade.
• Every day counts when preparing for a successful future. Regular attendance lays the groundwork for a successful academic journey, no matter your grade. 

We’re Here to Help!

We understand that external challenges can make regular attendance difficult. PVPUSD is here to support you. If your family is facing challenges that prevent your child from arriving on time and ready to learn, please reach out.

For more information on our student support services, contact our Educational Services Department at [email protected] or (310) 750-0063.

Mental Health Matters

Mental health challenges can significantly affect school attendance. At PVPUSD, we are dedicated to supporting students and families through difficult times. If your child is struggling, we encourage you to contact your child’s guidance counselor for support. Our school counselors are trained professionals who are available to provide guidance to students in need. 

Mental health resources, counselor contacts, and parent resources are available.

Mental Health Resources

Tips for Families

You can help your child maintain strong attendance this school year by:

• Setting regular bedtime and morning routines.
• Developing backup plans for getting to school.
• Scheduling medical appointments and extended trips when school is not in session.
• Monitoring your student’s attendance and addressing concerns with teachers.
• Discussing the importance of daily school attendance so your student knows this is your expectation.
• Seeking help from school staff, other parents, or community agencies if needed.

Prepare your child for a successful future by committing to regular school attendance today. Together, let’s show up, stay engaged, and succeed as ONE PVPUSD this school year!

School Attendance Review Team (SART) and School Attendance Review Board (SARB)

California compulsory education law requires that everyone between the ages of six and eighteen years of age attend school, except sixteen and seventeen year-olds who have graduated from high school or passed the California High School Proficiency Exam (CHSPE) and obtained parental permission to leave. However, some students violate compulsory education laws and have a pattern of unexcused absences (truancy). Others struggle to attend consistently even if each individual absence might be for a reason defined as "excused" under CA Education Code (chronic absenteeism).  Although truancy and chronic absenteeism are not new problems, they cause costly, long-term problems for the students, school, and the community.

In 1974, the CA Legislature enacted Education Code (EC) Section 48320 to enhance the enforcement of compulsory education laws and to divert students with school attendance or behavior problems from the juvenile justice system until all available resources have been exhausted. EC Section 48321 provides several organizational structures for School Attendance Review Boards (SARBs) at the local and county level to create a safety net for students with persistent attendance or behavior problems. 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.  EC Sections 48260 - 48263 lay out the definitions and procedures that govern the SARB process.

PVPUSD school sites monitor student attendance with the goal of reducing truancy and chronic absenteeism.  The schools follow the processes listed in Ed. Code and will send a series of letters and schedule School Attendance Review Team meetings with students and families if attendance continues to be an issue.  Again, even excused absences are included when determining if a student is chronically absent.  If the school site's efforts to address truancy and chronic absenteeism are unsuccessful, the student will be referred to PVPUSD's SARB.

School Attendance Review Board Hearing Dates

PVPUSD Malaga Cove Administrative Offices

Board Room, 9:00 a.m. 

375 Via Almar

Palos Verdes Estates, CA, 90274

310.378.9966 ext. 021

2024-25 Dates:

October 11, 2024 - Agenda | Minutes

December 6, 2024 - Agenda | Minutes

January 31, 2025 - Agenda | Minutes

March 14, 2025 - Agenda | Minutes

May 9, 2025 - Agenda | Minutes