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Board seeks clarity on attendance funding; staff explains official attendance time and excused‑absence rules
Summary
Trustees asked whether excused absences count for state funding; district staff explained that for funding a student must be present at the official attendance time (10:15 a.m. in this district) and that 'excused' vs 'unexcused' does not change funding counts — staff said they will clarify guidance for parents.
Trustees pressed district staff to clarify how excused absences affect the district's funding and whether parents should rely on doctor notes or parent notes for excused days. A district staff member summarized guidance from the student accounting handbook: "For official attendance accounting purposes, excused and unexcused absences do not exist. Students present at the official attendance taking time are counted present for funding purposes," adding that the district's official attendance time is 10:15 a.m.
Board members expressed confusion about apparent differences between the local attendance policy and state handbook language and asked staff to provide clear, parent‑facing guidance. Trustees and principals described campus initiatives to improve attendance — immediate teacher/grade‑level calls to parents, incentive assemblies and weekly recognition for highest attendance — and discussed potential staff incentives to encourage higher staff and student attendance.
