El Monte Union High School District

At El Monte Union, we are deeply committed to fostering student success by emphasizing the importance of consistent daily attendance and punctuality. Every day at school presents a new opportunity for students to learn, grow, and lay the foundation for their academic and personal development. The following policies apply to all district school sites and are included in the student hanbook. For questions or support, please contact your school’s attendance office.

Attendance Policies

Absences & Verification:

Coming to school every day really matters — not just for your learning, but also to help support our school programs.

We ask that you:

• Try your best to be at school every day.
• Schedule doctor, dentist, or other appointments after school or during school breaks if possible.
• Avoid taking trips or vacations while school is in session — we already build in plenty of holiday time in the school calendar for that.

The more you're here, the more you learn — and strong attendance also helps our school get funding to support academic programs and classroom resources.

If you're absent:

• You need to turn in a written note from home to the attendance office within 3 days.
• Being sick or going to a medical or dental appointment counts as an excused absence.
• If you don’t bring a note, your absence will be marked as unexcused, which can turn into a truancy.
• Too many unexcused absences or truancies may lead to being assigned Saturday School.

If you’re having issues with attendance, talk to someone at the Attendance Office or your — we’re here to help.

Absences, Excused - EC 48205:

We understand that sometimes students need to miss school. Here are the reasons your absence can be excused:

• You were sick
• You were under quarantine by health officials
• You had a doctor, dentist, eye, or chiropractor appointment
• You went to the funeral of a close family member (1 day in CA, 3 days out of state)
• You were called for jury duty
• Your child (if you’re a parent) was sick or had a medical appointment
• You had an approved personal reason (with a note from home and principal approval), like:
  • Going to court
  • Attending a funeral
  • Celebrating a religious holiday or event
  • Attending a religious retreat (up to 4 hours per semester)
  • Going to an employment or educational conference
• You served as a student poll worker during an election
• You were spending time with a family member in the military who is being deployed or returning from deployment
• You attended your U.S. citizenship (naturalization) ceremony
• You participated in religious or moral instruction (with written permission, for up to 4 days per month, and you still attend the rest of the school day)

If you're not sure whether something counts as an excused absence, ask the attendance office or a school counselor. And don’t forget — always bring a note from home within 3 days of your absence!

Alternative Education

We know that sometimes a traditional school schedule doesn’t work for everyone — and that’s okay! EMUHSD offers several alternative learning programs to help you stay on track and succeed in a way that works best for you.

Some of these options include:

• Opportunity Program (for 9th–10th grade students who need extra support)
• Continuation School (for 11th–12th graders looking for a flexible path to graduation)
• Independent Study (short- or long-term learning at your own pace)
• Home Teaching (for students who need to stay home for medical or other reasons)
• Online & Personalized Learning (OPL) (a mix of online learning and one-on-one support)

If you're interested in any of these programs or think one might be a better fit for you, talk to your school counselor. They’ll help you explore your options and find what works best.

Attendance Intervention: EC 48263 and 48264:

Students are expected to be in school during school hours unless they have a valid reason to be out. If you’re found off campus without permission and without an excused absence, certain adults (like school administrators, attendance officers, police, or probation officers) can stop you and ask why you’re not in school.

If a student keeps missing school without a valid excuse — also known as being a habitual truant — they may be referred to the School Attendance Review Board (SARB). SARB works with students and families to figure out what’s going on and how to improve attendance.

The goal isn’t to get anyone in trouble — it’s to make sure you’re getting the support you need to succeed.

If you're having a hard time getting to school, talk to the attendance office, a counselor or a trusted adult. We're here to help!

Chronic Absenteeism – EC 60901:

Did you know that if you miss 10% or more of school days — even with excused absences — you’re considered a chronic absentee? That means if you’re missing about 2 days a month, it adds up fast.

This includes all absences — whether you’re sick, have an appointment, or just didn’t show up — and it can seriously affect your grades, learning, and connection to school.

The more you're in class, the more you learn and the better you do. If you're having trouble getting to school regularly, talk to the attendance office, a counselor or trusted adult. We're here to support you!

Confidential Medical Release - EC 46010.1; BP/AR 5113:

You have the right to be excused from school to attend certain confidential medical appointments — like for mental health, reproductive health, or other personal medical needs — without needing parent or guardian permission.

The school may ask you to bring a note or appointment verification from the doctor or clinic afterward.

If you have questions or need help with this, talk to the health or attendance office, a counselor, or a trusted staff member — your privacy will be respected.

Tardiness:

Being on time is an important habit that helps you stay on track and ready to learn. You’re expected to be at school on time every day.

If you’re late, make sure to bring a note from home to the school office explaining why.

Just so you know:
If you’re late or miss more than 30 minutes of class without a valid excuse three times in one school year, it counts as truancy — which can lead to follow-up with the school and your family.

If you're having trouble getting to school on time, talk to the attendance office, your counselor or a trusted adult — we’re here to help you stay on track.

 We’re here to help!

Truancy – EC 48260, 48262 and 48263.6:  

Here’s what you should know about truancy:

• You’re considered truant if you have 3 unexcused absences or are late more than 30 minutes (without a valid excuse) on 3 different days — or a mix of both.
• If this happens 3 or more times in a school year, and the school has tried to work with your family to fix it, you may be labeled a habitual truant.
• If you miss 10% or more of the school year without a valid excuse, you’re considered a chronic truant — even if some of those days were excused.

Unexcused absences are absences that don’t meet the approved reasons under state law (like being sick or having a doctor’s appointment with a note).

If you’re having trouble with attendance, talk to the attendance office, your counselor or a trusted adult — we’re here to support you and help you stay on track.

 Refer to EMUHSD's Attendance Procedures for more information regarding Unexcused Absences/Truancies.

District Attendance Review Board

What is DARB?

The mission of the District Attendance Review Board (DARB) is to help students reconnect with school and attend school regularly. DARB is a collaborative effort to bring together resources to assist families with attendance and truancy issues. Excessive or chronic truancy may result in legal action, this intervention seeks to keep students and families out of the court system. The EMUHSD DARB panel consists of members from El Monte Union High School District such as Child Welfare and Attendance coordinators, mental health services personnel, school guidance personnel, parents and/or other community representatives, and representatives from the Department of Children and Family Services and local law enforcement. When the school has exhausted all interventuions and a student's attendance does not improve, the student’s family may be referred to a DARB hearing.

DARB Hearings are held at the El Monte Union High School District Office Board Room, 3537 Johnson Avenue, El Monte, CA 91731.

Any further questions regarding the Student Attendance Review Board (DARB) Process, please contact your school’s attendance office.

 Alejandro Leon
 Director of Pupil Services
 Alejandro.Leon@emuhsd.org
 626-444-9005 x9945