Class attendance is an essential part of the educational process at Malibu High School. The student who is absent from class misses a significant portion of academic discussion and personal interaction with other students and the teacher. Malibu High School receives funding from the state based on daily attendance. Every time your student misses school regardless of the reason, we lose state funds. Illnesses are unavoidable, but appointments, vacations and day trips during school should be avoided.

How to Excuse an Absence
Parents are to send a signed note (click here to download parent note form) when their child returns to school. The note should contain the following information:

1. Printed first and last name of the student with id #.
2. The specific reason for the absence.
3. Date of the absence; period(s) absent if less than an entire day.
4. A phone number where the parent can be reached for verification.
5. Parent signature

Before school starts, the student takes the note to the attendance office where a “re-admit” is issued that allows the student back into class. The student must keep the re-admit in a safe place and show it to each of their teachers throughout the day. This allows teachers to account for all students. Failure to provide a signed parent excuse note will result in Full Day Friday school.
There are automatic computer generated letters mailed home to parents when students have had multiple absences, both excused and/or unexcused. These letters follow the legal codes regarding compulsory attendance. Please note that we take habitual absences seriously. If appropriate, a referral to the School Attendance Review Board (SARB) is made.

Tardy Policy
Students are required to get to each class on time. A copy of the school schedule is located online and is also located at the front of the student assignment book. Students who are more than 30 minutes tardy to a class will be considered truant and absent. The Tardy Policy is as follows:

1st - 4th Tardies:
Teacher/Administrator Action
Teacher decides the consequence (warning, teacher detention, service to school, etc); contact parent at least once.
Student Consequence
Teacher decides the consequence.

5th Tardy:
Teacher/Administrator Action
Referral to administrator with listing of consequences given, dates of tardies and date of parent contact
Student Consequence
One hour after school detention in room 101A.

6th - 9th Tardies:
Teacher/Administrator Action
Referral to administrator with listing of consequences given, dates of tardies and date of parent contact
Student Consequence
One hour after school detention in room 101A.

10th - 12th Tardies:
Teacher/Administrator Action
Referral to administrator
Student Consequence
Full Day Friday

15th Tardy:
Teacher/Administrator Action
Referral to administrator
Student Consequence
Parent conference / SARB referral Friday

15-DAY ABSENCE POLICY (High School Only)
Teachers have the right to use the following practice as a part of their grading policy. If used, it should be stated in their course syllabus: If a student is absent 15 or more times from any class, excused or unexcused, during a semester he or she may not earn a grade higher than a C. One absence will be counted for every 3 tardies.

There will be no exceptions to this policy unless determined by the principal/ designee.

NOTE: Seniors who have 15 or more excused and unexcused absences to any class either semester will not be allowed to participate in the graduation ceremony unless cleared by administration.

STUDENTS WHO BECOME ILL AT SCHOOL
Students are not to leave school without first going to the Health Office (or the Attendance Office if the nurse is not on campus). Students may not call from any other phone or leave campus on their own. This includes the lunch period. The nurse will contact a parent/guardian to release the student from school. It is imperative that the nurse have an accurate emergency card on file for each student. Students must have a teacher note in order to be admitted to the nurse’s office. Consequences will be given if the procedure is not followed.

CLOSED CAMPUS POLICY
Malibu High School is a closed campus. Students are not to leave the campus unless they have parent permission and have received an off-campus permit from the attendance office. Students who do not follow this procedure will be considered truant, and appropriate disciplinary consequences will result. With parent permission, eligible seniors are given a pass to leave campus for lunch.

EARLY DEPARTURES
Parents are to write notes in advance of the student’s early departure from school. The note should contain the following information:

1. Printed first and last name of student and ID#.
2. Date and time the student will be leaving school.
3. The reason for leaving early.
4. A phone number for verification of the note.
5. Parent signature

Students are to come to the Attendance Office before school to obtain their readmit. This will facilitate a minimal distraction when the student leaves class. We urge parents to make arrangements for early departures ahead of time whenever feasible.

TRUANCY
When a student is absent from school without the parent’s knowledge or permission, the absence is considered a truancy and is unexcused by the school. In addition, students who leave campus, even with parent’s permission, but do not check out in the Attendance/Nurse's Office will be considered truant. Students who exhibit a continual problem with attendance will be referred to the Student Attendance Review Board (SARB). Truancies for one or more periods will result in consequences ranging from detention to suspension depending on frequency.

• Leaving school without permission is treated as truancy.
• Missing part of class without an excuse is treated as a truancy.
• Notes from the parent after-the-fact are invalid and will not be honored.