School Attendance Review Board 

The District School Attendance Review Board (SARB) attempts to understand why students experience attendance problems and makes every effort to assist in correcting the problem(s).  

Learn more: https://www.smuhsd.org/Page/4685

Chronically Absent Students
SMUHSD contracts with EveryDay Labs to help provide proven interventions to reduce chronic absenteeism by 10–15% districtwide through proactive, personalized outreach paired with inbound support for families in their home language. The unique approach requires no change in school-level practices. Intervention is rigorous in its evidence basis, research, and design—but thoughtful and supportive in its delivery. We monitor attendance data and target our families. When students become at risk of learning loss,  supportive nudges are sent by text and mail that provide access to support. The personalized, consistent outreach, in families' home language, district-wide has proven to help improve attendance of students. 

Hillsdale Attendance Guidelines

It is our goal to ensure that no student’s academic performance is adversely affected by inconsistent attendance for any reason.

It is the responsibility of the family to communicate with the Attendance Office each day in the event of absence. 

Reporting Absences, Early Dismissals, and Late Arrivals:

Option 1: Complete the Google Form:  Hillsdale Absence Form English and Spanish

Option 2: Email  hhsattendance@smuhsd.org 

Option 3: Call Attendance Office at (650) 558-2608

Timeline:

If an absence is not excused by the end of the school day, parents/guardians will be contacted at home or at work via our auto dialer system.

Students AND Parents have 48 hours to clear an absence, after which time it will be recorded as a truancy (cut). 

Early Dismissals:

No student will be sent home before the close of the school day unless the parent/guardian has been previously notified.  Individual class period “cuts” may not be cleared by a parent after the student has left campus. If a student needs to leave campus at any time during the school day, they must be checked out by the attendance office or health office prior to leaving campus. A permit to leave school will be written for the student and documented in Aeries.

Late Arrivals

All students must check in with the attendance office if they arrive late to school. This is true for all students, including students who have a parent/guardian excusal.

Excused Absences 

Please see SMUHSD Board Policy 5113 for what qualifies as an Excused Absences. Only the types of absences on this list will be excused. 

Wednesday Tutorial

Tutorial attendance is taken through TeachMore.  Students move around to different Advisories and must be scanning their ID in whatever room they go into. If this is not done, students will be marked absent once the attendance is uploaded to our Aeries attendance system. 

Hillsdale Truancy/Tardy Policies 

The following TRUANCY and TARDY policies will be enforced for all Hillsdale students by administrators, advisors, and other school personnel:

• Should a student accumulate 4 periods of cuts or 9 tardiness events in a given 6-week grading period, students will lose the privilege of participating in any (non-class-related) school function (including athletics, dances, school plays, etc.) for the following six weeks. 

• If a student has more than 8 but fewer than 12 tardies in a given 6-week grading period, (s)he may appeal for a pardon one time in the four-year career at Hillsdale. The administration will consider reduced consequences based on the appeal. A student MAY NOT appeal in order to attend dances. A student may not appeal 13 or more tardies.

• Advisors, teachers or school administration may choose to enforce additional consequences as deemed necessary.

Students and families will receive outreach and support from the advisor when the advisor becomes aware of patterns or excessive levels of truancy or chronic absenteeism. Advisors can refer a student to the Improved Student Attendance Team (ISAT) for additional support. 

Improved Student Attendance Team (ISAT Team)

The ISAT Team:

• Brett Stevenson, AP,  9th, 10th and 12th Grade

• Sarah Prensky-Pomeranz, AP, 11th Grade

• James Madison, Dean

• Allison Adle, SMPD School Resource Officer

• Oscar Gonzalez, Community Outreach

• Jaime Gomez, Community Outreach

Attendance Intervention

At Hillsdale, advisors work with students and families to support positive attendance patterns. Students and families will receive a warning letter when a student reaches:

• Ten period cuts OR seven days of excused absences. The warning letters simply explains that the student is now exhibiting attendance patterns that can adversely affect student achievement and that if the pattern continues, the student can be placed on an ISAT contract with Hillsdale High School.
  
  

• At 21 period cuts, an advisor may refer a student to our Tier Two team if the advisor feels like their interventions are not working. If referred, the ISAT team will meet with the student and parent and an ISAT contract will be put in place between the family, student and the school. The goal of the ISAT team is to interrupt the poor attendance patterns while considering all available Tier Two supports. Once the student is on contract, the ISAT team will monitor the student’s attendance on a weekly basis and assign consequences should the student cut one or more classes in a given week. The family will be notified of the consequences.
  
  

• At 14 days of excused absences, students and families will receive a letter requiring a conference to be held to discuss the nature of the chronic absenteeism. The school may require a doctor’s note for each subsequent absence and a contract can be put in place between the family, student and the school. The ISAT team will work with the counseling department to make sure that we are aware of any extenuating circumstances.
  
  

• Failure to attend school consistently once a student is on an ISAT contract, students and families will receive a letter requiring the family and  student to appear before the district School Attendance Review Board (SARB). The SARB panel will put the student and family on notice that if any future truancy should occur from this point forward, the student and the family could be referred to a County School Attendance Review Board. 

Check your attendance! 

Check your attendance on Aeries often and contact the Attendance Office immediately if you notice any discrepancies. 

Attendance Guidelines for students 18 and over: 

Students who are 18 and over are responsible for their own education rights. These students can manage their own attendance reporting but are subject to all attendance guidelines and procedures outlined above.