Student Attendance
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS
School attendance is required for all children ages 6 through 18.
State law states that absences are excused only if the student is ill or there is a death in the immediate family (1-3 day limit). All other absences are unexcused. Any tardy over 30 minutes, except for medical reasons, is also unexcused. A student who has three unexcused absences and/or tardies will be considered truant. After four more unexcused absences or tardies, parents could be required to appear before a judge and pay a fine.
Many parents are unaware that going "out of town" with their children during school is an unexcused absence, as are "family emergencies." In both cases, planning ahead can avoid unexcused absences and possible prosecution by the District Attorney's Office. Some parents think that simply saying the student is ill will solve the problem. It is our district's policy that we may require a doctor's note for three consecutive days of absence.
It is our hope that parents will make school a number-one priority in the family. We encourage parents to make carpooling arrangements, plan trips during school holidays and vacations, and have a back-up person available to take students to school if they are ill or otherwise unable to do so.
When families must go out of town, the student can do travel study. Teachers need one week's notice to prepare materials.
Please click here to view the WPUSD school calendar.
We at WPUSD work very hard to ensure that our students receive the best education possible. We cannot do that if our students are not in school -- on time, every day, when healthy. Please help us to provide our students with the outstanding education they deserve.
Enrollment and Average Daily Attendance (ADA)
School districts track two related measures: Enrollment and Average Daily Attendance (ADA).
Enrollment is the number of students registered in district schools on a given day. The official enrollment count is taken on the first Wednesday in October, known as Census Date. Western Placer Unified School District staffs schools based on projected Census Date enrollment. While enrollment may fluctuate during the school year, overall enrollment has increased on a year-to-year basis.
ADA (Average Daily Attendance) measures the average number of students who attend school each day over the course of the year. ADA is calculated by dividing total student attendance days by the number of instructional days. The District receives most of its discretionary funding through California’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) based on ADA, along with additional funding tied to English learners and low-income students.
The District receives approximately $54 per student per day for students who attend school. Since July 1, 1998, California does not provide funding for any student absences, whether excused or unexcused, including illness, medical appointments, or family travel. When a student is absent, the District does not receive funding for that day.
For example, a student absent for one week results in an approximate $270 loss in funding, with no reduction in operating costs.
Because ADA directly impacts District revenue, even small fluctuations can result in gains or losses of tens of thousands of dollars. Attendance is monitored monthly, and ADA projections are updated throughout the year to align projected LCFF revenue with the District budget.