Welcome to AUSD’s Attendance Information Page! Here, parents, caregivers, staff, and students can learn more about the importance of attendance and how showing up each day helps students stay connected, supported, and ready to learn. Explore this hub for helpful resources, tips, and information to strengthen family-school partnerships and help every student thrive - together!

Excused & Unexcused Absences

Regular attendance is crucial for your child's academic success and overall well-being. When your child misses school, they miss out on important lessons, assignments, and opportunities to interact with their peers and teachers. This can lead to falling behind in their studies and feeling disconnected from the classroom environment. Additionally, consistent attendance helps develop essential habits like punctuality and responsibility, which will benefit them throughout their lives. By prioritizing your child's attendance, you are investing in their future and setting them up for success!

• Excused Absences are valid, school-approved reasons for missing class, such as illness, medical appointments, family emergencies, or religious events. These typically need a note from a doctor or an explanation to the school, and won’t negatively affect your child's record if the number of absences is not exceeded. Students who are absent more than 10% of the days in a school year are considered chronically absent.

• Unexcused Absences happen when a student misses school without an approved reason, like skipping class or being absent for reasons not covered by our school policy. These can lead to consequences like warning letters or meetings with school staff.

Tardiness, arriving on time matters!

We encourage all students to arrive at school on time every day. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with your child’s school bell schedule to help ensure a smooth start to their day.

If your child is late, they should bring an excuse from home to the school office. A student may be considered truant if they are tardy or absent for more than 30 minutes without a valid excuse on three occasions in a single school year. On PowerSchool this will show up as a TT on your student's attendance record.

Being late to school means missing valuable instructional time and can affect your child’s learning and academic performance. Tardiness can also disrupt the classroom, creating challenges for both your child and their classmates. Frequent lateness or rushing to get to school can increase stress and anxiety in children and adolescents. Over time, chronic tardiness may lead to students feeling disconnected from school and their peers. By helping your child arrive on time, you support their learning, confidence, and sense of belonging at school.