August 7, 2023
Dear SJUSD Community,
We are looking forward to having students back in our buildings. We have missed them! As we prepare to start this new school year, we want to reiterate our commitment to encouraging student attendance. School attendance has proven over and over again to be one of the greatest determining factors for academic success for our students. State statute considers students to have excessive absences when their absences exceed 10% of the school year. Our high school is on a modified 5-day schedule, whereas our elementary and middle schools have a traditional 5-day schedule, with a total of 180 school days. To avoid confusion, a student at any of our schools is considered to be excessively absent after their 18th absence of the school year.
In an effort to follow state law as well as improve student attendance (thus improving student learning), the district will continue to work with families on encouraging student attendance through phone calls, letters home, and home visits where appropriate. The district will continue to work with SJPD and our SRO in filing truancy when students exceed 18 absences.
This being said, we know that families can and do experience extenuating circumstances (medical emergencies, family emergencies, etc.). As such, if you already can foresee that your child may be in danger of missing more than 18 days this school year, please reach out to their respective principal now. Our staff wants to work with parents when such extenuating circumstances do exist.
Please know that our efforts to encourage student attendance is based on our desire to see students succeed. We hope that by reaching out at the beginning of the year, our staff can work with families to encourage all students to make attendance a priority.
Best Regards,
Kyle Patterson, SJUSD Superintendent
Steven Palmer, St. Johns High School Principal
Jim Anway, St. Johns Middle School Principal
Courtney Bond, Coronado Elementary Principal