Chronic Absenteeism in California Schools: A Guide for Attendance Teams

In California, a student is chronically absent when they miss 10 percent or more of the instructional days they were expected to attend, for any reason. That includes excused absences, unexcused absences and suspensions. On the California School Dashboard, the chronic absenteeism indicator covers transitional kindergarten (TK) through grade 8 and counts students enrolled for at least 31 instructional days.

Below: what the Dashboard measures, a tiered approach, SART and SARB basics, truancy notices vs. supportive outreach, family letters that work and a 30-day plan.

What counts as chronic absence in California?

The California Department of Education (CDE) counts every missed day. A child home sick with a doctor's note and a child who skipped school add to the same total.

To make 10 percent concrete for families and staff, use your own calendar. If your school year has 180 instructional days, 10 percent is 18 days, or about two days a month.

This matters because many absences are excused. In 2024–25, excused absences made up 51.8 percent of all absences statewide, according to CDE. A plan that only chases unexcused absences will miss about half the problem.

How does chronic absenteeism show up on the California School Dashboard?

The Chronic Absenteeism Indicator is reported for schools and districts serving TK through grade 8. High school absence data is on DataQuest.

It combines two numbers:

  • Status: the share of eligible students who were chronically absent this year.
  • Change: this year's Status minus last year's Status.

Together, Status and Change set the performance level (color). Lower is better: CDE describes the indicator as having a reverse goal of a low percentage of students chronically absent.

For context, CDE reports a statewide chronic absenteeism rate of 19.4 percent in 2024–25, down from a peak of 30.0 percent in 2021–22. Statewide average days absent were 12.8, down from 16.7 in 2021–22.

What does a tiered re-engagement plan look like?

Attendance Works recommends a tiered approach that starts with foundational supports for the whole school and gets more targeted at each level.

  • Foundation and Tier 1 (universal): positive conditions for learning plus strategies for all students, such as welcoming routines and regular attendance messages to every family, to prevent absences before they affect learning.
  • Tier 2 (early outreach): personalized attention for students at greater risk, including students missing 10 percent of school. Reach out to the student and family before the absences add up, find the barrier and make a simple plan together.
  • Tier 3 (intensive): for students missing the most school. Attendance Works notes that students missing 20 percent or more benefit from this level, which often brings in health, housing and social service partners and usually includes case management.

The advice: intervene early, and don't wait until Tier 3.

What are SART and SARB, and when do they come in?

California's legal truancy process runs alongside supportive work. CDE's SARB guidance explains that a student must be reported as truant after accumulating unexcused absences of more than 30 minutes on three separate days in a school year. The parent or guardian must be notified when the student becomes truant.

Before a student is classified as a habitual truant, the school must make a conscientious effort to hold at least one meeting with the parent or guardian and the student. Many districts call this a SART (school attendance review team) meeting. CDE notes that the first truancy notice, that meeting and the habitual truancy notice must all happen in the same school year, and that most districts send three truancy letters before a SARB referral, while others send four.

A SARB (School Attendance Review Board), established under Education Code 48320, hears referrals when school-level efforts have not worked. SARBs can issue directives to students and families.

How is a truancy notice different from chronic absence outreach?

The first truancy notice is legally required. Under Education Code 48260.5 (as amended and operative July 1, 2025, per CDE's sample), it must tell the parent or guardian that:

  • the student is truant;
  • the parent or guardian is obligated to compel the student's attendance;
  • alternative educational programs are available in the district;
  • they have the right to meet with school staff to discuss solutions;
  • mental health and supportive services may be available to the student and family;
  • school staff are available to meet with the student and family to develop strategies to support attendance; and
  • research shows that missing 10 percent of school for any reason can make it harder to learn to read by third grade, achieve in middle school and graduate from high school.

CDE publishes a sample letter districts may adapt on letterhead.

Chronic absence outreach is supportive. It can go to families whose absences are all excused. Its job is to notice early, show care and offer help, never to warn.

How do you write attendance letters to parents that work?

A good family letter is short, warm and specific:

  • Lead with the child. Say something you value about the student and that you miss them.
  • Show the number plainly. State days missed so far and what 10 percent means on your calendar.
  • Explain why it matters. Missed days mean missed instruction, even when excused.
  • Ask, don't accuse. Invite families to share what gets in the way: health, transportation, housing, worry or routines.
  • Offer one clear next step. A name, a phone number and a time to talk.
  • Send it in the family's language. An English and Spanish letter on one page means nobody waits for a translation.
  • Keep legal notices separate. Do not mix truancy language into a caring check-in letter.

If you want ready-made versions, the Bilingual Attendance Kit for School Sites, English & Spanish (TK–8) includes three bilingual family letters (Every Day Counts, Welcome Back after break and a non-punitive caring check-in), a "How many days is 10%?" staff reference, a classroom attendance-goal poster and celebration certificates that recognize effort and improvement.

What should a school attendance team do in the first 30 days?

Days 1–7: Set up the team and the data

  • Name a small team: an administrator, the attendance clerk, a counselor and a teacher lead.
  • Pull a list of students at or near 10 percent absence, sort them into tiers and set a weekly review time.

Days 8–14: Launch Tier 1 for everyone

  • Send a positive, bilingual "every day counts" message to all families.
  • Start a classroom attendance goal using class totals only, and celebrate improvement.

Days 15–21: Start Tier 2 outreach

  • Assign each at-risk student a caring adult who calls or meets the family.
  • Use a short barrier checklist and write a simple family action plan.

Days 22–30: Tighten Tier 3 and the legal process

  • Open case files for students missing the most school and connect families to health, housing or social service partners.
  • Audit truancy notices: confirm the first notice has the required content, schedule SART meetings and log every contact.
  • Review who improved and adjust the plan.

The Every Day Counts: Attendance Re-engagement Toolkit for School Teams (California, EN/ES) is built for this work. It includes a Tier 1/2/3 site plan with a 6-week rollout calendar, a weekly data routine, four truancy notice templates with English and Spanish on facing pages, a SART-style conference guide and a SARB referral readiness checklist. It is a planning and paperwork toolkit, not legal advice.

If your school wants attendance resources alongside a new resource drop every month, the School Membership includes the full Schools & Programs library, monthly drops that follow the California school year (attendance and family engagement in the fall) and, on the school site plan, a Custom Request Desk. You can browse everything in Schools & Programs.

FAQ

What is the definition of chronic absenteeism in California?

Missing 10 percent or more of the instructional days a student was expected to attend, for any reason. The Dashboard indicator covers TK through grade 8 and counts students enrolled at least 31 instructional days.

Do excused absences count toward chronic absenteeism?

Yes. Excused absences, unexcused absences and suspensions all count. In 2024–25, excused absences were 51.8 percent of all absences statewide, according to CDE.

What is the difference between chronic absence and truancy in California?

Truancy is about unexcused absences: a student must be reported as truant after unexcused absences of more than 30 minutes on three separate days in a school year. Chronic absence counts every missed day and signals a need for support, not a legal status.

What must a first truancy letter to parents in California include?

Under Education Code 48260.5: that the student is truant, the parent must compel attendance, alternative programs exist, the parent may meet with staff, mental health and supportive services may be available, staff can help build strategies, and missing 10 percent of school for any reason can make learning harder.

What are SART and SARB?

A SART is a school attendance review team meeting with the student and family to solve attendance problems. A SARB is a School Attendance Review Board under Education Code 48320 that hears referrals for persistent truancy and can issue directives.

Should attendance letters to parents be in Spanish?

If many families speak Spanish, yes. Send English and Spanish together so every family gets the same message at once, in a warm tone with a clear way to get help.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Check current law and district policy before sending notices.

Written by Isaac, U.S. Navy veteran and founder of Creator Supply Co.