If the office has not been notified of a student's absence, our staff will contact the parent/guardian to verify the absence. If no verification is made within 3 days, the absence will be considered unexcused.

For frequent/recurring absences, the parent/guardian is expected to provide more information about the student’s absence. When a student has had 10 absences in the school year for illness verified by the method listed above without a healthcare provider's note, any further absences for illness must be verified by a healthcare provider.

For any planned absence of 3 or more days, families should make arrangements to complete an Independent Study Contract (ISC). To request an ISC, please complete this form (Independent Study Contract).

Signatures for ISC will be completed with an online signature. Grades K-1 will have a packet of work to complete. Grades 2-8 will complete work using a specific ISC Google Classroom. Work must be completed the day the student returns to school.

Completing an Independent Study during an extended absence will result in excused absences. A complete copy of the School’s Independent Study Policy may be requested at the main office.

Absences for these reasons will be excused:

• Personal Illness/Injury
• Quarantine under the direction of a county or city health officer
• Funeral attendance for a member of the immediate family
  • Excused absence in this instance shall be limited to one day if the service is conducted in California or three days if the service is conducted out of state.
  • "Immediate family" shall be defined as mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, spouse, son/son-in-law, daughter/daughter-in-law, brother, sister or any relative living in the student's immediate household.
• Observation of a religious holiday or participation in religious instruction or exercises in according the School policy
  • The student shall be excused for this purpose on no more than 4 school days per month.
  • Attendance at religious retreats for no more than four hours during a semester/trimester.
• Medical, dental, optometric, or chiropractic appointments (note from medical professional required upon return)
• Spending time with an immediate family member who is an active duty member of the uniformed services, and has been called to duty for, is on leave from, or has immediately returned from, deployment to a combat zone or combat support position.
  • Excused absence in this instance shall be limited to 1 day if the immediate family member is in California or 3 days if located out of state.
  • Independent Student Contract should be arranged for any absence three days or longer.
• Government orders for a student to be elsewhere (such as a court appearance)
• Attendance at the pupil’s naturalization ceremony to become a United States citizen.

Any absence that is not related to one of the previous-mentioned situations is an unexcused absence, including an absence from School without parental consent, vacations/activities, and other personal reasons.

Students will be allowed to leave School only with a parent/legal guardian, or another person designated in advance by a parent or legal guardian on the Student’s Emergency Contact List. Proper identification of the individual is required. Please make every effort to schedule appointments after dismissal time whenever possible to minimize time away from School. Students should remain in School before and after all appointments.

• Serra Mesa Campus Procedure - If your child needs to be excused early, go directly to the front office to advise a staff member of the reason for early dismissal. The student will be summoned to the office with his/her belongings.
• Tierrasanta Campus Procedure - If your student needs to be excused early, call the Tierrasanta office (858-751-4774 option 2). Advise the staff member of the reason for early dismissal. A staff member will then walk your student to the gate. Please note that it can take approximately 5 to 10 minutes for your student to arrive at the gate after your phone call.
• Middle School Campus Procedure - If your child needs to be excused early, go directly to the office to advise a staff member of the reason for early dismissal. The student will be summoned to the office with his/her belongings.

School begins at 8:00 am at the Middle School, 8:10 am at the Serra Mesa campus, and 8:30 am at the Tierrasanta campus. A student arriving to school after 8:10 am will be considered “late” and after 8:40 am will be considered “tardy” at the Serra Mesa campus. A student arriving to school after 8:30 am will be considered “late” and after 9:00 am will be considered “tardy” at the Tierrasanta campus. All late and tardy students must report to the office to receive a tardy slip before being admitted to the classroom. Unexcused arrivals after the start of the day disrupt classroom instruction, impacting both the individual child’s learning and that of the entire class.

Students shall be classified as truant if the student is absent from school without a valid excuse 3 full days in one school year, or if the student is tardy or absent for more than any 30-minute period during the school day without a valid excuse on 3 occasions in one school year, or any combination thereof. Such students shall be reported to the Principal or designee.

In addition, students shall be classified as chronically truant if the student is absent from school without a valid excuse for 10 percent or more of the school days in one school, from the date of enrollment to the current date.

Tardiness due to a doctor/dentist visit requires a note from the doctor’s office upon return. Or you may email the note to attendance@elevateschool.com.

​​​​​​​At the Tierrasanta campus only: If students arrive after 8:40 am, please call our Tierrasanta office (858-751-4774 option 2). An Elevate staff member will then meet you at the gate to walk your student up to class.