Overview
The School Attendance Review Board (SARB) is a community-based effort to bring together resources to assist families with attendance and truancy issues so that students will stay in school, attend school regularly and graduate. SARB works to divert students with school attendance or school behavior problems from the juvenile court system by providing guidance and coordinated community services to meet their special needs.

A serious attendance problem often begins with a few unexcused absences. District counselors, teachers, nurses, school police officers and a school attendance review team are then brought in to help students at the school site level. When the school has exhausted all resources and a student’s attendance has not improved, then a family may be referred to a SARB hearing.

Why Does Daily Attendance Matter?
Children who miss school miss out on opportunities to learn, build lasting friendships, and develop the skills and attitudes needed to become good citizens and valued employees. There is a clear connection between student attendance and student performance in school. Data shows the higher attendance equals higher achievement for all students. This is especially true for English learners in terms of their gains on the English language arts (ELA) and mathematics portions of the California Standards Tests (CST).

Student absences also affect school budgets. Schools and school districts get a significant amount of their funding based upon the number of students who actually attend school each day. This is called Average Daily Attendance (ADA). Potential losses in ADA revenue affects all students because it can lead to budget cuts affecting a variety of programs, as well as individual schools.

What Are The Student Attendance Laws?
All children between 6 and 18 years of age are required by California’s Education Code to attend school, and their parents have a legal responsibility to ensure their child’s attendance. The law also states that a student’s refusal to attend school regularly can results in referral to the SARB, Juvenile Probation, and the Juvenile Court System. Additionally, parents who fail to compel their child’s attendance may face criminal prosecution and penalties.

.