Attendance Hotline (760) 331-5970

The attendance hotline number is (760) 331-5970. This is a 24/7 number to report your students' all-day absence or late arrival.

• When calling the hotline, please state the date, student's name, your relationship to the student, teacher's name and the specific reason for the absence. 

• As a reminder, please be sure to state a reason for the absence so we can enter the appropriate attendance code.   

• If you are calling your student out sick, please state the specific symptoms.

• Please call as soon as you are aware that the student will be absent.  We cannot go back more than 3 days to make changes to a student's attendance.

• Even if you notify the student's teacher of the absence, you must still call the attendance hotline.

Automated phone calls and/or emails are generated to verify absences when we do not hear from parents or guardians.  If you receive an automated message, please contact us with the reason for the absence as soon as possible.

Parents/guardians must  go to the school office and obtain permission for the child to leave the grounds during the school day and sign out their child. If not known personally to the staff, the adult will be asked for identification. Children will not be released during school hours to anyone not listed on the emergency contact list. We do not call children to the front office for an early dismissal until the parent is in the office and has signed them out, so please arrive 5-10 minutes before you need your child.

After any combination of 3 Unexcused Absences, Tardies exceeding 30 minutes, or Unexcused check-outs exceeding 30 minutes, a student is considered truant and will receive a letter from the district. Please reference CA Ed Code 48260 for Truancy explanation.

California Education Code 48205

CUSD Regulation 5113: Absences and Excuses

 ~due to pupil's illness, including an absence for the benefit of the pupil's mental or behavioral health;

~ due to quarantine under the direction of a health officer;

~ for the purpose of having medical, dental, optometrical, or chiropractic services

~ for purpose of attending funeral services for pupil's immediate family, or a person that is determined by parent to be in such close association with pupil to be considered immediate family, so long as the absence is not more that five days per incident.

~ service on jury duty

~ due to illness or medical appointments

~For justifiable reasons including but not limited to: personal court appearance; observance of religious holiday or ceremony of pupil’s religion, or attendance at a religious retreat (one school day per semester); attendance at an employment conference; when the pupil’s absence is requested in writing and approved by the principal 

~ spending time with member of pupil's immediate family who is an active military member

~ attending pupil's naturalization ceremony

~for the purpose of participating in cultural ceremony or event

For CUSD attendance policies, please reference pages 10 through 15 of the Carlsbad Unified 2024-25 Student Handbook.

We encourage the scheduling of appointments after school hours whenever possible.  Upon returning to school from a medical appointment, please provide a note from the doctor or dentist​.

A physician’s note may be required to excuse excessive absences or check-outs due to illness or medical appointments.

We encourage parents to assist us in the educational process by scheduling vacations based on the district’s calendar. However, if you know of any upcoming trips or if your student will be absent for an extended period, please notify the front office in advance.

If you have questions regarding attendance, please contact Sue Varchetto at (760) 331-5994 or sue.varchetto@carlsbadusd.net.