School Attendance Review Board (SARB)

The mission of the School Attendance Review Board (SARB) is to help students stay in school, attend school regularly and graduate. SARB is a community-based effort to bring together resources to assist families with attendance and truancy issues. The SARB level is the district’s last chance to keep students and families out of the court system. SARB’s intervention with each student begins after a completed referral packet has been received from the respective school. 

A serious attendance problem often begins with a few unexcused absences. District counselors, teachers, school police officers and a school attendance review team may be 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. SARB offers students a last chance to improve attendance before a referral is made to juvenile court. For students under 12 years of age, the parent is referred to court rather than the student. 

Specific laws related to attendance: 

  • Education Code, Section 48200. Students between the ages of 6 and 18 must attend school.
  • Education Code, Section 48260. A student is a habitual truant when he/she is absent from school without an excuse three full days in one school year or tardy or absent for more than any 30 minute period during the school day three times.
  • Education Code, Section 48263. Truant students may be referred to SARB.
  • Education Code, Section 48293(a). A parent or guardian may be held responsible if a student does not follow the SARB contract. 

FOR ANY QUESTIONS RELATED TO YOUR STUDENT'S ATTENDANCE, SARB LETTERS OR SARB HEARING, PLEASE CONTACT THE SCHOOL SITE DIRECTLY.