- Address | Contact Phone |
- District
- Schools
El Cajon Valley HS El Capitan HS Granite Hills HS Grossmont HS Helix Charter HS Idea Center High School Monte Vista HS Mount Miguel HS Santana HS Steele Canyon Charter HS Valhalla HS West Hills HS Grossmont Adult Education Chaparral HS CTE Grossmont Middle College HS Home Choice Grossmont Library Health Occupations Center REACH Academy ELITE Academy MERIT Academy School Accountability Report Cards
- Language
Attendance
Frequently Asked Questions
![]()
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I do when my student is absent?
Three options
- Call (619)956-0434, leave message - student's name/ID #, date of absence, & reason for absence (see below for a list of excused absences)
- Email whhs-attendance@guhsd.net - same information as above
- Note signed by parent
When do I need to notify the attendance office of my student's absence?
Absences MUST be cleared within 72 hours. Absences not verified by a parent/guardian will be marked truant. *District Administrative Regulation 5121
What do I do when I need to pick up my student early?
The best way to ensure that your student leaves on time is to send them with a note in the morning. If that is not possible, please call the attendance line at 619-956-0434 and give the office 2 hours to get your student out of class. Please remember that if your student is in PE, it could take additional time to get them out of class.
PLEASE NOTE: Your student may not leave campus before being checked out through attendance. Students who leave campus without properly checking out are considered truant. Calling after your student leaves campus will not excuse them.
I called Attendance in the morning, why is my student's attendance still not updated?
Call volume in the attendance office can be upwards of 250 calls/voicemails per day. Please allow 24-48 hours to make all changes to attendance.
Who listens to the Attendance voicemails?
The attendance tech is the only staff member who listens to the voicemails for all-day absences. Students are not legally allowed to listen to voicemails. If you do not want to leave a sensitive message, please utilize our email option: whhhs-attendance@guhsd.net
I received a notification that my student was marked absent, but my student was in class, how do I fix this?
The best way to see what class your student was marked absent from is to download the Infinite Campus Parent app. Students can also access their attendance through their Infinite Campus portal. You can email teachers directly from the app, or students can email their teachers and cc: parents.
My student is on the Loss of Privilege (LOP) list for attendance, how do they make up attendance?
- Parents/Guardians have 72 Hours to verify absences. Call Attendance at (619)956-0434.
- Attend Detentions or Saturday Schools to work off LOP Points.
Detention Days/Times:
Before-School Detention Monday - Friday at 7:45am (No entry after 8:00am)
After-School Detention Monday - Thursday at 3:25pm (No entry after 3:25pm)
Detentions = 1 LOP Point
Saturday School = 8 LOP Points
Saturday School Dates - TBD, ask your Assistant Principa
Going on vacation or absent for more than 3 days in a row?
- Students/Parents must request an Independent Study Contract. The request MUST BE submitted at least 7 days prior to the start of the absence. If changes to the date or a cancellation needs to be made, please call West Hills High School, at 619-956-0420, as soon as possible. Email AP Mike Falconer at mfalconer@guhsd.net for more information.
- This contract is only valid when it has been approved, completed by the student and teachers, signed by the student and parent, and returned to the school prior to the commencement of the independent study program. Contract will only take effect when all parties have signed, including parent/guardian, student and Supervising Teacher.
- It is the student's responsibility to obtain their assignments prior to leaving and return the completed assignments upon return to school.
Planning on an absence for more than 30 days?
Students who are absent for more than 30 days need to contact the counseling office: (619) 956-0439
What do I do when I need to pick up my student early during finals?
Attendance DOES NOT deliver early release slips during finals. It is best to send your student with a note in the morning to obtain their early release slip BEFORE they go to their scheduled final.
Excused Absences:
Absences that may be cleared for the following reasons according to the CA Education Code
(EC 48205), include:
(EC 48205), include:
- Illness (flu, fever, chicken pox, strep throat, mental health, etc.)
- Appointments: Medical, dental, optometry, or chiropractic
- Funeral of immediate family, limited to 1 day in state, 3 days out of state
- Court appearances
- Illness of a child in the student’s custody
- Quarantine
- *Other - *Check the student handbook for excused absences that need prior approval.
GUHSD Infinite Campus
![]()
GUHSD Infinite Campus
- With access to Infinite Campus, GUHSD’s student information system, you can look up your student's attendance history online. Questions on how to set up a Parent Portal Account are answered by calling the District Help Line: (619) 956-HELP (4357).
Infinite Campus Attendance Key
Attendance Contact Information:
24hr Attendance Line: (619)956-0434
Partial Day Absence Line: (619)956-0432
Attendance Tech Line: (619)956-0431
Policies and Procedures
![]()
Policies and Procedures
Full-Day Absences/Truancies:
West Hills High School recognizes the relationship between positive student attendance and academic success.
Absence, truancy and tardiness to school/class results in a loss of opportunity to learn and to maximize time on task.
A period truancy occurs when a student is absent for more than 30 minutes in a single period without being excused by a parent through a note or phone call. Similarly, a truancy occurs when a student is absent and the absence is not excused by a parent/guardian through a note or phone call to the attendance office.
Automated attendance notices will be sent to parents/guardians by Infinite Campus Messenger informing them of any tardies or absences that occurred that day.
Parents/guardians should contact the school in the event of extenuating circumstances; the administration should discuss the case with the teacher involved.
To clear a full day absence, the student must do one of the following within 72hrs (including the absent day) or he/she will be considered truant:
- Have the parent call the 24 hour All Day Absence Line: (619) 956-0434
- Bring a signed note from the parent;
- Fill out a J-31 card - located in the attendance office.
Excused Absences - Absences may be cleared for the following reasons according to the CA Education Code (EC 48205), include:
- Illness (flu, fever, chicken pox, strep throat, mental health, etc.)
- Medical, dental, optometry, or chiropractic appointments
- Quarantine
- Funeral of immediate family, limited to 1 day in state, 3 days out of state
- Court appearances
- Illness of custodial child
- *Other
*Check the student handbook for excused absences that need prior approval.
Assignments and tests may be made up for excused absences, but the student needs to make arrangements with their teachers and complete the work within a reasonable time period.
There will be no automatic drop from class. However, students who accumulate more than ten unexcused absences may not earn a passing grade and must attend Saturday School or after-school intervention in order to ensure receiving a passing grade.
Excused absences may also be made-up by attending Saturday Scholars or after-school interventions. In accordance with Education Code, Section 37223, students with unexcused absences may be required to attend Saturday Scholar days.
Students may be dropped for excessive absences (exceeding ten absences in a semester class), if it is determined that the absences, in combination with, lack of effort, lack of academic success, or poor attitude results in disruptive behavior.
Students and parents/guardians must recognize that there is a direct relationship between school attendance and grades/credits earned
**Due to the high volume of absences, the attendance office is no longer able to make courtesy calls home to remind parents to clear student absences. If the parent has set up their Parent Portal account within Infinite Campus, they may receive automated calls. Questions on how to set up a Parent Portal Account are answered by calling the District Help Line: (619)956-HELP (4357).
Leaving School Early – Partial Day Absence
If your student is leaving campus early for a planned appointment, they need to bring a note to the attendance office before school; otherwise it will be considered a period truancy. If your student does not have a note, please call the attendance office at (619)956-0432 as early as possible on the day of your partial day absence and have your student pick up their leave pass before they leave school. Students must grab their pass from the attendance office before leaving campus if it hasn’t been delivered to them in class.
Notes for Early Dismissal must include:
- Student’s name
- Reason for leaving campus
- Time of dismissal
- If your student will be returning to campus or absent the remainder of the day
- Parent name & signature
If an unplanned circumstance arises and a student needs to leave school early, a legal parent/guardian needs to come and check-in with our receptionist in the front office. She will further direct you to the Attendance Office for our check-out process.
Students are only released to legal guardians through the attendance office, unless permission is given from the guardian in a note or phone call for someone else to pick up the student (i.e. grandparents, sister, brother, neighbor). Please don't confuse this with an emergency release for sick students through the nurse's office; they have a different release policy.
Arriving at School Late –Partial Day Absence
If a student arrives late, they must bring a note to the attendance office and get an official pass to class. There are no excused tardies due to traffic, car problems, transportation issues, or weather problems, but these students still need a late pass from attendance. When students arrive late, it is disruptive not only to teaching and learning but to the entire school community. Please continue to make getting out of the house early enough a priority so students are on time to class.
Homework Drop-off and Deliveries
If your student forgets homework projects, PE clothes, lunch money, cell phones, etc., you may drop them off at the attendance office for your student to pick up. We don't interrupt class to deliver these items; your student must know to pick them up.
Truancies/Lates
If a student has a minimum of 3 tardies, period truancies, or all day truancies, (or any combination of the three), they may be subject to any the following:
- Loss of Privileges
- Referral to Probation Officer
- SART contract
- ISA – In School Alternative
- Referral to District Attorney’s Office
- Involuntary transfer to Alternative Education or SARB school
Grossmont Union High School District programs and activities shall be free from discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying based on age, gender, sex, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, nationality, ethnic group identification, ethnicity, marital or parental status, physical or mental disability, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation or the perception of one or more of such characteristics. (GUHSD Board Policy 5145.3)
4119.26 BP Employee/Student Interaction Policy
Additional non-discrimination and related policies
4119.26 BP Employee/Student Interaction Policy
Additional non-discrimination and related policies
Copyright © 2019 Grossmont Union High School District and its licensors. All rights reserved. Website Developed By CatapultCMS™ & EMS™. | Log In