Article 8 - School Attendance Review Boards

California Education Code — §§ 48320-48326

Sections (8)

Amended by Stats. 1982, Ch. 327, Sec. 9. Effective June 30, 1982.

(a)In enacting this article it is the intent of the Legislature that intensive guidance and coordinated community services may be provided to meet the special needs of pupils with school attendance problems or school behavior problems.

(b)Any school attendance review board, established pursuant to this article, which determines that available public and private services are insufficient or inappropriate to correct school attendance or school behavior problems of minors may:

(1)Propose and promote the use of alternatives to the juvenile court system.

(2)Provide, in any proposed alternative, for maximum utilization of community and regional resources appropriately employed in behalf of minors prior to any involvement with the judicial system.

(3)Encourage an understanding that any alternative based on the utilization of community resources carries an inherent agency and citizen commitment directed toward the continuing improvement of such resources and the creation of resources where none exist.

§ 48321

Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 13, Sec. 1. (AB 1939) Effective January 1, 2025.

(a)(1) A county school attendance review board may be established in each county. The county school attendance review board may accept referrals or requests for hearing services from one or more school districts within its jurisdiction pursuant to subdivision (f). A county school attendance review board may be operated through a consortium or partnership of a county with one or more school districts or between two or more counties.

(2)A county school attendance review board, if established, shall include, but need not be limited to, all of the following:

(A)A parent.

(B)A representative of school districts.

(C)A representative of the county probation department.

(D)A representative of the county welfare department.

(E)A representative of the county superintendent of schools.

(F)A representative of law enforcement agencies.

(G)A representative of community-based youth service centers.

(H)A representative of school guidance personnel.

(I)A representative of child welfare and attendance personnel.

(J)A representative of school or county health care personnel.

(K)A representative of school, county, or community mental health personnel.

(L)A representative of the county district attorney’s office. If more than one county is represented in a county school attendance review board, a representative from each county’s district attorney’s office may be included.

(M)A representative of the county public defender’s office. If more than one county is represented in a county school attendance review board, a representative from each county’s public defender’s office may be included.

(3)Notwithstanding paragraph (2), for purposes of conducting hearings, the chairperson of the county school attendance review board is authorized to determine the members needed at a hearing, based on the needs of the pupil, in order to address attendance or behavioral problems.

(4)The school district representatives on the county school attendance review board shall be nominated by the governing boards of school districts and shall be appointed by the county superintendent of schools. All other persons and group representatives shall be appointed by the county board of education.

(5)(A) If a county school attendance review board exists, the county superintendent of schools shall, at the beginning of

each school year, convene a meeting of the county school attendance review board for purposes of adopting plans to promote interagency and community cooperation and to reduce the duplication of services provided to youth who have serious school attendance and behavior problems.

(B)Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), for purposes of conducting hearings, a county school attendance review board may meet as needed.

(b)(1) Local school attendance review boards may include, but need not be limited to, all of the following:

(A) A parent.

(B) A representative of school districts.

(D) A representative of the county welfare department.

(E) A representative of the county superintendent of schools.

(F) A representative of law enforcement agencies.

(G) A representative of community-based youth service centers.

(H) A representative of school guidance personnel.

(I) A representative of child welfare and attendance personnel.

(J) A representative of school or county health care personnel.

(K) A representative of school, county, or community mental health personnel.

(L) A representative of the county district attorney’s office. If more than one county is represented in a local school attendance review board, a representative from each county’s district attorney’s office may be included.

(M) A representative of the county public defender’s office. If more than one county is represented in a county school attendance review board, a representative from each county’s public defender’s office may be included.

(2)Other persons or group representatives shall be appointed by the county board of education.

(c)A county school attendance review board may elect, pursuant to regulations adopted pursuant to Section 48324, one member as chairperson with responsibility for coordinating services of the county school attendance review board.

(d)A county school attendance review board may provide for

the establishment of local school attendance review boards in any number as shall be necessary to carry out the intent of this article.

(e)In any county in which there is no county school attendance review board the governing board of a school district may elect to establish a local school attendance review board, which shall operate in the same manner and have the same authority as a county school attendance review board.

(f)A county school attendance review board may provide guidance to local school attendance review boards.

(g)Each county school attendance review board and each local school attendance review board shall, at least annually, consult

with pupils who reflect the diversity of all the schools that are served by the board for the purpose of soliciting input that will assist board members in gaining a better understanding of, and proposing interventions for, pupil attendance challenges and behavioral challenges.

(h)If the county school attendance review board determines that the needs of pupils, as defined in this article, can best be served by a single board, the county school attendance review board may then serve as the school attendance review board for all pupils in the county, or, upon the request of any school district in the

county, the county school attendance review board may serve as the school attendance review board for pupils of that school district.

(i)This article is not intended to prohibit an agreement on the part of counties to provide these services on a regional basis.

§ 48321.5

Amended by Stats. 1994, Ch. 506, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1995.

(a)In every case in which a minor pupil has been referred to it under Section 48263, each county or local school attendance review board may, for the purpose of making a proper disposition of the referral, issue subpoenas pursuant to the procedures provided in Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 1985) of Title 3 of Part 4 of the Code of Civil Procedure and subject to subdivision (f), or may request the juvenile court having jurisdiction to issue subpoenas, requiring the production of pertinent or material written information or the attendance of any of the following persons:

(1)The minor.

(2)The minor’s parents, guardians, or other person having control of the minor.

(3)The school authority referring the minor.

(4)Any other person who has pertinent or material information concerning the matter.

(b)The juvenile court may issue subpoenas requiring the attendance of witnesses or the production of pertinent or material written information, subject to Section 1985 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

(c)Enforcement of a subpoena issued by a county or local school attendance review board is within the jurisdiction of the juvenile court. The juvenile court does not have jurisdiction to order detention in any secure facility or other confinement for failure to comply with a subpoena issued pursuant to this section.

(d)Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize a county or local school attendance review board to issue a subpoena for the production of written materials or the attendance of any person except as specifically provided in subdivision (a) with respect to the limited purpose of making a proper disposition of the referral of a minor pupil made pursuant to Section 48263.

(e)Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize a county or local school attendance review board to issue a subpoena or request a subpoena to be issued for the production of written materials or the attendance of any person if it is verified that the minor pupil is enrolled and in regular attendance in a private school maintaining kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, that has filed an affidavit pursuant to Sections 33190 and 48222 of the Education Code.

(f)A county or local school attendance review board shall not issue a subpoena that includes a request for production of written materials, but may request a juvenile court having jurisdiction to issue a subpoena for production of written materials pursuant to subdivision (a).

§ 48322

Amended by Stats. 1982, Ch. 327, Sec. 11. Effective June 30, 1982.

The county school attendance review board may encourage local school attendance review boards to maintain a continuing inventory of community resources, including alternative educational programs, and to make recommendations for the improvement of such resources and programs or for the creation of new resources and programs where none exist.

§ 48323

Amended by Stats. 1982, Ch. 327, Sec. 12. Effective June 30, 1982.

Each of the departments or agencies authorized to participate in school attendance review boards may assign personnel to represent the department or agency on a continuing basis in accordance with the intent of this article. The duties, obligations, or responsibilities which may be imposed on local governmental entities by this act are such that the related costs are incurred as a part of their normal operating procedures. The minor costs of such services may be borne by each agency or department and each or all of the participants may apply for and utilize state or federal funds as may be available.

§ 48324

Amended by Stats. 1982, Ch. 327, Sec. 13. Effective June 30, 1982.

The county school attendance review board may adopt such rules and regulations not inconsistent with law, as are necessary for its own government and to enable it to carry out the provisions of this article. The rules and regulations may be binding upon the local school attendance review boards which are established pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 48321.

§ 48325

Amended by Stats. 2000, Ch. 222, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2001.

(a)The Legislature finds and declares that statewide policy coordination and personnel training with respect to county attendance review boards will greatly facilitate the achievement of the goals expressed in Section 48320. It is therefore the intent of the Legislature in enacting this section to do the following:

(1)Encourage the cooperation, coordination, and development of strategies to support county school attendance review boards in carrying out their responsibilities to establish local school attendance review boards as necessary. These strategies may include, but need not be limited to, plans for the training of school attendance review board personnel.

(2)Divert pupils with serious attendance and behavioral problems from the juvenile justice system to agencies more directly related to the state public school system by developing a system for gathering and dispensing information on successful community-based and school-based programs.

(3)Reduce duplication of the services of state and county agencies in serving high-risk youth, including youth with school attendance or behavioral problems.

(4)Reduce the number of dropouts in the state public education system by promoting interagency cooperation among those agencies which have as their goals preventing students from dropping out, and increasing the holding power of the public schools.

(b)The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall coordinate and administer a state school attendance review board, as follows:

(1)On or before January 31 of each year, the superintendent shall extend invitations of participation to representatives of appropriate groups throughout the state, including, but not limited to, representatives of school districts, parent groups, county probation departments, county welfare departments, county superintendents of schools, law enforcement agencies, community-based youth service centers, school guidance personnel, child welfare and attendance personnel, the health care profession and state associations having an interest in youth with school attendance or behavioral problems. The superintendent shall also request the participation of representatives from interested state agencies or departments, including, but not limited to, the Department of the California Youth Authority, the Department of Justice, the State Department of Social Services, and the Office of Criminal Justice Planning. To the extent feasible, members of the board shall include persons who are currently members of county or local school attendance review boards. For every year after the first year that the board is convened, the purpose of the invitations of participation shall be to inform appropriate groups, state agencies, and departments of the purposes of the board, to fill vacancies, and to supplement the membership of the board as necessary.

(2)The superintendent shall prescribe an appropriate deadline for acceptance of invitations of participation as a member of the state school attendance review board for that particular year, and the invitations accepted on or before the deadline shall constitute the board for that year, except that the board shall also include a representative of the State Department of Education designated by the director of that department. The representative of the State Department of Education shall be the chairperson of the board.

(3)The superintendent shall convene the board at least four times during the year. At its first meeting, the board shall elect any officers, other than its chairperson, as it deems necessary. Members of the board shall serve without compensation and without reimbursement of travel and living expenses.

(4)The State Department of Education shall provide assistance as requested by the Superintendent of Public Instruction in order to implement the provisions of this section.

(c)The state school attendance review board shall make recommendations annually to the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and to state agencies as deemed appropriate, regarding the needs and services provided to high-risk youth, including youth with school attendance or behavioral problems, in the state public schools, and shall propose uniform guidelines or other means to attain the goals stated in subdivision (a).

§ 48326

Added by Stats. 2024, Ch. 154, Sec. 1. (AB 2771) Effective January 1, 2025.

The department shall, by the beginning of the 2026–27 school year, post information on its internet website about the methods of reducing chronic absenteeism listed in subdivisions (a) to (g), inclusive.

(a)Identifying barriers to attendance for chronically absent pupils through screenings and interpersonal data collection.

(b)Developing and implementing absence intervention plans that may include supportive services for pupils and families.

(c)Home visits to chronically absent pupils.

(d)Counseling and

wellness check-ins.

(e)Workshop trainings for families of chronically absent pupils.

(f)Partnering with public and nonprofit agencies to provide assistance to families and pupils to reduce absences.

(g)Forming schoolsite absence intervention teams. Members of schoolsite absence intervention teams may include, but need not be limited to, the following:

(1)A pupil personnel services (PPS) credentialholder.

(2)A

representative from the school or school district.

(3)A representative from the school or school district who has a relationship with truant children.

(4)A representative of community-based youth service centers.

(5)A representative of child welfare and attendance personnel.

(6)A representative of school or county health care personnel.

(7)A representative of school, county, or community mental health personnel.