La QuintaHigh School

Home of the Blackhawks

Welcome to the La Quinta High School Attendance page. We’ve designed this guide to help parents, guardians, and students easily navigate our attendance and reporting procedures. Your cooperation helps us keep our campus safe and our students on track for success! 

 General Information

Parents/guardians can excuse up to 10 health-related absences (physical, mental, or behavioral) per school year without a doctor's note. Any health absences beyond 10 require an official doctor's note to be legally excused. 

What Counts as an Excused Absence?

Per California State Law (Education Code 48205), students can only be legally excused for specific reasons. Any absence that falls outside of these categories will be recorded as an unexcused Personal Absence.

Legally excusable reasons include:

• Illness, medical, or dental appointments
• Mental or behavioral health days
• Attending a funeral
• Observing a religious holiday
• Court appearances or naturalization ceremonies

Quick Guide: How to Report an Absence

Please email La Quinta High School at [email protected] and include the following information:

• Student Name
• Date of Birth
• Student Grade
• Parent/Guardian First and Last Name
• Parent/Guardian Contact Telephone Number
• Date of Absence(s) 
• Reason for Absence: Medical or Personal?
• If applicable, please attach or drop off to the Attendance Office the doctor/dental medical note

Requesting an Early Release?

To ensure a smooth and prompt departure for your student, please notify the Attendance Office of any early release requests as early as possible on the same day of the release. Advance notice helps us prevent unnecessary delays when your student is being dismissed. Additionally, please note that if anyone other than a parent or legal guardian will be picking up your student, you must provide prior authorization to the school before they can be released. 

Please email La Quinta High School at [email protected] and include the following information:

• Student Name
• Date of Birth  
• Student Grade
• Parent/Guardian First and Last Name
• Parent/Guardian Contact Telephone Number
• Time to Release Student:  
• Reason for Early Release: Medical or Personal?
• Will the student be returning? Yes/No
  

We Are Here to Help!

We understand that families may experience unique barriers or hardships that affect a student’s regular attendance. If you need assistance, please feel free to reach out to your child’s school counselor or the La Quinta High School administration staff. Support and resources are available through the Desert Sands Unified School District to help ensure your student's success.