Education
Pupil attendance: excused absences: religious observance
California schools must excuse students for religious holidays and ceremonies without requiring prior parent requests or school approval.
Students can observe their religion without navigating an approval process. They remain entitled to make up reasonably available missed work for full credit.
What the law does
- Makes absences for a pupil’s religious holiday or ceremony automatically excused.
- Removes the written parent or guardian request and principal or designee approval previously required for those absences.
- Requires reimbursement to local agencies and school districts if the Commission on State Mandates finds the law creates state-mandated costs.
Who it affects
- Public school pupils observing holidays or ceremonies of their religion.
- Parents and guardians of those pupils.
- School districts, school administrators, and teachers.
Context
Excused absences still count in average daily attendance calculations and do not generate state attendance funding.