Section 48416 Of Article 2. Pupils Exempt From California Education Code >> Division 4. >> Title 2. >> Part 27. >> Chapter 3. >> Article 2.
48416
. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a child who, at
the time a leave of absence is to begin, will be between the ages of
16 and 18, inclusive, may take a leave of absence from compulsory
continuation education classes or, if exempted pursuant to
subdivision (b) of Section 48410, from the school that the child
attends, for a period of up to two semesters, if all the following
conditions are satisfied:
(a) The school district governing board adopts a written policy to
allow student leaves of absence consistent with this section.
(b) The purpose of the leave is supervised travel, study,
training, or work not available to the student under another
education option.
(c) A written agreement is entered into that is signed by the
child, the child's parent or guardian, the principal or
administrative officer of the school that the child would otherwise
attend, a classroom teacher familiar with the child's academic
progress selected by the child, and the district supervisor of child
welfare and attendance, and that provides for all of the following:
(1) The purpose of the leave.
(2) The length of time the child will be on leave.
(3) A meeting between or contact with the child and a school
official designated in the agreement at least once a month while the
child is on leave.
(4) A statement incorporating the provisions contained in
subdivision (b).
(d) The child shall be entitled to return to school at any time.
No child who takes a leave of absence shall be penalized from
completing his or her academic requirements within a time period
equal to that of classmates who did not take a leave of absence, plus
a period of time equal to the leave of absence. However, when a
child reenrolls at any time other than the beginning of a semester,
the school shall not be required to give makeup sessions during that
semester for the classes that the child has missed.
(e) A leave of absence may be extended for an additional semester
upon approval by all parties to the written agreement and the local
school attendance review board.
(f) No leave of absence may be taken that would continue past the
end of the school year in which the leave is taken.
(g) If the student does not contact the designated school official
as stipulated in the written agreement, the leave of absence shall
be nullified.
Any party to the written agreement may nullify the written
agreement for cause at any time.
(h) No more than 1 percent of the students enrolled and in
attendance at each school shall be permitted to take a leave of
absence during each academic year.