District Overview

  • District Overview

    • General Background Information

      The Fullerton Joint Union High School District (FJUHSD) was organized in 1893 and serves grades 9-12. It serves a fifty-square-mile area that includes the elementary districts of Buena Park, Fullerton, La Habra and Lowell Joint. Six four-year comprehensive high schools are operated by the District -- Buena Park, Fullerton, La Habra, Sonora, Sunny Hills, and Troy. La Vista High School, a continuation high school and La Sierra High School, an alternative high school, also serve FJUHSD students. A comprehensive summer school program is offered each year. The District's school year consists of 180 instructional days of 372 minutes each.

      The District serves a varied socioeconomic population of families. Active parent organizations, an involved business community and supportive higher education institutions are enjoyed by the District.

      2021/2022 FACT SHEET


      Type of District: Joint Union High School District: Grades 9-12
      Total Enrollment : 13,372 students
      Number of Schools: Six comprehensive high schools; One continuation high school; One alternative high school

      Finances

      General Fund Budget Revenue: $180,600,000


      Certificated Staff
      Approximately 630 certificated employees represented by FSTO (Fullerton Secondary Teachers Organization) which is affiliated with CTA (California Teachers Association) and NEA (National Education Association).

      FSTO President: Angie Cenak, La Sierra High School

      45 certificated administrators

      Salaries

      First step on certificated salary schedule for 2022/23 = $59,949.54 annually
      Top step on certificated salary schedule for 2022/23 = $128,980.68 annually

      Classified Staff

      Approximately 460 classified employees most of whom are represented by CSEA (California School Employees Association), Chapter 82.

      CSEA president Joe Sliker, Swimming Pool Mechanic, Maintenance & Operations
      20 classified administrators


      Salaries

      First step on classified salary schedule for 2022/23 = $2,567.89 monthly

      Top step on classified salary schedule for 2022/23 = $8,605.79 monthly

      Link to salary schedules: Salary Schedules

      Attendance
      Attendance Philosophy:

      It is the desire of the Fullerton Joint Union High School District that all students attend school everyday. Some circumstances may necessitate a student to be absent, and those situations are certainly understandable. Before allowing a student to miss school, it is hoped that parents/guardians will carefully evaluate the reason for the absence and consider the loss of important teacher-to-student interaction and classroom instruction.

      School Attendance:
      Public school districts in California receive funding from the State of California based on the actual number of students who are present for classes, not on the District’s enrollment. Districts do not receive funding for students who are absent, no matter whether an absence is excused or unexcused. The District urges parents to make sure their students attend school regularly and to schedule medical and other appointments so that a student misses none, or only a small portion, of the school day. The District also asks that travel or other absences be avoided during the time school is in session.

      Attendance and tardies are reported and recorded for each class period daily. California State Law requires all persons under 18 years of age who have not graduated from high school to attend school. Students are expected to attend each of their scheduled classes promptly and regularly every day. Regular attendance in all classes is one of the greatest contributing factors to success in school.

      Following an absence, parents/guardians are asked to call the Attendance Office at the respective school on the first and each succeeding day of a student’s absence. Parents/guardians may also call the 24-hour attendance answering machine at the school to clear absences. Students may also bring notes signed by a parent/guardian to the Attendance Office for approval of absences. The note should include the student and parent/guardian names, date(s) of absence, and reason for the absence.

      All absences must be cleared within three (3) days of the student returning to school. Excuses after three days cannot be accepted. Uncleared absences become truancies on the student’s record.

      Education Code section 48200 states that no student is permitted to leave school at break, lunch, or any other time before the regular hour of closing without the approval of the school principal or designee. Violations of this code section will be considered truancies.

      Excused Absences:

      California Education Code section 48200 defines excused absences as:

      1. Due to illness
      2. Attendance at a medical doctor’s appointment
      3. Attendance at a funeral of an immediate family member
      4. Quarantine by the county or city health officer
      5. Jury duty
      6. Justifiable personal reasons including (but not limited to):
      a. religious holidays or celebrations
      b. appearance in court
      c. attendance at a funeral
      d. illness of a child where the student is the child’s parent
      e. attendance at an employment conference (requires previous
      approval by the school principal)
      f. working at an election precinct

      Students with approved absences are entitled to do makeup work. For completion of the makeup work, a student has only as many school days as approved absences. It is the student’s responsibility to ask the teacher(s) about makeup work.

      Unexcused Absences:

      Unexcused absences are those absences that do not meet the above listed criteria. An unexcused absence is an absence that occurs with the approval of the parent or guardian, without a prearranged agreement with a school administrator.

      Procedure for Leaving Campus:
      Students wishing to leave campus at any time during the school day must check-out through the Attendance Office. Parents/guardians must provide a written note for the student indicating the day and time the student will need to be off-campus. If a note is not provided, the student will not be allowed to leave campus. Students who fail to adhere to this policy will receive an unexcused absence.

      Truancy:

      Any student who is absent from school without a valid excuse for three full days in one semester or tardy or absent for more than any 30-minute period during the school day without a valid excuse on three occasions in one school year, or any combination thereof, is considered truant (Education Code 48260).

    Notice of Settlement in the
    Williams v. State of California
    Education Lawsuit
Last Modified on September 6, 2022