Skip To Main Content

Attendance

Karen Lynskey

Attendance Procedure for Absences

For absences of any description, schools will implement the following actions:

Middle and High Schools:

Six (6) Absences:

  • Contact the parent/guardian and document the file.
  • (Optional) Schedule a conference with the parent/guardian to address potential chronic absenteeism.
  • Provide the parent/guardian with the student’s attendance history and Fauquier County Public Schools attendance policy information.

All Schools:

Ten (10) Absences:

  • Send a letter to the parent/guardian and attempt personal contact.
  • (Optional) Schedule a conference within five (5) school days to develop an attendance improvement plan. At a minimum, a phone conference should be held and documented.
  • Inform the parent/guardian of the attendance policy requiring attendance all day, every day.

Fifteen (15) Absences:

  • Send a letter to the parent/guardian stating:
    1. Absences have been determined chronic due to:
      • (a) Failure of the parent to cooperate with the attendance improvement plan, and/or
      • (b) The parent's inability to control/supervise the child regarding school attendance.
    2. Absences have been determined not to be a chronic issue due to:
      • (a) Cooperation of the parent/guardian, and/or
      • (b) Extenuating circumstances showing absences to be reasonable and not contrary to compulsory attendance law.
  • If absences are considered a failure to comply with compulsory attendance law, a referral will be sent to Student Services, and one or more of the following actions will occur:
    1. Referral to a Student Support Team (SST) or other appropriate intervention.
    2. Initiation of court proceedings against the child (Child in Need of Supervision).
    3. Initiation of court proceedings against the parent/guardian (Code of Virginia, Sections 18.2-371, 22.1-279.3).
  • When attendance issues are considered truancy, in that parents are unaware or not supporting the student’s absences, a plan will be developed on the fifth (5th) absence, and on the sixth (6th) absence, an SST or interdisciplinary team meeting will be scheduled and held no more than fifteen (15) days after the 6th absence. Additional absences will result in continued interventions which may include the initiation of court proceedings.
  • Building administrators may make the referral to Student Services at their discretion prior to the 15th absence.

Additional Attendance Requirements

Tardiness, Early Dismissals, and Class Cuts: Fauquier County Public Schools treat tardiness, early dismissals, late arrivals to class, and failure to attend all assigned classes (class cuts) with the same seriousness as truancy.

Course Credit in High School: Course credit in high school is based on a minimum of 140 clock hours of instruction, pursuant to 8 VAC 20, 131-110, Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia. Any student who misses more than 10 days in a class may fail due to absences.

Leaving School Property: Once a student arrives on school property, they may not leave without administrative permission before the end of the regularly scheduled day.

Appeals: Any parent aggrieved by a decision of the superintendent may appeal to an independent hearing officer in accordance with §22.1-254.1(E) of the Code of Virginia. (FCPS Policy 7-2.1)