Attendance Matters
Attend. Aspire. Achieve.
Daily school attendance and student achievement go hand-in-hand. What may seem like a few absences (just two days per month) can negatively impact students’ grades, reading level, and even graduation rates. Students must be in school consistently to learn, and WJCC Schools values its partnership with families to ensure the success of all students!
The best place for students to be to learn and grow with their peers is in school. WJCC Schools recognizes students may get sick and we encourage families to support their child in getting well by keeping them home. By keeping students in school when they’re healthy, students gain flexibility and time, if needed, to be absent and fully recover from illness before returning to school.
In Virginia:
- All absences – excused and unexcused – count toward each student’s level of chronic absenteeism.
- A student is chronically absent if they miss 18 days (10%) of the full school year.
- A school is subject to heightened monitoring by the Virginia Department of Education if 15% or more of student population is chronically absent, which could impact a school’s accreditation status.
School Board Attendance Policies & Virginia Code
Attendance Wavier Request for Credit-Bearing Class (Middle & High School)
As outlined in Policy and Regulation JED, students who have accumulated nine or more total absences in a credit-bearing class in one semester will only receive credit with an approved attendance waiver.
Attendance waiver request forms:
If you have any questions or need assistance with your child’s attendance, please contact your child’s school.
Frequent Attendance Scenarios
Exceptional circumstances may be excused for up to 5 days per student per school year. Parents or legal guardians must provide a written explanation of the exceptional circumstance and submit it to the building principal before the planned absence. The building principal will determine whether the absence is excused or unexcused.
Students may have up to 10 absences per year excused with a note from a parent or guardian. Any additional absences will require supporting documentation. All attendance-related notes and documentation will be kept on file in the attendance office or another designated location as appropriate.
- All
- Activities (Not School-Sponsored)
- Activities (School-Sponsored)
- Appointment
- Death in Family
- Deployment
- Exam Excusal
- Higher Education
- Illness
- Religion
- Absence Type: Unexcused
- Required Documentation: Parent/guardian note
- Additional Information: Not permitted as an excused absence.
- Absence Type: Excused
- Required Documentation: Parent/guardian note or appropriate documentation
- Additional Information: Permitted one absence per school year.
- Absence Type: Unexcused
- Required Documentation: Parent/guardian note
- Additional Information: Not permitted as an excused absence.
- Absence Type: Excused
- Required Documentation: Parent/guardian note or appropriate documentation
- Additional Information: Permitted one absence per school year.
- Absence Type: Excused
- Required Documentation: Parent/guardian note or appropriate documentation
- Additional Information: Permitted one absence per school year.
- Absence Type: Excused
- Required Documentation: Parent/guardian note
- Additional Information: Permitted as excused.
- Absence Type: Excused
- Required Documentation: Parent/guardian note, or a note from the appointment to be marked as excused.
- Additional Information: Permitted as excused.
- Absence Type: Excused or Unexcused
- Required Documentation: Appropriate documentation. School board policy accommodates up to three days excused in a death of an immediate family member.
- Additional Information: If the deceased is not a member of the immediate family, a request for exceptional circumstances must be established in writing by the parent or legal guardian and submitted to the building principal in advance of the intended absence. In such event, the building principal shall make the final decision whether the absence is excused or unexcused.
- Absence Type: Excused
- Required Documentation: Parent/guardian note.
- Additional Information: Falls within the school division exceptional circumstance policy. Exceptional circumstance must be established in writing by the parent or legal guardian and submitted to the building principal in advance of the intended absence.
- Absence Type: Excused
- Required Documentation:
To be considered for exemption, the student must meet one of the following qualifying conditions for each course in which an exemption is being sought:- Twelfth grade students (only):
- No more than 9 absences.
- A B average or better in the course.
OR
- Any high school student:
- No more than 9 absences.
- Passes one of the following assessments:
- SOLs (Standards of Learning)
- CTE (Career and Technical Education) Industry Credential Exam
- Division Alternate Assessment
- A 60% final average or above in the course.
- Twelfth grade students (only):
- Additional Information: Permitted as excused.
- Absence Type: Excused or Unexcused
- Required Documentation: Parent/guardian note prior to the absence
- Additional Information:Falls within the school division exceptional circumstance policy. Exceptional circumstance must be established in writing by the parent or legal guardian and submitted to the building principal in advance of the intended absence. In such event, the building principal shall make the final decision whether the absence is excused or unexcused.
- Absence Type: Excused with documentation
- Required Documentation:Parent/guardian note or medical note
- Additional Information: More than 3 consecutive days of absence due to illness without a medical note will be considered unexcused.
- Absence Type: Excused with required documentation.
- Required Documentation: Medical note from physician specifying the dates student will be absent.
- Additional Information: Medical note must list the exact days that the student will be out of school. Notes without such documentation cannot be accepted for excused absences.
- Absence Type: Excused
- Required Documentation: Parent/guardian note.
- Additional Information: Permitted as excused
- Absence Type: Excused
- Required Documentation: Parent/guardian note.
- Additional Information: Permitted as excused
