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Secondary:
The principal or designee will review the attendance record of all students who have met or exceeded the end-of- year
threshold for chronic absenteeism (17 days) to determine whether the student will retain all privileges of a student in
good standing. The building principal may determine which (if any) student privileges are removed or suspended.
Waiver of Retention or Grade Reduction
A parent/guardian may request a waiver of the attendance sanction or retention or grade reduction. The Newport News
Public Schools Attendance Waiver Request form shall be available at each school. The Waiver form must be completed
and submitted to the principal prior to the close of a school year for students recommended for retention or
remediation.
For students enrolled in a credit bearing class at the middle or high school, the parent/guardian may submit a waiver
request to the principal at the close of the semester, but no later than 10 days after the close of a semester.
Principals must consider the student’s participation in “flexible instructional time” learning recovery opportunities
when considering a waiver of attendance sanctions. (See previous section on Unexcused Absences in High School Credit
Classes for Middle and High School Students.)
Appeal of Waiver Decision
A parent/guardian may appeal the decision of the principal by submitting the appeal to the School Leadership
department within three (3) days of the receipt of the principal’s decision.
Additional Sanctions related to Excessive Absences
Students who accrue excessive daily absences from grades 8 through 12 may lose privileges related to attendance at
special school events such as school dances, prom, school parking privileges and off campus passes.
Make-Up Work
1.When students are absent (except for circumstances included in #2 below), an opportunity to make up work will be
provided. Make-up work is encouraged so that students will profit from future instruction. In middle and high school,
it is the student’s responsibility to ask the teacher for the make-up work. Work (including tests) missed due to an
absence may be made up and credit given for such work. Upon the student’s return to school, the student must
make up the work within five school days. Additional time may be granted by the teacher due to extenuating
circumstances. A student will not be penalized for a teacher’s absence. Students are encouraged to get make-up
work assignments before returning to school. They may do this by:
Reviewing class assignments in Canvas or Seesaw (elementary)
Contact the teacher via email or call the school office requesting assignments remembering that teachers need 24
hours to prepare assignments.
Students who are absent due to a suspension will have the option to access and complete graded work during and after
the suspension. Please contact the school or teacher directly to request assignments.
2.When students cut class or cut school, teachers shall assign a failing grade for any work or test missed due to an
absence that resulted from class cutting or truancy.
Perfect Attendance
For purposes of determining perfect attendance, the student must be in attendance for a period of two hours to be
counted as present for the school day. Pre-arranged absences for religious observance will not count against perfect
attendance.
Tardies
Tardiness to school or to class is addressed as a discipline issue in the Rights and Responsibilities Handbook. Students
with excessive tardies at the high school level may lose parking privileges or the possibility of obtaining parking passes in
the future. Refer to page 62 of this Handbook for additional information on tardiness.
State Reporting of Attendance Data
The number of students with five or more unexcused absences and the number of students with 10% of any type of
absence within the student’s yearly enrollment period will be reported to the Superintendent of Public Instruction
annually.
Learnfare Agreement and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
Learnfare is a Virginia Welfare Reform initiative which ties welfare payments to the school attendance of students under
the age of 18 who are TANF recipients.
Newport News Department of Human Services and the school division will coordinate efforts to identify those students
who are deemed truant and not in compliance with attendance requirements. When students with attendance problems
are identified by the division, the Newport News Department of Human Services will be contacted to develop a plan
with the parent/guardian.
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