James Breckinridge Middle School

Compulsory School Attendance Law

§ 22.1-254-A "Every parent, guardian, or other person in the Commonwealth having control or charge of any child who will have reached the fifth birthday on or before September 30 of any school year and who has not passed the eighteenth birthday shall, during the period of each school year the schools are in session and for the same number of days and hours per day as the public schools, send such child to a public or to a private, denominational or parochial school or have such child taught by a tutor or teacher of qualifications prescribed by the Board of Education and approved by the division superintendent or provided for home instruction of such child as described in § 22.1-254.1."

Regular school attendance is an important part of your child's success in school. Whenever any student fails to report to school on a regularly scheduled school day without notification from a parent or guardian, school personnel will make a reasonable effort to contact the parent or guardian by telephone. School administrative procedures are used to monitor unexcused absences and assist students in achieving regular school attendance. Chronic, undocumented absences may result in a student being referred to the Student Support Specialist. Failure to comply with the Compulsory School Attendance Law may have serious consequences and result in court action against parents and students

Attendance and Truancy Procedures:

Student Support Specialists provide a progressive level of interventions to promote daily school attendance.  Typical interventions include the following:

• Incentives to promote regular school attendance
• Telephone calls to parents to report student absences and obtain an explanation for student absences
• Letters to parents to report the number of student absences, request parental support for daily school attendance, and to explain to the parent the consequences of continued absences
• Home visits by Student Support Specialist
• Student and parent conferences at school
• Student Support Team meetings at school with student, parents, teachers, student support specialist and principal
• Referrals to community agencies for supportive services
• Interdisciplinary Student Support Team meeting with student, parents, teachers, student support specialist, principal and representatives from Juvenile Court, Department of Social Services, and Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare
• Referral to Roanoke City Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court for truancy and/or failure to comply with compulsory school attendance.

Important things to remember:

• The school day begins at 8:45AM and ends at 3:30PM. Students are marked tardy if they arrive later than 8:45AM. 
• If your child is going to be absent, call the school at 853-2251. We have voice mail for messages left after school hours.
• When your child returns to school, send a written excuse. We will keep this written excuse in your child's attendance record.
• Do not plan family vacations while school is in session.
• Make an effort to schedule doctor, dentist, and other appointments after school. If an afternoon appointment is not available, then try to schedule appointments at times when your child can attend school for either the morning or afternoon classes. Please send written excuses from these professionals to the school.
• If your child is sick in the morning but feels better later in the morning, bring the child to school for the remainder of the day.
• Please notify the school immediately of changes to your child's emergency card, such as a new telephone number or address.

Attendance Expectations for James Breckinridge Middle School: