Truancy
Recommended Edit:
State Law (§22.1-248) mandated consequences are applied to those absences considered truancies.
If a student accumulates five (5) unexcused absences, the school will request to meet with the parent/guardian and the student to develop an attendance improvement plan to resolve the child’s nonattendance. Should a student accumulate seven (7) unexcused absences, an attendance conference will be scheduled to revise the plan.
If the improvement plan does not resolve nonattendance and the student accumulates ten (10) or more unexcused absences, the student & parent/guardian may be referred to a school-based multi-disciplinary team (MDT) to discuss additional resources or court intervention. Students with excessive unexcused absences may be prohibited from participating in school events such as field trips, athletic events, and other extracurricular events. The school may file a complaint against the parent/guardian with the King William County Juvenile and Domestic Relations court requesting court-ordered parental participation to resolve truancy concerns. The school may also file a petition with the court alleging that the student is a child in need of supervision (CHINS).
Homeless Education
The McKinney-Vento Act ensures educational rights and protection for youth and children experiencing homelessness.
Who is considered homeless?
Anyone who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence is considered homeless. You qualify if you are:
Living in an emergency shelter or transitional housing
Living in a motel, hotel, or campground due to economic hardship or lack of housing
Sharing housing with relatives or others due to economic hardship or lack of housing
Living in a car, park, public place, bus or train station or an abandoned building
Foster Care
When a youth is placed in foster care, or there is a change to an existing foster care placement, simultaneously changing an educational placement may have significant impacts on the student. Federal guidelines require that schools work collaboratively with the local Department of Social Services to mitigate the number of educational disruptions that youth placed in foster care may experience. West Point Public Schools is committed to supporting youth in foster care by providing a continuity of education wherever it is deemed to be in the best interest of the student. This may include immediate enrollment in West Point Public Schools or providing transportation to the student's school of origin. By creating strong relationships with all parties involved in the youth's care, West Point Public Schools strives to provide stability during a challenging time to help improve educational and lifetime outcomes. For more guidance on supporting educational stability for youth in foster care, please visit the Virginia Department of Education's Enrollment of Youth in Foster Care website.
Services provided by West Point Public Schools
If a student is found eligible for services under the McKinney-Vento Act, the school district can provide the following services:
Immediate school enrollment
Transportation
Free meals
Referrals to community resources for food, clothing, shelter, etc.
Parents/Guardians who think they may qualify for services under the McKinney-Vento Education Assistance Act should contact our Homeless/McKinney-Vento Liaison, Aimee Buzek, at abuzek@wpschools.net or by phone at 804-843-2030 extension 359
Project Hope is the office of the State Coordinator for Homeless Education in Virginia. Project Hope is located at the College of William and Mary.