Floyd Calendar 2019-2020

FILE: JFC-E

determines that readmission, without parent conference, is appropriate for the student. If a parent fails to comply with the requirements of this policy, the School Board may ask the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court to proceed against the parent in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Virginia. §22.1-279.3 of the Code of Virginia contains provisions addressing parental responsibility and involvement that are intended to promote proper student conduct. Through the enactment of this legislation, the Assembly has asserted its position that parents do not relinquish their responsibility for disciplining or managing their children while they are attending public schools. Rather, parents must work in partnership with school administrators to maintain a safe and orderly school environment. Most of our parents are involved and support our schools, helping to create the environment that is necessary to promote learning. Consequently, we recognize that we will not need to resort to the enforcement provisions in this legislation unless a parent willfully and unreasonably fails to meet their responsibility as outlined below. Rather, this legislation provides us with an additional tool for involving all our parents in assisting us in maintaining a safe school environment. • Within one month of the opening of school, the school board must send to parents a copy of these requirements and a copy of the school board’s Standards of Student Conduct and Attendance. • Parents must sign and return a statement acknowledging the school board’s Standards of Student Conduct and Attendance and recognizing their responsibility to assist the school in disciplining their student. The statement must acknowledge that failure to so participate could result in court action against the student and parent. NOTE: Signing of the statement of receipt does not waive, but expressly reserves, the parent’s rights protected by the constitutions or laws of the United States or Commonwealth of Virginia. The statement acknowledges receipt of the Standards of Student Conduct and Attendance and the notice of the requirements of this section. However, parents have the right to express disagreement with a school’s or school division’s policies or decisions. Parents continue to maintain the right to appeal a suspension or expulsion under §22.1-277 of the Code of Virginia. Each school must maintain records of the signed statement. • Principal is authorized to request that the student’s parent meet with the principal or designee to review the School Board’s Standards of Conduct and the parent’s responsibility to participate in disciplining the student and maintaining order, and to discuss improving the student’s behavior and educational progress. • Principal is authorized to notify the parents when the student violates the school board policy that could result in a suspension, whether or not the administration has imposed such action. The notice must state the date and particulars of the offense, the parent’s obligation to assist the school in improving the student’s behavior. However, the principal or designee is authorized to readmit the student without the parent conference if it is appropriate for the student. • If parents fail to comply with these requirements, the school board may petition the juvenile and domestic relations court to proceed against the parents for willful and unreasonable refusal to participate in efforts to improve the student’s behavior. • If the court finds that a parent has willfully and unreasonably failed to meet, pursuant to a request of a principal, to review the School Board’s Standards of Student Conduct and the parent’s responsibility to assist the school in disciplining the student and maintaining order, and to discuss improvement of the child’s behavior and educational progress, it may order the parent to so meet; or • If the court finds that the parent has willfully and unreasonably failed to accompany a suspended student to meet with school officials, or upon the student’s receiving a second suspension or being expelled, it may order (1) the student or his/her parent to participate in such programs or such treatment as the court deems appropriate to improve the student’s behavior or (2) the student or his/her parent to be subject to such conditions and limitations as the court deems appropriate for the supervision, care, and rehabilitation of the student or his/her parent. The following information has been developed by the Office of the Attorney General regarding the prosecution of juveniles as adults: Section 22.1-279.4 of the Code of Virginia states: School boards shall provide information developed by the office of the Attorney General to students regarding laws governing the prosecution of juveniles as adults for the commission of certain crimes. Methods of providing such information may include, but not be limited to, public announcements in the schools, written notification to parents, publication in the student conduct manual, and inclusion in those materials distributed to parents pursuant to § 22.1-279.3.

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