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Petersburg board reviews tightened attendance regulations, recovery options and 'in jeopardy' credit language
Summary
The school division presented a redline of attendance regulation updates that require prompt parental notes, add students with five absences to school attendance-team caseloads, formalize attendance-recovery time (three hours = one day), and place students missing 10% of a semester "in jeopardy" of failing unless they justify or recoup time. The board asked staff to work with the board attorney on team composition and to add explicit summer-school recovery language.
Superintendent and staff presented a set of revised attendance regulations on June 3 that the administration says are intended to reduce chronic absenteeism while preserving schools' flexibility.
"Students that are absent five consecutive or non-consecutive days must be added to the school attendance team caseload to address attendance concerns," said Dr. Yasmin Gay, the district's chief of staff, describing one of the new thresholds embedded in the draft. The draft also requires parents to submit a paper or emailed note within 48 hours explaining an absence.
Why it matters: The changes formalize an "attendance recovery" approach aligned with Virginia Department of Education guidance: the draft ties three hours of recovery time to one day of absence (elementary, middle and high school). Staff said recovery sessions must be led by licensed teachers and may be delivered at school or at approved partner locations so students can recoup instructional time rather than automatically lose credit.
Key elements in the proposed regulation
- Parental documentation: A paper note or email explaining an absence must be received within 48 hours of the student's return. - Attendance-team referral: Students with five cumulative (consecutive or nonconsecutive) absences are to be added to a school attendance-team caseload to set goals and supports. - Recovery/Makeup time: Schools must implement attendance-recovery strategies; per VDOE guidance the draft counts three hours of recovery as one made-up school day. - Tardy/early-release rule: Arriving after the published start time or leaving two hours early triggers documentation; five such incidents in a month should prompt team intervention. - High-school credit language: Rather than automatic failure, the draft says a student who misses roughly 10% of semester class time is "in jeopardy" of not meeting course requirements unless absences are justified or time is recouped.
Board questions and next steps
Board members sought clarification on delivery, asking whether recovery sessions must be led by licensed teachers (the district confirmed they must) and whether recovery could be scheduled before or after school or on weekends. Staff said schools will pursue schedules that match local needs and community partnerships (for example, YMCA arrangements used by some schools).
Members also asked staff to add explicit summer-school recovery language so students who exceed absence thresholds have a clear path to regain credit. On team composition the board debated whether the regulation should list required attendance-team members (principal, counselor, social worker, etc.) or remain flexible. Staff said special-education counsel advised against overly prescriptive lists and that they would consult the board attorney and return with recommended language.
What comes next: Staff will revise the draft to reflect the board's direction, confirm legal review about attendance-team composition, and include clear language about summer-school credit recovery and the licensed-staff requirement for recovery sessions.
Ending: The board engaged a sustained discussion about balancing firm attendance expectations with flexibility for schools to tailor recovery approaches; staff committed to returning with clarified, attorney-reviewed language before final adoption.
