Policies and Regulations

School Board of the City of Virginia Beach
Regulation 5-26.1

STUDENTS

Waivers to Full Day of School

Regulations governing modification in the school day are specified below.

Eligibility
1. Seniors and fifth year seniors who are in good standing in terms of academic achievement, attendance, and discipline, or who are participating in Virtual Virginia Beach e-Learning online courses, are eligible to apply for a waiver. All must meet the standards in this regulation.
2. Underclassmen are not eligible for a waiver unless they meet the criteria for extenuating circumstances, in a work/study program, or are enrolled in Virtual Virginia Beach e-Learning courses.
3. Extenuating circumstances are those which are beyond the control of the student and his parent/legal guardian such as extended student illness, illness within the immediate family, or personal family reasons. Medical or other documentation must be submitted with the student's application for waiver of a full day of school. Prior to approving a waiver of a full day of school, homebound instruction will be considered for any student whose illness may prevent his full-day attendance within a regular school day setting.
4. Students who are enrolled in a school work/study program must be in attendance at school for three (3) blocks of instruction daily.
5. Eleventh and twelfth grade students who are enrolled in Virtual Virginia Beach e-Learning online classes must be in attendance at school no fewer than two (2) blocks of instruction daily. Ninth and tenth grade students enrolled in Virtual Virginia Beach e-Learning online classes must be in attendance at school for three (3) blocks of instruction daily.
6. A list of those students who are granted waivers will be kept on file at the school. A copy of the application for waiver of full-day enrollment must be kept in the student's record during the school year for which it was approved.
7. No waiver of full-day attendance will be granted where such waiver reduces instructional time in the core academics.
8. No waiver of full-day attendance will be considered for those students with a grade point average of less than a 2.0 the previous semester or for those students with an overall grade point average of less than 2.0.
9. No waiver of full-day attendance will be considered for those students who have taken but not passed a Standards of Learning (SOL) tested course or have not achieved a verified credit in an SOL tested course.

Procedure for Requesting Waiver of a Full Day of School
1. The student and parent/legal guardian must complete and sign an application for a waiver. If a waiver is being requested for health reasons, a letter or other documentation from the attending physician must be submitted. The principal will review the data and determine whether there is a basis for a waiver. The principal must submit a list of approved waivers to the Superintendent or the Superintendent’s designee no later than September 30th of each year.
2. An appeal of the principal’s decision may be made to the Superintendent or the Superintendent’s designee by sending a written request to the Superintendent or the Superintendent’s designee within five (5) days of the issuance of the principal's decision. The decision of the Superintendent or the Superintendent’s designee is final.

Legal Reference:

8 VAC 20-131-10 et seq., as amended. Board of Education Regulations Establishing Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia.

Approved by the Superintendent: July 16, 1991
Revised by the Superintendent: October 8, 1998
Revised by the Superintendent: October 26, 2006
Revised by the Superintendent: March 31, 2010
Revised by the Superintendent: November 14, 2011