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You are here: Fairfax County Public Schools > About FCPS > Attendance and Student Information
Regular on-time arrival is essential for student success. If your child is going to be either absent for the entire day or late for any reason, call the school attendance line, which is available 24-7 for messages. If the school does not receive a call from a parent, the absence or tardiness will be considered unexcused.
• Excused Absence and Tardy—Illness of the student, death in the family, medical appointment, and observance of a religious holiday. The principal or his or her designee may require a physician’s note in cases of chronic or long-term illness.
• Unexcused Absence and Tardy—Family trip, child care problem, oversleeping, nonschool-related activity, traffic, or missed bus.
This handbook is written from a parent’s perspective to answer questions parents have about the school system and to encourage parents to form partnerships with the schools. The handbook serves as a resource guide to FCPS. The handbook has been translated into Korean, Spanish, and Vietnamese. The handbook can be viewed or downloaded from the FCPS web site at: www.fcps.edu/accountability/msaoc/index.htm. To request a staff member to conduct an orientation session at your school, community center, or faith organization, call the Minority Student Achievement Oversight Committee’s staff liaison at 703-208-7785.
Fairfax County Public Schools has developed policies
and regulations on student
attendance.
A student may possess a cell phone, but it must be turned off, out of sight, and used only with a principal’s authorization. If this rule is not followed, the phone will be confiscated and returned only to the student’s parent or guardian.
FCPS encourages family trips during scheduled school vacations. The school system strongly discourages such trips during the school year because these extended absences interrupt the continuity of learning. FCPS must withdraw any student from its enrollment who is absent from school for 15 consecutive days or more. Upon the student’s return, a parent must again officially enroll him or her.
Textbooks are provided free of charge to all students, as is access to computers. A fee, which is determined annually, is charged for the behind-the-wheel phase of driver education. Other fees may be charged for: towel services, gym suits, musical instrument repair, loss of or damage to School Board property, transcripts of student records, enrichment materials, and extracurricular activities such as athletic events, plays, and field trips, and student drivers to park on high school campuses.
During the school year, classes may take field trips that relate directly to the regular instructional program. Schools send permission slips home prior to the trip, and parents must return them to the school no later than the day before the scheduled trip. Schools cannot accept verbal permission. All students must ride school-arranged transportation to and from the field trip destination. For safety and insurance reasons, younger siblings may not accompany chaperoning parents on field trips.
Optional student accident and life insurance plans are available at low cost. Policies offered include school-time, 24-hour, and football accident insurance; dental accident insurance; and life insurance. Call First Service Insurance, Inc., at 1-800-422-7722.
A noncustodial parent has the same rights as a custodial parent to review student records and other school information. After submitting a written request, the parent may review or receive copies of information in his or her child’s student records. A reasonable charge may be imposed for postage and photocopying costs. In the case of requests for school system records other than student records, reasonable charges may also be imposed under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act to cover the cost of searching, photocopying, and mailing.
Noncustodial parents who want to have notice of school events will find that much of this information is available on school web sites and through the Keep in Touch service. Requests to have copies of such notices provided by mail will be honored if the administrative resources of the school allow. A reasonable charge for postage and photocopying costs may be imposed.
Noncustodial parents are welcome to participate in events at the school such as lunches with the children, classroom visits, teacher conferences, and school productions. More specific information about the rights of custodial, joint custodial, and noncustodial parents may be found in the current version of FCPS Regulation 2240 (PDF document).
FCPS does not assume responsibility for the personal property of students and does not purchase insurance for their property. Each school urges parents and students to carefully consider the type and value of property taken to school, especially items with monetary or sentimental value. Unidentified articles found in the school are placed in a designated location.
Individual schools schedule new-student registration dates in early August. However, students may be enrolled by appointment at any time, and parents are urged to enroll their children as soon as possible after arrival in the area. For information regarding school assignment according to geographical residence, call 703-246-6930.
Determine which school your child will attend by entering their street address at http://www.fcps.edu/boundary or by calling 703-329-9831.
Contact your child’s school to make arrangements for enrollment. Most schools begin getting information together in late March or early April for parents of incoming kindergartners, and many schools host an orientation or open house. You will need to register your child at the school he or she will attend.
Student Registration, 703-876-5219, provides school enrollment for students whose home languages are other than English (Multilingual registrars are available to help families with limited English proficiency.); foreign exchange students and students requiring I-20 student visas; all students whose natural parents or legally adoptive parents do not reside in Fairfax County; tuition-paying students; and students in foster care placed by other Virginia counties or by out-of-state agencies.
To enroll a student, the following are required:
Virginia law indicates that:
Parents can print, complete, and submit Student Health Information (PDF document) forms at the time of registration.
Tuition is charged for students whose parents do not live in
Fairfax County. Contact Student Registration, 703-876-5231, for enrollment of nonresident
students. FCPS has implemented procedures for the enrollment of homeless students. Parents or guardians of families experiencing homelessness may contact Student Registration at 703-876-5231 or any Fairfax County public school for enrollment assistance.
FCPS expects students to come to school dressed in proper attire for school activities. Clothing should fit, be neat and clean, and conform to standards of decency. FCPS does not permit:
• Clothing with improper language or images.
• Sagging or low-cut pants, low-cut necklines, tube tops, halter tops, spaghetti straps, backless blouses or blouses with only ties in the back, and clothing constructed of see-through materials.
• Head coverings, such as scarves or bandannas, unless required for religious or medical reasons.
Tennis shoes or shoes with rubber soles are necessary for physical education classes and active recess play in the elementary schools.
By state mandate, the school day is 3 hours for kindergarten and 5 1/2 hours plus a lunch period for grades 1-12.
The opening and closing times for each school are developed by the principal in conjunction with the Office of Transportation Services, which coordinates use of buses and bus routes. Elementary schools, except designated Project Excel schools, close early on Mondays to provide time for staff development, instructional planning, and teacher conferences with parents and students. Project Excel schools may provide full-day kindergarten. Parents are informed through their schools of operating schedules.
Fairfax County Public Schools has specific student conduct rules that are reviewed annually with all students in all grades. Students may be disciplined by school officials, including suspension and expulsion, for conduct while on school property, for conduct while engaged in or attending a school activity, or for conduct that affects students while going to or returning home from school. Students may also be disciplined for acts committed away from school property and outside school hours if the conduct is detrimental to the interest of the school or adversely affects school discipline or if the conduct results in a criminal charge or conviction. Students may be excluded from school for expulsion from another school division or private school.
Policies having to do with dress code, Pledge of Allegiance, cell phones, assault, bullying, harassment, disruption of school activities, threats, gang-related activities, use or possession of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, weapons, and school safety can also be found in the current version of Regulation 2601 (Student Responsibilities and Rights booklet). The booklet is available by calling 571-423-4270 or by accessing the school system’s web site: www.fcps.edu.
Inclement weather or other school emergencies (such as power failures or extreme temperatures) may result in closing, delayed opening, or early dismissal of schools or a change in schedule for adult education classes. Radio and TV stations, including Channel 21, carry the news as soon as such decisions are made. This information is also displayed on the school system home page, www.fcps.edu; and emergency announcement page, http://www.fcps.edu/news/emerg.htm. Parents and students are urged not to call schools or administrative offices for this information. The Fairfax County Public Schools hot line lists closing, delayed opening, or dismissal of schools. The number is 1-800-839-FCPS (3277). Visit http://www.fcps.edu/kit/ to sign up to receive emergency announcements (snow closings), calendar information, School Board information, and much more via e-mail. You control what you receive and can change your selections at any time.
In order to be prepared for an unanticipated change in schedule, working parents need to make advance arrangements regarding where their children should go in case of an early closing.
Parents may request a student transfer from the student’s base (neighborhood) school to another FCPS school under certain circumstances. Student transfers are made on a space available basis and must meet one of the requirements in regulation 2230: 1) family relocation; 2) childcare hardship (elementary only); 3) medical, emotional, social, family adjustment; or 4) sequential curricular program (high school only). For application forms, application guidelines, and further information visit http://www.fcps.edu/ss/student-transfer/index.htm
Last update:
September 22, 2008
Curator: Nancy Moy, Nancy.Moy@fcps.edu