Lightridge School Absence Procedures ~ Click Here

Attendance Email: LRHAttendance@lcps.org

Attendance voicemail: (571) 367-4101

ABSENCES: The Commonwealth of Virginia has a compulsory attendance law for all students less than 18 years of age. According to School Board Policy (8-17), all students have a responsibility to attend all scheduled classes and other assigned activities unless excused by the Principal. Absence from school for any period will result in the loss of learning. Students are required to find out what work has been missed and to make up that work within a reasonable amount of time, regardless of the reason for absence(s).

Only a parent or legal guardian may call or email if a student will be absent. Students may NOT report their own absence(s) – including students 18 years of age and older. If the parent/legal guardian has not called the school’s absentee line, the school will make every effort to contact a parent to verify the absence. Any absence not confirmed by a parent/legal guardian will be considered unexcused. 

Absences from school are excused with appropriate documentation for the following reasons:

• • Personal illness (proof from a parent email or note)

  • Death in the family (proof from a parent with an email or a note)

  • Medical or Dental appointments (excused provided student submits medical documentation to the Attendance Office from the doctor’s office, Court/Judicial appearances (excused provided student submits judicial documentation to the Attendance Office from the court)

  • Religious Holidays*

  • School sponsored events (limited to band, chorus, orchestra)

  • Pre-scheduled college/university orientations (excused provided student submits documentation from the college/university)

Please submit the absence notice via ParentVue, email to the attendance office or leave a voicemail on the attendance line before 9:30 am on the day of the absence or as soon as possible.

TARDIES: Promptness to class is essential for maintaining instructional consistency, which promotes learning. Students who are not in class by 9:30 a.m. must sign in with the Attendance Office and receive a tardy pass to class. Students who arrive after 9:30 a.m. and do not check in with the Attendance Office will be marked unexcused absent.

Proper documentation is required for an excused tardy in the form of: medical or judicial documentation, or illness with a note from the parent/legal guardian.

Tardiness is unexcused for some of the following reasons: 

• overslept, 

• running late, 

• traffic, 

• missed bus, 

• construction, 

• returning from travel, 

• car trouble, 

• illness with no parent/guardian note, and 

• medical or judicial appointment with no doctor/court documentation.

Disciplinary action is taken once a student accumulates three unexcused tardies during a quarter. 

EARLY DISMISSALS: Students leaving school early must present a written note from his/her parent or legal guardian to the Attendance Office before 9:30 a.m. or the parent or legal guardian can update ParentVue or send an email two hours prior to the requested dismissal time. **Early dismissal cutoff time is 3:30 pm and will not be processed after this time.**

The note or email must contain the following information:

• Date

• Student’s Full Name

• Reason for dismissal (Note: indicating appointment on the note is an unexcused early dismissal. Please specify what the appointment is; example: doctor, DMV, etc.)

• Time dismissal is needed (please do not include the time of the appointment)

• Signature of parent/legal guardian writing the note

Early dismissals will only be granted with a parent/legal guardian request via ParentVue, email or phone message on the attendance line.

Students will receive an electronic ehallpass accessed via LCPSGo. Once approved by the teacher, the student will come to the Attendance Office to check out, and then meet their parent/legal guardian in the front office or at the main doors (Door A4). 

CLINIC RELEASE: Any student who becomes ill during the day must go to the clinic to call home. If a student leaves thru the clinic, they are required to stay home for the remainder of that day.

PARENT/LEGAL GUARDIAN PICKUP: Please be prepared to show government-issued identification (state-issued driver's license, passport) to the Front Office. 

EMERGENCY CONTACTS/ALTERNATIVE PICKUP: Emergency contacts can be updated at any time in ParentVue. Please make sure emergency contact information is current. If your student is picked up by an emergency contact or alternative pickup, the name must be provided in the dismissal request. The person must have government-issued identification (state-issued driver's license, passport) in hand to present to the front office for verification. Additionally, older siblings of students must be listed as emergency contacts to pick up students.

Last Modified on December 6, 2023

Virginia Laws on Absence ~ Click Here

§ 22.1-258. Appointment of attendance officers; notification when pupil fails to report to school; plan; conference; court proceedings.

Whenever any pupil fails to report to school for a total of five scheduled school days for the school year and no indication has been received by school personnel that the pupil's parent is aware of and supports the pupil's absence, and a reasonable effort to notify the parent has failed, the school principal or his designee shall make a reasonable effort to ensure that direct contact is made with the parent in person, through telephone conversation, or through the use of other communications devices to obtain an explanation for the pupil's absence and to explain to the parent the consequences of continued nonattendance. The school principal or his designee, the pupil, and the pupil's parent shall jointly develop a plan to resolve the pupil's nonattendance. Such plan shall include documentation of the reasons for the pupil's nonattendance.