Student Code of Conduct

Each student and his or her parent (as well as each employee) must sign the division’s acceptable computer use agreement before using the division’s computer system. This agreement is included in the annual student and parent handbook and is also available here; the form must be signed and returned annually. In addition to providing students/parents (and employees) with a copy of the agreement, the division may also want to provide them with a copy of the division’s policy and regulation on the topic (School Board Policy IIBEA Acceptable Computer System Use and School Board Policy IIBEA-R Technology Use Guidelines). 47 U.S.C. § 254. 

Each school division must annually notify parents, employees and other building occupants about asbestos inspections, response actions and post-response action activities, including periodic reinspection and surveillance activities that are planned or in progress. 40 C.F.R. 763.84(c). Reports from asbestos inspections are available for review in the Operations Department of Petersburg City Public Schools. Call 804-861-4996 to schedule an appointment.

Each division must make an annual announcement at the beginning of the school year advising the public that current copies of all division policies and regulations are available on the division’s website. The announcement should also state that printed copies of school division policies and regulations are available to citizens who do not have online access. School Board Policy BF; Va. Code § 22.1-253.13:7.E.

In addition to including this information in the Petersburg student and parent handbook and on this webpage, the announcement is made annually by the clerk during a Petersburg School Board meeting. Click here for Petersburg School Board policies and meeting agendas. 

Upon approval of the school division’s budget by the appropriating body every year, the School Board must publish the approved annual budget, in line item form, including the estimated required local match, on the division’s website. The document must also be made available in hard copy as needed for citizens for inspection. The Petersburg City Public Schools budget documents are available here. Printed copies are available at the school system's Administrative Offices, at every school and at the Petersburg Public Library. Va. Code § 22.1-93. 

Each division which participates in the Free and Reduced Price Meals and Free Milk in Schools programs must notify parents and the public about the programs. School Board Policy EFB Food Services; 42 U.S.C. § 1758; 7 C.F.R. 245.2, 7 C.F.R. 245.5. 

Breakfasts and lunches are offered free every school day for every student in every school in Petersburg City Public Schools. Starting on the first day of school and continuing every day that school is in session, Petersburg students receive free and nutritious breakfasts and lunches as part of the Community Eligibility Provision of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. There are no forms to fill out: Every Petersburg student automatically receives free breakfasts and lunches. Click here for more information.

Within one calendar month of the opening of school, each division must, simultaneously with any other materials customarily distributed at that time, send to the parents of each enrolled student 

• a notice of the requirements of Va. Code § 22.1-279.3 regarding parental responsibility and involvement (Va. Code § 22.1-279.3.C(i)); 
• a copy of the school division's standards of student conduct (School Board Policy JFC-R Standards of Student Conduct) (Va. Code § 22.1-279.3.C(ii)); and 
• a copy of the compulsory school attendance law and the enforcement procedures and policies adopted by the school board (Va. Code § 22.1-279.3.C(iii)).  

Each parent must sign and return to the student’s school a statement acknowledging the receipt of the above materials and each school must maintain records of such signed statements. Va. Code § 22.1-279.3.C.   

The materials sent to parents must include a notice that by signing the statement of receipt, parents expressly reserve their rights protected by the constitutions or laws of the United States or the Commonwealth and that parents have the right to express disagreement with a school's or school division's policies or decisions. Va. Code § 22.1-279.3.C.

Petersburg City Public Schools includes these notices in the annual student and parent handbook that is given to every student at the start of every school year. The handbook is also online. The back cover of the handbook is a form that families must sign and return to school each year; the form is also available here.

The superintendent must prepare and distribute notification of the estimated average per-pupil cost for public education in the division for the upcoming school year. The notice must also include actual per-pupil state and local education expenditures for the previous school year. The notice may include federal funds spent on public education in the division. The notice shall be made available in a form provided by DOE and published on the school division’s website or in hard copy on request. The notice should be printed on a form prescribed by the Board of Education and distributed to school divisions for publication. School Board Policy DIA Reporting Per Pupil Costs; Va. Code § 22.1-92. 

Click here for Petersburg's cost-per-pupil information.

Parents must be notified annually regarding the academic and career guidance and personal/social counseling programs which are available to their children. The notification must include the purpose and general description of the programs, information regarding ways parents may review materials to be used in guidance and counseling programs at their child's school and information about the procedures by which parents may limit their child's participation in such programs. 8 VAC 20-620-10. (See School Board Policy IJ Guidance and Counseling Program).

Click here for information about Petersburg's school counseling programs.

Each division must notify the parents of rising eleventh and twelfth grade students of 

• requirements for graduation pursuant to the standards for accreditation, and 
• requirements that have yet to be completed by the individual student for graduation. 

Click here for details about Virginia graduation requirements.

School Board Policy IKF The Virginia Assessment Program and Graduation Requirements; Va. Code § 22.1-253.13:4.A.

The division must notify parents of students with disabilities who have an IEP and who fail to meet the graduation requirements of the student's right to a free and appropriate education to age 21, inclusive. Va. Code § 22.1-253.13:4. 

The division must notify parents of students who fail to graduate or to achieve graduation requirements as provided in the standards for accreditation and who have not reached 20 years of age on or before August 1st of the school year of the right to a free public education. If the student is one for whom English is a second language, the division will notify the parent of the student's opportunity for a free public education in accordance with Va. Code § 22.1-5. Va. Code § 22.1-253.13:4.C. 

Students and their parents must be notified of the availability of dual enrollment, advanced placement classes, career and technical education programs, including internships, externships, apprenticeships, credentialing programs, certification programs, licensure programs, and other work-based learning experiences, the International Baccalaureate program and Academic Year Governor’s School Programs. The notification must include the qualifications for enrolling in such classes and programs classes, programs and experiences, and the availability of financial assistance to low-income and needy students to take the advanced placement and International Baccalaureate examinations. Notification must also be given to students and parents of the division’s agreement with a community college in the Commonwealth to enable students to complete an associate's degree or a one-year Uniform Certificate of General Studies concurrent with a high school diploma. School Board Policy IGBI Advanced Placement Classes and Special Programs; Va. Code § 22.1-253.13:1.D.11. Here is information about opportunities in Petersburg City Public Schools:

• Petersburg students have opportunities to take dual-enrollment classes, potentially earning an associate’s degree from Richard Bland College of William and Mary or from John Tyler Community College. For more information, contact the school counseling office at Petersburg High.
• Petersburg students also have the opportunity to attend regional governor’s schools. Students can apply during eighth grade to seek admission to Appomattox Regional Governor’s School for the Arts and Technology, Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School for Government and International Studies and CodeRVA Regional High School. For more information, contact the school counseling office at Vernon Johns Middle or the Gifted Education Department at 804-862-7196 or 862-7022.
• Petersburg High offers Advanced Placement classes, and students enrolled in those classes can take the AP exam at no cost. Students who score 3 or higher (5 is the top score) can receive college credit or advanced placement at most universities.
• Career and technical educationprepares young people for productive futures in a wide range of career pathways. Petersburg students have the opportunity to earn industry certifications that distinguish them as having mastered critical knowledge and skills. Career and technical education students are able to study concurrently at Petersburg High and John Tyler Community College in such areas as HVAC, child development, precision machining and welding. Petersburg High also offers programs in practical nursing and nurse aide. Business education students participate in work-based learning experiences such as the co-op program, and Jobs for Virginia Graduates provides career development through mentorship and job placement.

Every school board must annually provide information to parents of pupils in grades five through 12 regarding eating disorders. The information must be consistent with guidelines developed by the Virginia Department of Education. Va. Code § 22.1-273.2. The Virginia Department of Education’s website provides an information sheet for parents.

Each school’s written procedures to follow in emergencies such as fire, injury, illness and violent or threatening behavior must be outlined in the student handbook and discussed with staff and students in the first week of each school year. School Board Policy EB School Crisis, Emergency Management and Medical Emergency Response Plan. 8 VAC 20-131-260.D. 

The Petersburg school system and each school have a written emergency response plan. Schools practice emergency procedures, including fire drills (weekly during the first 20 days of school, then monthly for the remainder of the school year), lockdown drills (three times a year), tornado drills (once a year) and earthquake drills (once a year).

School divisions receiving federal funds to provide a language instruction educational program must, not later than 30 days after the beginning of the school year, inform the parents of English learners of the following:

• the reasons for the identification of their child as an English learner and in need of placement in a language instruction educational program
• the child's level of English proficiency, how such level was assessed, and the status of the child's academic achievement
• the methods of instruction used in the program in which their child is, or will be participating, and the methods of instruction used in other available programs, including how such programs differ in content, instructional goals, and the use of English and a native language in instruction
• how the program in which their child is, or will be participating, will meet the educational strengths and needs of their child
• how such program will specifically help their child learn English and meet age-appropriate academic achievement standards for grade promotion and graduation
• the specific exit requirements for the program, including the expected rate of transition from such program into classrooms that are not tailored for English learners and the expected rate of graduation from high school (including four-year adjusted cohort graduation rates and extended-year adjusted cohort graduation rates for such program) if federal funds are used for children in high schools
• in the case of a child with a disability, how such program meets the objectives of the individualized education program of the child
• information pertaining to parental rights that includes written guidance detailing

         -- the parents’ right to have their child immediately removed from such program upon their request and

         -- the options that parents have to decline to enroll their child in such program or to choose another program or method of instruction, if available

         -- information pertaining to parental rights that includes written guidance assisting parents in selecting among various programs and methods of instruction, if more than one program or method is offered by the division

20 U.S.C. § 6312(e)(3).

For those children who have not been identified as English learners prior to the beginning of the school year, the division must give the notifications listed above to parents within the first two weeks of the child being placed in a language instruction educational program.

In addition, parents of English learners will be notified regarding parental involvement opportunities in the same manner as notice is given regarding other Title I programs.

Click here for the 2018-19 fee schedule.

The school division’s policy regarding student fees and the fee schedule must be provided to parents annually and posted on the division’s website. School Board Policy JN Student Fees, Fines and Charges; 8 VAC 20-720-80.B. 

Click here for Petersburg's FERPA notification.

Click here for Petersburg's directory information notification.

School divisions must provide parents/guardians and adult students annual notice of their rights to inspect and review education records, amend education records, consent to disclosure of personally identifiable information in education records and file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education. 34 C.F.R. § 99.7. You may also click here to download the U.S. Department of Education’s Model Notification of Rights for Elementary and Secondary Schools. 

School divisions must give notice of the categories of information, if any, which they have designated as directory information. This requirement may be met by providing parents a copy of the division’s FERPA policy (School Board Policy JO Student Records). 20 U.S.C. §1232g (a) (5) (B). The division must allow a reasonable period of time after such notice has been given for a parent to inform the division that any or all of the information designated should not be released without the parent's prior consent. You may also click here to download a Model Notice of Directory Information.

Each division is required to make its comprehensive plan for the education of gifted students accessible through the division’s website. The division must also ensure printed copies are available to citizens who do not have online access. 8 VAC 20-40-60. 

At the beginning of each school year, every school must provide to students in all grade levels a notice of all requirements for Board of Education-approved diplomas. School Board Policy IKF The Virginia Assessment Program and Graduation Requirements; 8 VAC 20-131-270.B. 

Click here for details about Virginia graduation requirements.

For any high school credit-bearing course taken in middle school, parents may request that grades be omitted from the student's transcript and the student not earn high school credit for the course in accordance with policies adopted by the local school board. Notice of this provision must be provided to parents with a deadline and format for making such a request. School Board Policy JO Student Records; 8 VAC 20-131-90. 

Petersburg parents should contact the Vernon Johns Middle counselor in writing by June 30 to make this request.

Please refer to Petersburg School Board Policy JECA Admission of Homeless Students.

Each division must provide public notice of the education rights of the homeless students enrolled in the division. 42 U.S.C. § 11432(e)(3)(C)(i). The notice is to be disseminated in places where homeless students receive services, including schools, family shelters, and soup kitchens. 42 U.S.C. § 11432 (g)(6)(A)(vi). The notice must be in a “manner and form” understandable to homeless students and their parents/guardians, “including, if necessary and to the extent feasible,” in their native language. School Board Policy JECA Admission of Homeless Students; 42 U.S.C. § 11432(e)(3)(C)(iii). 

The National Center for Homeless Students (funded by the U.S. Department of Education) has created posters that can be downloaded or ordered. 

Proof of age-appropriate immunization is required for attendance in Virginia public schools. Details are available at www.vdh.virginia.gov/immunization/requirements. That website also includes detailed information about a vaccine for human papillomavirus, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends for boys and girls ages 11-12 years old. Click here for a letter from the Virginia Health Department about human papillomavirus.

Every school division that has an Internet website must make its Internet privacy policy statement conspicuously available on its website. The website of Petersburg City Public Schools, www.petersburg.k12.va.us, includes this information, which is School Board Policy KBE Internet Privacy.

At a minimum, the statement must address 

what information, including personally identifiable information, will be collected, if any;
whether any information will be automatically collected simply by accessing the website and, if so, what information;
whether the website automatically places a computer file, commonly referred to as a "cookie," on the Internet user's computer and, if so, for what purpose; and
how the collected information is being used or will be used.

School Board Policy KBE Internet Privacy; Va. Code § 2.2-3803. 

At the beginning of each school year, every school must provide to parents or guardians the learning objectives to be achieved at their child’s grade level or, in high school, a copy of the syllabus for each of their child’s courses. 8 VAC 20-131-270.B. 

The Virginia Standards of Learning establish minimum expectations for what students should know and be able to do at the end of each grade or course in English, mathematics, science, history/social science and other subjects. Click here for details by subject area and grade.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress is administered to different schools throughout the country each year. If a Petersburg school is chosen, then parents of children selected to participate will be informed before the assessment that their child may be excused from participation for any reason, is not required to finish any authorized assessment and is not required to answer any test question. Parents and members of the public must have access to all assessment data, questions and complete and current assessment instruments of any NAEP assessment except personally identifiable information and questions that may be reused in the future. If access is requested in writing, then it must be provided within 45 days. 

Parents of children selected to participate in any NAEP assessment must be informed before the administration of any assessment that their child may be excused from participation for any reason, is not required to finish any authorized assessment and is not required to answer any test question. 20 U.S.C. § 9622(c)(1)(A), 20 U.S.C. § 9622(d)(2). 

Parents and members of the public must have access to all assessment data, questions and complete and current assessment instruments of any NAEP assessment except personally identifiable information and questions that may be reused in the future. School divisions must make reasonable efforts to inform parents and the public about their right of access to assessment data. If access is requested in writing, it must be provided within 45 days of the request and be made available in a secure setting that is convenient to both parties. 

Petersburg City Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The people designated to handle inquiries about nondiscrimination policies are the executive director for human resources, finance and operations and the human resources director, 255 E. South Blvd., Petersburg, VA 23805, phone 804-732-0510.

A number of federal statutes protect the rights of beneficiaries in programs or activities that receive financial assistance from discrimination. Specifically, the following statutes prohibit discrimination: 

• Title VI on the basis of race, color and national origin
• Title IX on the basis of sex
• Section 504 on the basis of disability
• the Age Discrimination Act on the basis of age
• Title II prohibits state and local governments from discriminating on the basis of disability
• the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) protects employees from discrimination on the basis of genetic information 

In addition, the Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act prohibits schools which have an open forum or limited public forum from discriminating based on the membership or leadership criteria of the Boy Scouts of America or the other designated youth groups. 20 U.S.C. § 7905. 

The regulations implementing these statutes require school divisions to notify students, parents, and others that they do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, and age. Title VI, 34 C.F.R. § 100.6(d); Title IX, 34 C.F.R. § 106.9; Section 504, 34 C.F.R. § 104.8; Age Discrimination Act, 34 C.F.R. § 110.25; Title II, 28 C.F.R. § 35.106; see also 34 C.F.R. 108.5 (re the Boy Scouts). The regulations contain minor differences relating to the notices’ required content and the methods used to publish them. Click here to download the U.S. Department of Education’s Notice of Nondiscrimination, which describes the content and publication requirements for each notice required under each statute. The document contains a sample notice of nondiscrimination school districts may use to meet the requirements of all of these statutes. 

The Petersburg School Board is committed to maintaining an educational environment and workplace free from harassment on the basis of any characteristic protected by law. The people designated as the compliance officers responsible for identifying, investigating, preventing and remedying prohibited harassment are the executive director for human resources, finance and operations and the human resources director. They can be reached at 255 E. South Blvd., Petersburg, VA 23805, phone 804-732-0510.

Employers are required to post a notice approved by the EEOC regarding GINA. School Board Policy GBA/JFHA Prohibition Against Harassment and Retaliation; 42 U.S.C. § 2000ff-1; 29 C.F.R. 1635.10(c). Click here to download a notice.

Students and employees must be notified of the name, office address and phone number of the division’s Compliance Officer(s) under Title IX (34 C.F.R. § 106.8), Section 504 (34 C.F.R. 104.8), the Americans with Disabilities Act (28 C.F.R. § 35.107) and the Age Discrimination Act (34 C.F.R. § 110.25). See also School Board Policy JFHA/GBA Prohibition of Harassment and Retaliation.

Districts and schools that receive Title I funds must distribute their parental involvement policy (School Board Policy IGBC Parent and Family Engagement) to parents of students in Title I programs. 20 U.S.C. § 6318 (a), (b). 

Please see Petersburg School Board Policy IGBC Parent and Family Engagement.

Each school board’s career and technical education program must include annual notice on its website to enrolled high school students and their parents of the availability of the postsecondary education and employment data published by the State Council of Higher Education and the opportunity for such students to obtain a nationally recognized career readiness certificate at a local public high school, comprehensive community college or workforce center. Va. Code § 22.1-253.13:1.D.3.d. 

In elementary school, promotion is based on the student’s successful achievement in the basic subjects of the curriculum and mastery of the Standards of Learning at each grade level. Teacher judgment and other available data may be used especially for students in grades K-2. Summer school or other remediation will be provided for students in grades 3-5 who do not pass one or more SOL tests.

In middle school, promotion is based on satisfactory classroom performance and SOL tests. Summer school or other remediation will be provided for students who do not pass one or more SOL tests.

See Petersburg School Board Policy IKE for more information about elementary and middle school.

In high school, students will be classified as ninth-, 10th-, 11th- or 12th-graders based on earning the required number of standard and verified credits for the grade level. Summer school or other remediation will be provided for students who demonstrate a need for instructional support. See School Board policy IKEA for details about high school promotion. See School Board Policy IKG for details about remediation.

At the beginning of each school year, every school must provide to parents and guardians a copy of the division’s promotion, retention and remediation policies. 8 VAC 20-131-270.B. 

School boards must provide information developed by the office of the Virginia Attorney General to students regarding laws governing the prosecution of juveniles as adults for the commission of certain crimes. The methods of providing the information may include, but are not limited to, announcements in schools, written notification to parents, publication in student handbooks, and inclusion with other materials distributed to parents at the beginning of each school year. School Board Policy JFCL Notification Regarding Prosecution of Juveniles as Adults; Va. Code § 22.1-279.4. The information to be distributed is attached to Superintendent’s Memo #057-12 (Feb. 24, 2012). 

Petersburg City Public Schools surveys students about school climate and other influences on their learning experiences.
As a rule, the division does not conduct surveys about sensitive topics such as religious or political preferences, the use of alcohol or other drugs or illegal conduct. If any survey that contains such topics is planned, parents will receive written notice in advance and must give permission before a student participates. School Board Policy JOB covers surveys and questionnaires.

The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment requires school divisions to provide notice of their policy controlling the administration of surveys on certain sensitive topics including political or religious beliefs and behavior involving sex or illegal conduct. This notice must be given directly to the parents of students enrolled in the division. The notice must be given at least annually at the beginning of the school year and within a reasonable time after any substantive change in the policy. School Board Policy JOB Administration of Surveys and Questionnaires; 20 U.S.C. § 1232h(c)(2)(A). 

Click here to download the U.S. Department of Education’s Model Notice of Rights Under the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment. 

In addition, divisions must also directly notify parents, at least annually at the beginning of the school year, of the specific or approximate dates during the school year when the following activities will occur: 

• activities involving the collection, disclosure or use of personal information collected from students for the purpose of marketing or selling that information 
• the administration of any survey concerning sensitive information 
• any nonemergency, invasive physical examination or screening 

20 U.S.C. § 1232h(c)(2)(B). 

Click here to download the U.S. Department of Education’s PPRA Model Notice and Consent/Opt-Out for Specific Activities.

These requirements may also be met by providing parents a copy of the division’s policy on this topic (School Board Policy JOB Administration of Surveys and Questionnaires). 

School boards must annually on or before December 31, report to the public the actual pupil-teacher ratios, by school, for the current school year, in elementary school classrooms and also must report the actual pupil-teacher ratio in middle school and high schools in the division by school. Va. Code § 22.1-253.13:2. 

Click here to see pupil-teacher ratios in Petersburg City Public Schools.

Divisions must notify parents that they will release the names, addresses and telephone numbers of secondary students to all recruiters or institutions of higher education that request them unless the parents specifically request that this information not be released. School Board Policy JO Student Records; 20 U.S.C. § 7908(a). 

Details about how Petersburg City Public Schools provides information to recruiters and institutions of higher education are available in the school system's Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act notice and in the school system's directory information notice.

Divisions that receive Title I funds must prepare and distribute specified information to parents. Federal law refers to the distribution of this information as a “report card”. The Virginia Board of Education, in the Standards of Accreditation as revised in January 2018, now uses the term “School Quality Profile.” School Board Policy CMA Quality Profiles; 20 U.S.C. § 6311(h)(2); 8 VAC 20-131-270. The Virginia Department of Education now posts the information required by federal law to appear in division and school report cards on its website and has stated that this posting satisfies the requirements of federal law. 

Here are links to the school quality profiles for Petersburg City Public Schools:

Petersburg City Public Schools

Cool Spring Elementary

Lakemont Elementary

Pleasants Lane Elementary

Walnut Hill Elementary

Vernon Johns Middle

Petersburg High

Click here for bus safety rules and expectations for Petersburg students.

A copy of bus rider safety rules shall be sent to parents at the beginning of the school year. The information shall include a request that parents or their designee accompany their young children to and from the bus stop. 8 VAC 20-70-110. 

School systems are required to provide information about scoliosis to parents.

Scoliosis is a disorder in which there is a sideways curve of the spine. Curves are often S-shaped or C-shaped. In most people, there is no known cause for this curve. People with milder curves may only need to visit their doctor for periodic exams. Some people who have scoliosis need treatment. Early detection may keep scoliosis from progressing.

People of all ages can have scoliosis. The most common type is idiopathic scoliosis in children age 10 to 12 and in their early teens. Girls are more likely than boys to have this type of scoliosis. Scoliosis can run in families. A child who has a parent, brother or sister with idiopathic scoliosis should have regular checkups by the family doctor.

Signs of scoliosis can include uneven shoulders, head that is not centered, sides of the body are not level with each other or one side of the rib cage is higher than the other when bending forward.

Doctors use a medical and family history, physical exam and tests when checking a person for scoliosis. An X-ray of the spine can help the doctor decide if a person has scoliosis. 

If scoliosis is suspected or diagnosed, the doctor will check every four to six months to see if the curve is getting better or worse. Doctors may advise wearing a brace to stop a curve from getting worse. Doctors sometimes use surgery to correct a curve or stop it from getting worse. Surgery often involves fusing two or more bones in the spine. The doctor may also put in a metal rod or other device to help keep the spine straight after surgery.

Parents should make sure their children receive routine physical exams that include the doctor checking for scoliosis.More information is available at www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/scoliosis.

Each school board shall annually post information distributed by the Department of Education describing the educational and other services available through the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind, the Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing and the Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired to the parents of those students who are identified as deaf or hard of hearing or visually impaired. School boards must also inform the parents of the availability of the information and ensure that packets of the information are available in an accessible format for review by parents who do not have Internet access. Va. Code § 22.1-217.01. 

Click here for information for families of students who have disabilities. Petersburg families who cannot access the information online may call 804-861-4563.

School Board policy KN covers the use of information available in the sex offender and crimes against minors registry. This link goes to Virginia's registry of sex offenders and crime against minors.

Every school board must annually notify the parent of each student enrolled in the school division of the board’s policy regarding sex offenders (see School Board Policy KN Sex Offender Registry Notification) and of the availability of information in the Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry and the location of the Internet website. Va. Code § 22.1-79.3. 

Petersburg City Public Schools regularly holds Child Find events to locate children who would benefit from special education services. Here are upcoming Child Find events, which are open to children from birth to age 21:

• 9 a.m.-noon Oct. 9, 2019, at Westview Early Childhood Education Center (1100 Patterson St.)
• 9 a.m.-noon Jan. 15, 2020, at Blandford Academy (816 E. Bank St.)
• 9 a.m.-6 p.m. April 16, 2020, during kindergarten registration day at Cool Spring Elementary (1450 Talley Ave.), Lakemont Elementary (51 Gibbons Ave.), Pleasants Lane Elementary (100 Pleasants Lane) and Walnut Hill Elementary (300 W. South Blvd.)

Child Find is open to all Petersburg children. This includes children in private schools and children who are homeschooled. Children from age 2 to 21 with disabilities have a statutory right to a free appropriate public education and special education programs and services.

Parents who have concerns about their child’s vision, speech, hearing, learning, motor/physical development, behavior, ability to pay attention, understanding or self-help are encouraged to bring their children to Child Find. Each event offers free professional consultation for parents, screenings for children and help referring children for full evaluation for early intervention services or exceptional education services.

For more information, call Petersburg's Special Education Department at 804-861-4563.

Each division must, at least annually, conduct a public awareness campaign (also known as a child find program) to 

• inform the community of the rights of persons, ages 2 to 21, inclusive, to a free appropriate public education and the availability of special education programs and services; 
• generate referrals; and 
• explain the nature of disabilities, the early warning signs of disabilities and the need for services to begin early. 

8 VAC 20-81-50.B. 

At the beginning of each school year, every school must provide to parents or guardians a copy of the Standards of Learning applicable to their child’s grade or course requirements and the approximate date and potential impact of the child’s next SOL testing. 8 VAC 20-131-270.B. 

The Virginia Standards of Learning establish minimum expectations for what students should know and be able to do at the end of each grade or course in English, mathematics, science, history/social science and other subjects. Click here for details by subject area and grade.

Schools that receive Title I funds must provide parents individual reports regarding their student’s level of achievement and academic growth on the state’s academic assessments, if applicable and available, as soon as is practicable after the assessment is given. The reports must be in an understandable format and, to the extent practicable, be in a language that parents can understand. 20 U.S.C. §§ 6311(b)(2)(B)(x); 20 U.S.C. § 6312(e)(1)(B). 

Section 1111(h)(6)(A) of Title I federal funding states that parents of a student in a school receiving Title I funds have the right to know the professional qualifications of the classroom teachers instructing their child. Federal law requires the school division to provide this information in a timely manner if you request it. Specifically, parents have the right to request this information about each child’s classroom teachers: 

• Whether the teacher meets the state qualifications and licensing criteria for the grades and subjects he or she teaches
• Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or provisional status because of special circumstances
• The teacher’s college major, whether the teacher has any advanced degrees and the field of discipline of the certification or degree
• Whether paraprofessionals provide services to your child and, if so, what their qualifications are

If you would like to receive any of this information, please contact the director of human resources at 804-862-7054 or in writing at Petersburg City Public Schools, Administrative Offices, 255 E. South Blvd., Petersburg, VA 23805.

At the beginning of each school year, divisions that receive Title I funds must notify the parents of each student attending any school receiving Title I funds that the parents may request and the division will provide (in a timely manner) information regarding the professional qualifications of the student’s classroom teachers, including whether the teacher 1) has met state qualification and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction, 2) is teaching under emergency or other provisional status and 3) is teaching in the field or discipline of the teacher’s certification. The notification must also inform the parents that they may request information regarding whether the child is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications. 20 U.S.C. § 6312(e)(1)(A). 

Starting in 2017-2018, school divisions will be required to send notification to parents in Title I schools if their children are taught four or more weeks by a teacher who is not properly licensed in Virginia to teach the class to which the students are assigned. Superintendent’s Memo #076-16, April 1, 2016 as revised July 22, 2016. 20 U.S.C. § 6312(e)(1)(B)(ii); U.S. Department of Education, Transitioning to the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) FAQs (Updated June 29, 2016) 

The Every Student Succeeds Act was signed into law in 2015. The act states that parents of students in Title I schools have a right to know about state or division policies regarding student participation in any assessments mandated by the Every Student Succeeds Act, including any policy, procedure or parental right to opt students out of such assessments. For more information, call 804-732-0510.

Virginia does not have an opt-out policy, however, Section 22.1-253.13:3.C of the Code of Virginia includes information that relates to this topic: The Board of Education shall not include in its calculation of the passage rate of a Standards of Learning assessment for the purposes of state accountability any student whose parent has decided to not have his child take such SOL assessment, unless such exclusions would result in the school’s not meeting any required state or federal participation rate.

At the beginning of each school year, school divisions that receive Title I funds shall notify the parents of each student attending any school receiving Title I funds that the parents may request, and the division will provide (in a timely manner), information regarding any state or division policy regarding student participation in any assessments mandated by 20 U.S.C. § 6311(b)(2) and by the state or division, which shall include a policy, procedure or parental right to opt the child out of such assessment, where applicable. 20 U.S.C. § 6312(e)(2)(A). 

In addition, divisions that receive Title I funds shall make widely available through public means (including by posting in a clear and easily accessible manner on the division’s website and, where practicable, on the website of each school in the division, for each grade, information on each assessment required by the state to comply with 20 U.S.C. § 6311, other assessments required by the state, and where such information is available and feasible to report, specified information regarding assessments required division wide by the division. 20 U.S.C. § 6312(e)(2)(B). 

Petersburg City Public Schools offers a voluntary 403(b) retirement savings plan for employees. Click here for information about how the provider was selected.

Divisions which have 403(b) retirement plans must notify employees about the plan at least once each year. School Board Policy GBR Voluntary Retirement Savings Program; 26 C.F.R. 1.403(b)-5. 

Petersburg City Public Schools surveys students about school climate and other influences on their learning experiences. As a rule, the division does not conduct surveys about sensitive topics such as religious or political preferences, the use of alcohol or other drugs or illegal conduct. If any survey that contains such topics is planned, parents will receive written notice in advance and must give permission before a student participates. School Board Policy JOB covers surveys and questionnaires.

The school board must notify parents of each student enrolled in a middle or high school selected for participation in the survey of student health risk behaviors pursuant to Va. Code § 32.1-73.8 that their child may be randomly selected to participate in the survey unless the parent denies consent for the student's participation in writing prior to administration of the survey. The notice must be in writing and be given at least 30 days prior to administration of the survey. The notice will inform the parent regarding 

• the nature and types of questions included in the survey, 
• the purposes and age-appropriateness of the survey, 
• how information collected by the survey will be used, 
• who will have access to such information, 
• whether and how any findings or results will be disclosed, and 
• the steps that will be taken to protect students' privacy. 

Parents have the right to review the survey prior to its administration. (School Board Policy JOB Administration of Surveys and Questionnaires; Va. Code § 22.1-79.3.