Attendance

PA Virtual Attendance Requirements

Pennsylvania Virtual Charter School recognizes that good attendance is essential if students are to achieve and reach their potential. In order for a student’s legal attendance to be counted, he/she MUST log into Blackboard each day that school is in session. If the student skips logging into Blackboard, it is the equivalent of skipping or arriving late to homeroom at a brick and mortar school (B&M) and not checking in with the office before heading off to class. If students miss these important steps at a local school district, they are marked absent for the day, and it is the same here at PA Virtual.

In addition, students are expected to attend all assigned synchronous classes scheduled each school day, as listed on their schedule. It is the responsibility of the parents at PA Virtual to provide an excuse when their child is absent from school. If a student is absent without an excuse, the student could be considered truant. PA Virtual is required to report instances of truancy to the student’s school district of residence.

Educational Trips

An absence may be excused when it is demonstrated that the purpose of the absence is to take advantage of a valid educational opportunity. Approval for such an absence must be granted prior to the absence in accordance with the Student Educational Leave of Absence Policy.

Legal Requirements

Section 13-1301 of the Public School Code establishes the right for students in Pennsylvania to attend school. Students between the ages of 6 and 21 years who are residents of any school district and are of “school age” are entitled to a public education. Furthermore, “compulsory school age” is defined in Section 13-1326 of the Public School Code as “…the period of a child’s life from the time the child’s parents elect to have the child enter school, which shall not be later than the age of six (6) years, until the age of eighteen (18) years or graduation from an accredited high school”.