Enrollment in Virginia Public Schools
July 25, 2014 – Student enrollment requirements for the 2014-2015 school year – see Superintendent's Memo #194-14.
Information necessary for pupil enrollment in public schools
In order to enroll a child in a public school system in Virginia, state law requires a parent or guardian of a child to provide certain information to the child's school division. The required information is listed below:
1. Birth Certificate (§ 22.1-3.1 of the Code of Virginia)
Except as provided in § 22.1-3.1 of the Code of Virginia, no student shall be admitted for the first time to any public school in any school division in Virginia unless the person enrolling the student shall present, upon admission, a certified copy of the student's birth record. A photocopy of the child's birth certificate will not meet this requirement. If a certified copy of the child's birth certificate cannot be obtained, the person enrolling the child must submit a sworn statement setting forth the child's age and explaining the inability to present a certified copy.
A certified copy of a birth record for a person born in Virginia may be obtained from the Virginia Department of Health, Division of Vital Records and Health Statistics. See obtaining a certified copy of a birth record for information about that process.
At the time of enrollment, the child must be five years of age or reach his/her fifth birthday on or before September 30th of the school year. (§ 22.1-254 of the Code of Virginia)
2. Street Address (§ 22.1-4.1 of the Code of Virginia)
Documentation of the street address or route number of the child's residence must be provided. If no street address or route number exists for the child's residence, a post office box number must be provided.
If a child has no regular, fixed residence but resides within the school division in a temporary shelter, institution, or place not ordinarily used as a residence, the school division may determine that a street address, route number, or post office box number, cannot be provided and may accept an alternative form of address that it considers appropriate.
3. School Entrance Health Form (§ 22.1-270 of the Code of Virginia)
Section 22.1-270 of the Code of Virginia precludes the admission of a student for the first time to any public kindergarten or elementary school in a school division unless the student furnishes, prior to admission, a report of a comprehensive physical examination from a qualified licensed physician, or a licensed nurse practitioner, or licensed physician assistant acting under the supervision of a licensed physician. The examination must be of the scope prescribed by the State Health Commissioner and must have been performed within 12 months before the date the student first enters the public school. In the alternative, students may provide records showing that they furnished such a report upon admission to another school or school division and provide the information that was contained in that report. See School Entrance Physical Exam Form (PDF) and Instructions (PDF) for additional information regarding the form that may be used for the examination.
Upon request, Virginia’s health departments in all of its counties and cities must provide the physical examination for medically indigent children without charge.
The Comprehensive Physical Examination is not required of any child if it violates the family's religious beliefs and the child's parent or guardian states in writing that the child is free from any communicable or contagious disease and there is no visual evidence of sickness.
4. Immunizations (§ 22.1-271.2 of the Code of Virginia)
Documentation indicating that the child has received the required immunizations must be provided. See the Virginia Department of Health School and Day Care Minimum Immunization Requirements (PDF) for a list of the required immunizations.
Any child whose immunizations are incomplete may be admitted conditionally, if the parent or guardian provides documentation at the time of enrollment, that the child has received at least one dose of the required immunizations and has a written schedule for completing the remaining doses within 90 days. If the student requires more than two doses of hepatitis B vaccine, the conditional enrollment period shall be 180 calendar days.
No certificate of immunization shall be required for a student’s school admission if (i) the student or his parent submits an affidavit to the admitting official stating that the administration of immunizing agents conflicts with the student's religious tenets or practices; or (ii) the school has written certification from a licensed physician, licensed nurse practitioner, or a local health department that one or more of the required immunizations may be detrimental to the student's health, indicating the specific nature and probable duration of the medical condition or circumstance that contraindicates immunization.
5. Social Security Number (§ 22.1-260 of the Code of Virginia)
For purposes of § 22.1-260, each student shall present a federal social security number within 90 days of his enrollment. However, a child may not be excluded from school if a social security number is not provided. The division superintendent or a person acting on his behalf may waive this requirement if he finds that an individual is not eligible to obtain a social security number in accordance with guidelines established by the Board of Education or if the parent is unwilling to provide such number. School divisions may assign a student who receives a waiver another identifying number as a substitute for the social security number.
6. Expulsion Statement (§ 22.1-3.2 of the Code of Virginia)
When a student is registered, the parent must provide a sworn statement about whether the child has been expelled from attending a private school or another public school in Virginia or a school in another state for an offense involving weapons, alcohol or drugs, or for willful infliction of injury to another person. In addition, the parent must provide a sworn statement or affirmation indicating whether the student has been found guilty of or adjudicated delinquent for any offense listed in subsection G of § 16.1-260 or any substantially similar offense under the laws of any state, the District of Columbia, or the United States or its territories.
7. Homeless Students (§ 22.1-3 of the Code of Virginia)
School divisions must immediately enroll homeless students and coordinate the provision of services to homeless students with relevant local social services agencies and other agencies and programs providing services to such students, and with other school divisions. In addition, division superintendents cannot exclude from school attendance those homeless children who do not provide the requisite health or immunization information required of other students. School divisions must immediately refer the student to the school division liaison required to assist the student in obtaining necessary physical examinations or proof of completion of immunizations. See Project Hope-Virginia, call 757-221-4002 or 877-455-3412, or email homlss@wm.edu for more information regarding the enrollment of homeless students.
8. Students in Foster Care (§ 22.1-3.4 of the Code of Virginia)
A student who has been placed in foster care by a local social services agency shall be immediately enrolled even if the placing social services agency is unable to produce the documents required for enrollment. In such cases, the person enrolling the student must provide a written statement including specifics required by the Code at the time of enrollment. See § 22.1-3.4 of the Code of Virginia and Enrollment of Students in Foster Care for additional information.
You may want to review §§ 22.1-1, 22.1-3, 22.1-5, 22.1-254, and 22.1-255 of the Code of Virginia. These sections provide additional information, including the definitions of “parents” and “person of school age,” information regarding compulsory attendance and the requirements for residency within a school division.
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