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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>85416</law_id><section_number>22.1-277.2</section_number><catch_line>Authority to exclude students under certain circumstances; petition for readmission; alternative education program</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>22.1-254</reference><reference>22.1-276.01</reference><reference>22.1-360</reference><reference>22.1-378</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="22.1">Education</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="14">Pupils</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="3">Discipline</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> A student, who has been expelled or suspended for more than thirty days from attendance at school by a <span class="dictionary">school board</span> or a private school in this Commonwealth or in another state or for whom admission has been withdrawn by a private school in this Commonwealth or in another state may be excluded from attendance by a local <span class="dictionary">school board</span> in Virginia, regardless of whether such student has been admitted to another school division or private school in the Commonwealth or in another state subsequent to such expulsion, suspension, or withdrawal of admission upon a <span class="dictionary">finding</span> that the student presents a danger to the other students or staff of the school division after (i) written notice to the student and his <span class="dictionary">parent</span> that the student may be subject to exclusion, the reasons therefor, and, in the event of such exclusion, of the right to <span class="dictionary">appeal</span> the decision at a <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> before the <span class="dictionary">school board</span> or a committee thereof; and (ii) a review of the case has been conducted by the <span class="dictionary">division superintendent</span> or his designee and exclusion has been recommended.
			In the case of a suspension of more than thirty days, the term of the exclusion may not exceed the duration of such suspension.
			In excluding any such expelled student from school attendance, the local <span class="dictionary">school board</span> may accept or <span class="dictionary">waive</span> any or all of any conditions for readmission imposed upon such student by the expelling <span class="dictionary">school board</span> pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Expulsions; procedures; readmission" href="/22.1-277.06/">22.1-277.06</a>. The excluding <span class="dictionary">school board</span> shall not impose additional conditions for readmission to school.
			If the decision by the superintendent or his designee to exclude has been appealed to a committee of the <span class="dictionary">school board</span>, the student or his <span class="dictionary">parent</span> shall be provided written notice of the right to <span class="dictionary">appeal</span> the decision to the full board, which shall, within thirty days following any such <span class="dictionary">hearing</span>, in the case of an expulsion or withdrawal of admission and, in the case of a suspension of more than thirty days, within fifteen days following any such <span class="dictionary">hearing</span>, notify in writing the student or his <span class="dictionary">parent</span> of its decision. <a id="paragraph-305997" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/22.1-277.2/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> In lieu of the procedures established in subsection A, a <span class="dictionary">school board</span> may adopt regulations providing that a student may be excluded from attendance after (i) written notice to the student and his <span class="dictionary">parent</span> that the student may be subject to exclusion, including the reasons therefor, and notice of the opportunity for the student or his <span class="dictionary">parent</span> to participate in a <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> to be conducted by the <span class="dictionary">division superintendent</span> or his designee regarding such exclusion; and (ii) a <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> of the case has been conducted by the <span class="dictionary">division superintendent</span> or his designee, and the decision has been to exclude the student from attendance. The decision of the superintendent or his designee to exclude shall be final unless altered by the <span class="dictionary">school board</span>, upon timely written <span class="dictionary">petition</span>, as established in regulation, of the student so excluded or his <span class="dictionary">parent</span>, for a review of the record by the <span class="dictionary">school board</span>. <a id="paragraph-305998" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/22.1-277.2/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> Upon the expiration of the exclusion period for an expulsion or a withdrawal of admission, which period shall be established by the <span class="dictionary">school board</span>, committee thereof, or superintendent or his designee, as the case may be, at the relevant <span class="dictionary">hearing</span>, the student may re-<span class="dictionary">petition</span> the <span class="dictionary">school board</span> for admission. If the <span class="dictionary">petition</span> for admission is rejected, the <span class="dictionary">school board</span> shall identify the length of the continuing exclusion period and the subsequent date upon which such student may re-<span class="dictionary">petition</span> the <span class="dictionary">school board</span> for admission. <a id="paragraph-305999" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/22.1-277.2/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> The <span class="dictionary">school board</span> may permit students excluded pursuant to this section to attend an alternative education program provided by the <span class="dictionary">school board</span> for the term of such exclusion. <a id="paragraph-306000" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/22.1-277.2/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1993, c. 889; 1994, c. 709; 1996, c. 190; 1997, cc. 585, 608, 728; 2001, cc. 669, 688, 820.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
