Attendance Officer

Hopewell City School District•Hopewell, VA

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Attendance Officer works with students who have been identified as absent, tardy or who have failed to meet attendance requirements. An employee assigned to a position in this class is responsible for working with administrators and a variety of teachers to coordinate the student identification and arranging for them to be in school. The employee is expected to counsel students and to maintain order and discipline while working with students. Incumbents may also be assigned a variety of paraprofessional school resource tasks. Performs assessments and contracting as necessary for FAPT or other interdisciplinary assessment teams to improve school attendance. Home visitations are an important aspect of attendance/counseling duties.

Requirements

Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree in counseling or a related field.
A combination of education and experience that demonstrates the required knowledge and skills.
In-depth knowledge of Virginia laws and school division policies related to attendance, truancy, and children in need of services or supervision
Strong verbal and written communication skills are required to effectively conduct meetings with students and families, including group settings.
Proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite
Excellent organizational, problem-solving, and conflict resolution skills are essential
Ability to work independently and respond to challenging situations in a constructive and professional manner.
Experience compiling and analyzing data to support decision-making

Nice To Haves

A master’s degree in counseling, social work, juvenile justice, or a related area is preferred
Experience collaborating with local agencies such as court services, social services, and community services boards.
At least three years of experience working with diverse families is preferred
Strong public speaking skills.
The candidate must be able to work collaboratively with students, families, and staff from diverse cultural, social, and economic backgrounds and demonstrate the ability to build strong family connections.

Responsibilities

Monitors daily attendance of truant students and sends out correspondences, makes telephone calls and home visits to students and parents
Maintains accurate records/files, including developing a working knowledge of Power School
Educates school staff, parents, and students about attendance laws and policy
Investigates cases of unexcused absences and the reason for the absences, including issuing warnings/letters
Investigates reports of students not enrolled in school
Develops school attendance plans, conducts attendance conferences, and monitors progress of identified students.
Files CHINS and parent petitions on students and parents with the juvenile intake and magistrate
Prepares written reports for court hearings, participates in court hearings and provides recommendations
Represents the school division in agency meetings and court hearings
Enforces and monitors the Code of Virginia and School Board policy requirements regarding compulsory school attendance
Engages with community members to support students remaining in school
Links students and families to community and school based services as needed
Makes referrals to local agencies and assists local law enforcement agencies to locate truant children
Participates in school based team meetings and other community involvement as needed
Collaborates with the School Attendance Team to effectively support the implementation of attendance plans to support students
Conducts residency verification investigations (as it relates to attendance cases)
Schedules, attends, and prepares necessary documentation for FAPT meeting for identified students/families
Attends weekly attendance meetings as scheduled by the assigned school’s administration
Prepares documentation for weekly attendance meetings
Performs other related duties as assigned