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Visitors 7-17.1

School Board of the City of Virginia Beach
Regulation 7-17.1

COMMUNITY RELATIONS

Visitors

  1. Visitors

    The School Board welcomes visits by citizens of the city to their public schools and other School Board buildings. Visitors are expected to act in a manner consistent with School Board bylaws, policies, regulations, and applicable law. In order to protect the students, staff, and property, visitors during school or business hours shall report to the building office or security station for authorization to be in the building or on the grounds and to receive and wear a visitor’s identification bade. The School board authorizes the Superintendent or designee to take all necessary actions regarding the safety, order, and preservation of the educational or business environment on School Board property or at School Division-sponsored activities. School Board property includes School Division communication and computer systems, School division vehicles or equipment and property leased/loaned to the School Board or the School Division. The Superintendent or designee shall formulate and post in the school buildings such regulations or procedures as are necessary to protect students, staff, and property from unauthorized or disruptive visitors. The designated building administrator or the principal or designee will contact law enforcement officials if necessary, to enforce this Regulation.

  2. Outside of School Hours

    No one will be in a school or School Board building after school hours except on official school business, participating in a supervised school activity, authorized by the School Administration or School Board, or a spectator at an activity open to the public. All unauthorized persons will be deemed trespassers and may be punished under the law as such. Unauthorized persons loitering upon school or School Board property will be treated as trespassers.

  3. Conduct During Meetings

    All parties to meetings on School Board property are expected to abide by the School Board bylaws, policies, regulations or the School Division’s Decorum Guidelines. Parents/legal guardians, students, and representatives or visitors should communicate in an open, timely, and polite manner with school personnel. Parties to a school-related, School Board or School Division meeting or other communications are expected to display respectful, cooperative, and non-threatening behaviors. After being warned about the requirement to comply with decorum requirements, if communications between parties continue to be non-productive, disparaging, threatening, or violate decorum guidelines, the party causing the disruption may be asked to leave the meeting and/or the building or will be terminated from the communication. The remaining parties may continue with the meeting or communication if an adequate record of the meeting of communication is made. Any party who has unreasonably disrupted a meeting or other form of communication may be prohibited from participation in future meetings, telephone conferences, or other communications, or may be asked to participate by telephone, electronic, or other means.

  4. Trespass on School Board Property

    Unlaw entry upon or use of School Board property is prohibited. Any person who trespasses upon School Board property will be directed to vacate the school, leased/loaned facility or administrative building, school vehicle/equipment, School Division communication or computer system, and/or grounds by an authorized official. Remaining upon School Board property after having been directed to vacate is unlawful. Each time the trespasser enters or remains on School Board property, after such direction to vacate, will constitute a separate violation.

  5. Limitation of Access to School Board Property or Activities or Communication with Staff

    Any person who is not an authorized student, employee, official or agent of the School Board is considered a visitor to School Board property or activities. Persons determined by a school administrator to pose a threat or disruption to the educational environment , the business environment, the conduct of a School Board or School Division meeting, or a School Division-sponsored activity may be banned from or otherwise limited in their access to School Board property or activities. Persons determined by a school administer to have caused the threat or disruption to the educational or business environment by excessive or inappropriate use of communications (such as telephone, email, social media, etc.) may be limited or banned in their access to School Division personnel through such means of communication. A school administrator will inform such person verbally or in writing of the reasons for such determination and allow such person to provide information concerning the event.

    1. School based limitations or bans. Within five (5) calendar days of notice of the principal or designee’s determination, such person may make a written appeal of the determination to the Department of School Leadership. The Department of School Leadership will review the principal or designee’s determination and determine whether the principal or designee’s determination should stand or be amended. No hearing or meeting of the affected parties will be required. The Department of School Leadership may alter the principal or designee’s determination in any manner deemed appropriate to the circumstances. The determination of the Department of School Leadership will be final and the person subject to the determination will have no right of appeal to the Superintendent or the School Board. After one calendar year form the dated o the final determination, the affected person may make a written request to the Department of School Leadership to amend or revoke the final determination. The Department of School Leadership will make a written, non-appealable determination regarding such request.
    2. Other School Board property limitations or bans. Within (5) calendar days of notice of the designated building administrator’s determination or limit access or ban a person such person may make a written appeal of the determination to the Department of School Division Services. The Department of School Division Services or designee will review the determination and decide whether the determination should stand or be amended. No hearing or meeting of the affected parties will be required. The Department of School Division Services or designee may alter the determination in any manner deemed appropriate to the circumstances. The determination of the Department of School Division Services or designee will be final and the person subject to the determination will have no right of appeal to the Superintendent or the School Board. After one calendar year from the date of the final determination, the affected person may make a written request to the Department of School Division Services or designee to amend or revoke the final determination. The Department of School Division Services or designee will make a written, non-appealable determination regarding such request.

Editor's Note

For trespassing on school property see legal reference to School Board Policy 7-17. Persons who are registered to vote at precinct located in a school building will be allowed to enter such building only for the purpose of exercising his/her right to vote.

Related Links

School Board Policy 7-17

Approved by Superintendent: July 16, 1991
Revised by Superintendent: August 14, 1993
Revised by Superintendent: September 14, 2010
Revised by Superintendent: July 30, 2013
Revised by Superintendent: May 29, 2014
Revised by Superintendent: August 2, 2021