School Attendance
W. Va. Code § 18-8-1a — from age six to the seventeenth birthday, and a fine for the parent
Compulsory attendance begins with the school year in which a child turns six, or on enrolling in public kindergarten, and continues to the 17th birthday, or as long as the student stays enrolled after that.
The parent's offense. A parent, guardian or custodian who fails without just cause to have a child under 18 years of age attend school commits a misdemeanor, a fine of not less than $50 nor more than $100 plus costs for a first offense.
The court may delay the sentence for 60 school days and suspend it if the child attends every day.
A student 18 years of age or older who stays enrolled is held to attendance personally. A particular case is a question for the county attendance director or a licensed West Virginia attorney.
Sources for this section (2)
- W. Va. Code § 18-8-1a — Commencement and termination of compulsory school attendance
- W. Va. Code § 18-8-2 — Compulsory school attendance: offenses; penalties; cost of prosecution; jurisdiction
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed West Virginia attorney.