WV boy with multiple medical conditions denied readmission to Virginia elementary school
Giles County schools cited chronic absenteeism, but his family says every absence had a medical reason
Jack Doherty, Community Journalist
Published: August 6, 2026 at 5:05 PM
GILES CO., Va. – A 9-year-old West Virginia boy with a complex medical history has been denied readmission to a Giles County elementary school he has attended for four years — and his family says the decision punishes him for absences tied directly to his disabilities
Dawson Ballard has attended Narrows Elementary School despite living across the state line in West Virginia. The Giles County School Board denied his application to return for fourth grade, citing chronic absenteeism. His mother, Kimberley Ballard, says the family’s 504 plan acknowledged from the beginning that excessive absences would be unavoidable
“It was in his 504 plan that we had set up since kindergarten,” she said. “And it said that he would have excessive absences. His 504 plan states that he’s not to be penalized for these absences — and he is.”
Dawson has been diagnosed with multiple conditions, including mast cell activation syndrome, dysautonomia, neurocardiogenic syncope, Tourette syndrome, a history of seizures, asthma, and eosinophilic esophagitis. He sees nine specialists, most of them at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital — roughly six hours from home
“When we go up there, we’re up there for two to four days at a time to get in all those specialists so that he doesn’t have to keep missing more and more school,” Kimberley Ballard said. “But he is going to miss a little bit of time each time for that.”
His mother says every absence was documented
“They keep calling it chronic absenteeism, and they’re not seeing what it actually is,” she said. “It’s disability-related absences. He wasn’t truant. He didn’t just stay at home on the couch. Every absence was a doctor’s appointment, or a procedure, or an ER visit, or a surgery. Every absence had a medical note to it, a medical reason.”
Despite his health challenges, Dawson maintained all A’s and B’s. This past school year, he missed 29 days — a significant improvement over previous years, his mother said
“That’s a win versus when we have almost 50 one year,” Kimberley Ballard said
His family credits his school community as a key factor in that progress. Dawson’s sister walked him to his classroom every day, and teachers worked with him one-on-one
“Here he gets the support he needs,” Ballard said. “The teachers have been phenomenal.”
His mother says moving him to a new school could reverse the gains he has made — socially and medically. Dawson’s friends at Narrows know about his Tourette syndrome and do not question his tics, she said
“Going to a new place that doesn’t know that he has these issues is going to be a little hard on him,” she said
Three of the Ballard children, along with their father, have attended school in Narrows. The family lives in West Virginia, about 18 minutes from the school and five minutes from the Virginia state line
“We chose Narrows because my husband went to Narrows, our oldest was already there, but mainly because there’s a sense of community here that is just different,” Kimberley Ballard said
10 News reached out to the entire Giles County School Board. Members either did not respond or declined interview requests. Superintendent Marlin Campbell provided a written statement
“We have a number of requests every year from parents who live outside Giles County to enroll their children in our schools,” Campbell said. “We have a policy that we follow in making those decisions. Out of county students must reapply every year. We rely on our policy in making decisions whether or not to allow the out of county student to continue attending our schools. Federal privacy laws prevent me from providing any further detail or discussing a specific student.”
Kimberley Ballard says the decision forces her family to choose between Dawson’s health and his education
“A medically complex kid deserves to not have to worry about losing their school and have to choose their health,” she said
Dawson will attend school in his home district in Mercer County, West Virginia, unless the school board reverses its decision
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