The board believes inappropriate student conduct causes material and substantial disruption to the school environment, interferes with the rights of others, and/or presents a threat to the health and safety of students, employees, and visitors on school premises. Appropriate classroom behavior allows teachers to communicate more effectively with students.
Students will conduct themselves in a manner fitting to their age and maturity and with respect and consideration for the rights of others while on school district property or on property within the jurisdiction of the school district; while on school owned and/or operated school or chartered vehicles; while attending or engaged in school activities; and while away from school grounds if misconduct will directly affect the good order, efficient management, and welfare of the school district. Consequences for the misconduct will be fair and developmentally appropriate in light of the circumstances.
Students who fail to abide by this policy and the administrative regulations supporting it may be disciplined for conduct which disrupts or interferes with the education program; conduct which disrupts the orderly and efficient operation of the school district or school activity; conduct which disrupts the rights of other students to participate in or obtain their education or participation; conduct that is violent or destructive; or conduct which interrupts the maintenance of a disciplined atmosphere. Disciplinary measures include, but are not limited to, removal from the classroom, detention, suspension, probation, and expulsion.
Teachers and/or others who are in charge of a classroom must be the administrators of classroom discipline. Therefore, minor disciplinary offenses are the responsibility and obligation of the classroom teacher. When a situation arises wherein the educational process is substantially interfered with, it then becomes the responsibility of the administration to assist in the disposition of the discipline problem.
A student who commits an assault against an employee on school district property or on property within the jurisdiction of the school district; while on school-owned or school-operated chartered vehicles; while attending or engaged in school district activities will be suspended by the principal. Notice of the suspension shall be sent to the board president. The board shall review the suspension to determine whether to impose further sanctions against the student which may include expulsion. Assault for purposes of this section of this policy is defined as:
The act is not an assault when the person doing any of the above and the other person are voluntary participants in a sport, social or other activity, not in itself criminal, when the act is a reasonably foreseeable incident of such sport or activity, and does not create an unreasonable risk of serious injury or breach of the peace.
The school district may impose a range of disciplinary measures for acts of misconduct. Disciplinary measures include, but are not limited to, removal from the classroom, detention, suspension, probation, and expulsion. Discipline will be administered depending on the severity and frequency of the acts of misconduct. The imposition of discipline will be within the discretion of the individual responsible for imposing the discipline. In instances where there has been a violation of the law, as well as school rules, appropriate law enforcement officials will be contacted and may become involved in the school district's administration of discipline. The school reserves the right to seek restitution from the parents/guardians of a student or the student for damage caused by the student.
Removal from the classroom means a student is sent to the building principal’s office. It shall be within the discretion of the person in charge of the classroom to remove the student.
Detention means the student’s presence is required during non-school hours for disciplinary purposes. The student can be required to appear prior to the beginning of the school day, after school has been dismissed for the day or a non-school day. Whether a student will serve detention, and the length of the detention, is within the discretion of the licensed employee disciplining the student or the building principal.
Suspension means either an in-school suspension, an out-of-school suspension, a restriction from activities or loss of eligibility. An in-school suspension means the student will attend school but will be temporarily isolated from one or more classes while under supervision. An in-school suspension will not exceed ten consecutive school days. An out-of-school suspension means the student is removed from the school environment, which includes school classes and activities. An out-of-school suspension will not exceed ten days. A restriction from school activities means a student will attend school and classes and practice but will not participate in school activities.
Probation means a student is given a conditional suspension of a penalty for a definite period of time in addition to being reprimanded. The conditional suspension will mean the student must meet the conditions and terms for the suspension of the penalty. Failure of the student to meet these conditions and terms will result in immediate reinstatement of the penalty.
Expulsion means an action by the board to remove a student from the school environment, which includes, but is not limited to, classes and activities, for a period of time set by the board but no longer than one school year.
Following the suspension of a special education student, an informal evaluation of the student’s placement will take place. The Individual Education Program (IEP) is evaluated to determine whether it needs to be changed or modified in response to the behavior that led to the suspension.
If a special education student’s suspensions, either in or out of school, equal ten days on a cumulative basis, a staffing team will meet to determine whether the IEP is appropriate.
Approved: November 17, 1997
Revised/Reviewed: February 25, 2019
The principal will conduct an informal investigation of the allegations against the student prior to imposition of probation. The investigation will include, but not be limited to, written or oral notice to the student of the allegations against the student and an opportunity to respond. Written notice of probation and reasons therefore will be sent to the parents.
Should the student breach the condition imposed for probation, the student may be removed from academic or extra-curricular privileges or have more severe penalties such as suspension imposed. An investigation similar to that of the informal investigation described above shall be conducted to determine whether the condition imposed has been breached.
The principal shall conduct an informal investigation of the allegations against the student prior to imposition of an in-school suspension. The investigation will include, but not be limited to, written or oral notice to the student of the allegations against the student and an opportunity to respond. In-school suspension will not be imposed for more than ten school days. Notice and reasons for the in-school suspension will be sent to the student’s parents.
A student may be suspended out of school for up to ten school days by a principal for a commission of gross or repeated infractions of school rules, regulations, policy or the law, or when the presence of the student will cause interference with the maintenance of the educational environment or the operation of the school. The principal may suspend students after conducting an informal investigation of the charges against the student, giving the student:
At the principal’s discretion, the student may be allowed to confront witnesses against the student or present witnesses on behalf of the student.
The notice to the student, investigation, and informal hearing must precede removal of the student from school. However, nothing should prevent the immediate suspension of a student when the student's continued presence on school grounds endangers the student's safety or well-being, the safety or well-being of other members of the school community or substantially interferes with the proper functioning of the school. In the instance of an immediate suspension, a meeting will be held within three school days to determine future action. In the event the suspension occurred prior to the meeting, the person responsible shall document the basis of the necessity for such action.
Notice of the out-of-school suspension will be mailed to the student’s parents or legal guardians, the superintendent, and to the president of the board within three school days following the suspension. A reasonable effort shall also be made to notify the student’s parents by telephone or personal contact and such effort shall be documented by the person making or attempting to make the contact. Written notice to the parents shall include the circumstances which led to the suspension and a copy of the board policy and rules pertaining to the suspension.
Following the suspension of a special education student, an informal evaluation of the student’s placement shall take place. The student’s Individual Education Program (IEP) shall be evaluated to determine whether it needs to be changed or modified in response to the behavior that led to the suspension. If a special education student’s suspensions, either in-school or out-of-school, equal ten days on a cumulative basis, a staffing team shall meet to determine whether the students IEP is appropriate.
Students who have not been identified as special education students may be referred for evaluation after the student’s suspension to determine whether the student has a disability and is in need of special education.
Approved: November 17, 1997
Revised/Reviewed: February 25, 2019