Students
Corrective Actions or Punishment |
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Policy No. 3241P
A. Exceptional
Misconduct The following guidelines are in effect for students to
establish a range of corrective actions which may be imposed as a consequence
of exceptional misconduct. An ad hoc committee and/or P.T.A. officers have
met to define the areas of misconduct and the range of action to be taken.
The appeal process for short and long-term suspensions shall remain in effect
for short and long range suspensions imposed as a result of this procedure.
B. In-School
Suspension Guidelines for the in-school suspension program are as
follows: 1. A
student who is afforded the opportunity to be assigned to the in-school suspension
program as an option to suspension shall agree to the conditions specified by
the school principal. Unless the student is of majority age, concurrence from
the parent or guardian is necessary. 2. The
in-school suspension program is designed to encourage learning. Students will
be expected to work on their classroom assignments at all times. 3. Any
act of inappropriate conduct may result in denial of this alternative to
other corrective actions. 4. A
student shall remain isolated from other students throughout the school day
and will be denied the opportunity of participating in any school activities
while in the in-school suspension program. 5. An
assignment to the in-school suspension program shall not exceed five days. As
such, the appeal process for a short-term suspension shall be in effect. 6. The
student shall develop a behavior contract while in the in-school suspension
program. The student, his/her parent or guardian and a staff member shall
sign the contract which defines the expected future behavior of the student. 7. After
a student is placed back into the regular classroom(s), the principal will
monitor the student's progress on a daily basis. The student will be
encouraged to maintain a relationship with the school counselor as a means of
dealing with any problems that arise. 8. Specific
rules and building procedures shall be developed by the building principal. C. LONG-TERM
SUSPENSION OR EXPULSION In the event a hearing is requested, the superintendent
shall appoint the hearing officer, who may be any certificated staff member
who is not involved in the incident giving rise to the hearing. The hearing
officer shall: 9. Schedule
the hearing for a specified date, time, and place and may postpone the date
and time and change the place for good cause or upon the mutual agreement of
the parties; 10. Give
written notice of the date, time, and place of the hearing to the principal,
and the parent and student; 11. Answer
any questions that the parent and student or counsel may have about the
nature and conduct of the hearing; 12. Conduct
the hearing with full authority to control the conduct of all persons
present, subject to the general directions of this procedural code, and to
limit questioning that is unproductive or irrelevant. (The hearing officer
may not provide testimony.); 13. Write
findings of fact and disposition of the case; and 14. Transmit
the written findings and disposition to the superintendent, the principal,
and the parent and student within 5 school days after the hearing. The parent and student may request an open or closed
hearing. A closed hearing may be attended only by the hearing officer,
principal, student, parent, and counsel. Witnesses should be present only
when they are giving information. At times when the student's psychological
or emotional problems are being discussed, he/she may be excluded at the
discretion of the hearing officer with the concurrence of the parent and/or
counsel. In an open hearing only those persons designated as witnesses shall
have the right to speak. At least 2 days before the hearing the principal shall
make available in his/her office any exhibits, affidavits or the signed
statements which are the basis for the alleged misconduct and the penalty
suggested by the principal. These may be examined and copied by the parent
and student or counsel. If the principal later receives any further
information that shall be employed at the hearing, he/she shall notify the
parties involved and make copies available before the hearing. The principal
may request a similar opportunity to review exhibits or statements to be used
by the parent and student or counsel. Upon the request of the hearing officer, the parent and
student or counsel, the principal shall submit to the hearing officer the
student's cumulative record folder. If the principal or the hearing officer
deems it necessary, the information contained in such records shall be
explained and interpreted to the officer by a person trained in their use and
interpretation. When the hearing officer determines that the alleged act of
misconduct has been committed, the hearing officer shall reach a disposition
of the case. The disposition need not be the action recommended by the
principal but shall not exceed the penalty he/she recommends. The disposition
should explain the reason for the particular decision. The decision shall be
provided to the parent and student or counsel. If the student is under an emergency expulsion, the
hearing officer shall render his/her decision within 1 school business day of
the conclusion of the hearing. When students are charged with
violating the same rule and have acted in concert and the facts are
essentially the same for all students, a single hearing may be conducted for
them if the hearing officer believes that the following conditions exist: 15. A
single hearing shall not likely result in confusion, and 16. No
student shall have his/her interest substantially prejudiced by a group
hearing. If the hearing officer finds that during the hearing a
student's interests shall be substantially prejudiced by the group hearing, he/she
may order a separate hearing for that student. The parent and student have
the right to petition for an individual hearing. Date: June 25,
2003 |