Stevensville School District

STUDENTS

Corrective Actions and Punishment

The Board recognizes that every student is entitled to due process rights that are provided by law.

Suspension

The procedure set forth below will be followed when a proposed punishment of a student is to include denial of the right of school attendance from any single class or from a full schedule of classes for at least one (1) day.

Before any suspension is ordered, a building administrator will meet with a student to explain charges of misconduct, and the student will be given opportunity to respond to the charges.

When a student’s presence poses a continuing danger to persons or property or poses an ongoing threat of disruption to the educational process, a pre-suspension conference will not be required, and an administrator may suspend a student immediately.  In such cases, a building administrator will provide notice of and schedule a conference as soon as practicable following the suspension.

A building administrator will report any suspension immediately to a student’s parent or legal guardian.  An administrator will provide a written report of suspension that states reasons for a suspension, including any school rule that was violated, and a notice to a parent or guardian of the right to a review of a suspension.  An administrator will send a copy of the report and notice to the Superintendent.

The Superintendent will conduct a review of any suspension on request of a parent or legal guardian. A student and parent or legal guardian may meet with the Superintendent to discuss suspension.  After the meeting and after concluding a review, the Superintendent will take such final action as appropriate.

Students who are suspended from any class or from school entirely have the right to make up any work missed according to the student handbook.

Expulsion

The Board, and only the Board, may expel a student from school and may do so only after following due process procedures set forth below.

The Board will provide written notice to a student and parent or legal guardian of a hearing to consider a recommendation for expulsion, which will be sent by registered or certified mail at least five (5) school days before the date of the scheduled hearing. The notice will include time and place of hearing, information describing the process to be used to conduct the hearing, and notice that the Board intends to conduct the hearing in closed session unless a parent or legal guardian waives the student’s right to privacy.

Within the limitation that a hearing must be conducted during a period of student suspension, a hearing to consider expulsion may be rescheduled when a parent or legal guardian submits a request showing good cause to the Superintendent at least two (2) school days before a hearing date as originally scheduled.  The Superintendent will determine if a request shows good cause to reschedule a hearing.

At hearing the student may be represented by counsel, present witnesses and other evidence, and cross-examine witnesses.  The Board is not bound by formal rules of evidence in conducting the hearing.

Procedures for Suspension and Expulsion of Students with Disabilities

The District will comply with provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) when disciplining students. The Board will not expel any special education student when the student’s particular act of gross disobedience or misconduct is a manifestation of the student’s disability.  The Board may expel pursuant to its expulsion procedures any special education student whose gross disobedience or misconduct is not a manifestation of the student’s disability. A disabled student will continue to receive education services as provided in the IDEA during a period of expulsion.

A building administrator may suspend a child with a disability from the child’s current placement for not more than ten (10) consecutive school days for any violation of school rules, and additional removals of not more than ten (10) consecutive school days in that same school year for separate incidents of misconduct, as long as those removals do not constitute a change of placement under 34 CFR 300.519(b), whether or not a student’s gross disobedience or misconduct is a manifestation of a student’s disabling condition.  Any special education student who has exceeded or who will exceed ten (10) days of suspension may temporarily be excluded from school by court order or by order of a hearing officer, if the District demonstrates that maintaining the student in the student’s current placement is substantially likely to result in injury to the student or to others.  After a child with a disability has been removed from his or her placement for more than ten (10) school days in the same school year, during any subsequent days of removal the public agency must provide services to the extent required under 34 CFR 300.121(d).

An administrator may remove from current placement any special education student who has carried a weapon to school or to a school function or who knowingly possesses or uses illegal drugs or sells or solicits the sale of a controlled substance while at school or a school function.   The District will place such student in an appropriate interim alternative educational setting for no more than forty-five (45) school days in accordance with the IDEA.

Policy History:
Adopted on: February 12, 2002
Reviewed on: September 9, 2008
Revised on:  April 10, 2012