The board believes inappropriate student conduct causes material and substantial disruption to the school environment, interferes with the rights of others, 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 level 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; 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.

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 administrator.  Notice of the suspension is sent to the board president.  The board will 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:

• an act which is intended to cause pain or injury to, or which is intended to result in physical contact which will be insulting or offensive to another, coupled with the apparent ability to execute the act; or
• any act which is intended to place another in fear of immediate physical contact which will be painful, injurious, insulting or offensive, coupled with the apparent ability to execute the act; or
• intentionally points any firearm toward another or displays in a threatening manner any dangerous weapon toward another.

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.

Removal from the classroom means a student is sent to the building principal's office.  It is 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 on a non-school day.  Whether a student will serve detention, and the length of the detention, is within the discretion of the licensed employee or the building principal disciplining the student.

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.

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.

It is the responsibility of the superintendent, in conjunction with the principal, to develop administrative regulations regarding this policy.

Cross Reference:         
501      Student Attendance
502      Student Rights and Responsibilities
504      Student Activities
603.3   Special Education
904.5   Distribution of Materials

Approved:  March 2007
Reviewed:  October 2016

Only the board may remove a student from the school environment.  The removal of a student from the school environment, which includes but is not limited to classes and activities, is an expulsion from school.

Students may be expelled for violations of board policy, school rules or the law.  It shall be within the discretion of the board to discipline a student by using an expulsion for a single offense or for a series of offenses depending on the nature of the offense and the circumstances surrounding the offense.

It shall be within the discretion of the superintendent to recommend to the board the expulsion of a student for disciplinary purposes.  Only the board may take action to expel a student and to readmit the student.  The principal shall keep records of expulsions in addition to the board's records.

When a student is recommended for expulsion by the board, the student shall be provided with:

1. Notice of the reasons for the proposed expulsion;

2. The names of the witnesses and an oral or written report on the facts to which each witness testifies unless the witnesses are students whose names may be released at the discretion of the superintendent;

3. An opportunity to present a defense against the charges and provide either oral testimony or written affidavits of witnesses on the student's behalf;

4. The right to be represented by counsel; and,

5. The results and finding of the board in writing open to the student's inspection.

In addition to these procedures, a special education student must be provided with additional procedures.  A determination should be made of whether the student is actually guilty of the misconduct.  A staffing team should determine whether the student's behavior is caused by the student's disability and whether the conduct is the result of inappropriate placement.  Discussions and conclusions of this meeting should be recorded.

If the special education student's conduct is not caused by the disability, the student may be expelled or suspended for a long-term period following written notice to the parent and pursuant to the school district's expulsion hearing procedures.  If the misconduct is caused by the disability and a change in placement is recommended, the change must be made pursuant to the placement procedures used by the school district.

Cross Reference:         
502      Student Rights and Responsibilities
503      Student Discipline

Approved:  March 2007
Reviewed:  October 2016

The board believes students should respect school district property and assist in its preservation for future use by others.  Students may be assessed fines, charges, or fees for the materials needed in a course, for overdue school materials, for participating in activities, or for misuse of school property.

The central office secretary will inform the board of the dollar amount to be charged to students or others for fines, charges, or fees annually.  Parents of students meeting specific financial eligibility standards will be eligible for a waiver of student fees or a reduction of student fees based upon the request of the parent.  It is the responsibility of the superintendent, in conjunction with the principal, to develop administrative regulations regarding this policy.

Cross Reference:     
501.16      Homeless Children & Youth
502           Student Rights and Responsibilities
503           Student Discipline

Approved:  March 2007
Reviewed:  October 2016

Participation in school activities are a privilege.  School activities provide the benefits of promoting additional interests and abilities in the students during their school years and for their lifetimes.

Students who participate in extracurricular activities serve as ambassadors of the school district throughout the calendar year, whether away from school or at school.  Students who wish to have the privilege of participating in extracurricular activities must conduct themselves in accordance with board policy and must refrain from activities which are illegal, immoral or unhealthy.

Students who fail to abide by this policy and the administrative regulations supporting it may be subject to disciplinary measures.  The principal shall keep records of violations of the good conduct rule.

It shall be the responsibility of the superintendent to develop rules and regulations for school activities.  Students wanting to participate in school activities must meet the requirements set out by the school district for participation in the activity.

Cross Reference:         
502      Student Rights and Responsibilities
503      Student Discipline
504      Student Activities

Approved:  March 2007
Reviewed:  October 2016

Corporal punishment is defined as the intentional physical punishment of a student and is prohibited.  It includes the use of unreasonable or unnecessary physical force or physical contact made with the intent to harm or cause pain.  No employee is prohibited from:

• Using reasonable and necessary force not designed or intended to cause pain, in order to accomplish any of the following:

                  --    To quell a disturbance or prevent an act that threatens physical harm to any person.

                  --    To obtain possession of a weapon or other dangerous object within a pupil's control.

                  --    For the purposes of self-defense or defense of others as provided for in Iowa Code section 704.3.

                  --    For the protection of property as provided for in Iowa Code section 704.4 or 704.5.

                  --    To remove a disruptive pupil from class or any area of school premises or from school-sponsored activities off school premises.

                  --    To protect a student from the self-infliction of harm.

                  --    To protect the safety of others.

• Using incidental, minor, or reasonable physical contact to maintain order and control.

Reasonable physical force should be commensurate with the circumstances of the situation.  The following factors should be considered in using reasonable physical force for the reasons stated in this policy:

1. The size and physical, mental, and psychological condition of the student;

2. The nature of the student's behavior or misconduct provoking the use of physical force;

3. The instrumentality used in applying the physical force;

4. The extent and nature of resulting injury to the student, if any;

5. The motivation of the school employee using physical force.

Upon request, the student's parents shall be given an explanation of the reasons for physical force.  It shall be the responsibility of the superintendent to develop administrative regulations regarding this policy.

Cross Reference:         
402.3   Abuse of Students by School District Employees
502      Student Rights and Responsibilities
503      Student Discipline

Approved:  March 2007
Reviewed:  October 2016

The board believes in having a cooperative and collaborative working relationship with the local law enforcement and juvenile justice agencies.  The goal of this relationship is to help reduce juvenile crime and foster a safer, more structured educational environment.

The District may report to local law enforcement:

1. The use or possession of any alcoholic beverage or controlled substance on school premises, if such use is violative of school policy or state law.
2. The use or possession of any dangerous weapon on school premises.
3. The names of students, between grades 7-12, not attending the minimum days required for compulsory attendance after satisfactory investigation is conducted by school officials to ascertain the cause of the truancy.

The District, pursuant to an interagency agreement with the juvenile justice system, including the juvenile court, the department of human services, and local law enforcement authorities, may share information contained within a student’s permanent record.  The disclosure of this information must be directly related to the juvenile justice system’s ability to effectively serve, prior to adjudication, the student whose records are being released.

School officials can report crimes committed by students receiving services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and transmit their disciplinary records to appropriate juvenile justice agency to the same extent they do for crimes by students not receiving IDEA services shall transmit copies of the child’s special education and disciplinary records to the authorities.  This disclosure shall be directly related to the juvenile justice system’s ability to effectively serve, prior to adjudication, the student whose records are being released.  If disclosure of the records is made after adjudication, parental consent must be obtained prior to the disclosure.

Cross Reference:         
501.1 Truancy-Unexcused Absences
502.8 Weapons
502.9 Smoking-Drinking-Drugs
506.1 Student Records Access

Approved:  March 2007
Reviewed:  October 2016