Child Safety and Discipline

Student Discipline

Student Conduct
The school is committed to providing a safe and orderly environment where students may
receive and school personnel may deliver quality educational services without disruption or
interference. Responsible behavior by students, teachers, other district personnel, parents
and other visitors is essential to achieving this goal. This section of the Student Handbook
is intended to provide only a brief overview. Parents are encouraged to review Board of
Education Policy for a more comprehensive explanation of the District’s Code of Conduct
(Policy 5300). Please note that the Code of Conduct has been updated to reflect the
provisions of the Dignity for All Students Act.

3-1. STUDENT RIGHTS
The school is committed to safeguarding the rights given to all students under federal and state law and
district policy. In addition, to promote a safe, healthy, orderly and supportive school environment, all
district students have the right to:
1. Take part in all district activities on an equal basis regardless of race, weight, color,
creed, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, gender or sexual orientation or disability.
2. Present their version of the relevant events to school personnel authorized to impose a disciplinary
penalty in connection with the imposition of the penalty.
3. Access school policies, regulations and rules and, when necessary, receive an explanation of those rules
from school personnel.

3-2. STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES
All district students have the responsibility to:
1. Contribute to maintaining a safe, supportive and orderly school environment that is conducive to
learning and to show respect to other persons and to property.
2. Be familiar with and abide by district policies, rules and regulations dealing with
student conduct.
3. Attend school every day unless they are legally excused and be in class, on time, and prepared to learn.
4. Work to the best of their ability in all academic and extracurricular pursuits and strive toward their
highest level of achievement possible.
5. React to direction given by teachers, administrators and other school personnel in a respectful, positive
manner.
6. Work to develop mechanisms to manage their anger.
7. Ask questions when they do not understand.
8. Seek help in solving problems.
9. Dress appropriately for school and school functions.

10. Accept responsibility for their actions.

11. Conduct themselves as representatives of the district when participating in or attending school-
sponsored extracurricular events and to hold themselves to the highest standards of conduct,

demeanor, and sportsmanship.

3-3. PROHIBITED STUDENT CONDUCT
All students are expected to conduct themselves in an appropriate and civil manner, with proper
regard for the rights and welfare of other students, district personnel and other members of the school
community, and for the care of school facilities and equipment.
The best discipline is self-imposed, and students must learn to assume and accept responsibility for their own
behavior, as well as the consequences of their misbehavior. School personnel who interact with students are
expected to use disciplinary action only when necessary and to place emphasis on educating students so that
they may grow in self-discipline.
The school recognizes the need to make its expectations for student conduct while on school property
or engaged in a school function specific and clear. The rules of conduct listed below are intended to do
that and focus on safety and respect for the rights and property of others. Students who will not accept
responsibility for their own behavior and who violate these school rules will be required to accept the
consequences for their conduct. Students may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including
suspension from school, when they:
A. Engage in conduct that is disorderly. Examples include, but are not limited to:
1. Running in hallways.
2. Making unreasonable noise.
3. Using language or gestures that are profane, lewd, vulgar or abusive.
4. Obstructing vehicular or pedestrian traffic.
5. Engaging in any willful act which disrupts the normal operation of the school community.
6. Trespassing. Students are not permitted in any school building, other than the one they regularly
attend, without permission from the administrator in charge of the building.
7. Computer/electronic communications misuse, including any unauthorized use of computers,
software, or internet/intranet account; accessing inappropriate content.
B. Engage in conduct that is insubordinate. Examples include, but are not limited to:
1. Failing to comply with the reasonable directions of teachers, school administrators or other school
employees in charge of students or otherwise demonstrating disrespect.
2. Lateness for, missing or leaving school without permission.
3. Failing to comply with any and all school rules.
4. Skipping detention

STUDENT & PARENT HANDBOOK GRADES K - 5
C. Engage in conduct that is disruptive. Examples of disruptive conduct include, but are not limited to:
1. Failing to comply with the reasonable directions of teachers, school administrators or other school
personnel in charge of students.
2. Inappropriate public sexual contact.
3. Display or use of personal electronic devices, such as, but not limited to, cell phones, iPads, digital/
cell-phone cameras, in a manner that is in violation of district policy.
D. Engage in conduct that is violent. Examples include, but are not limited to:
1. Committing an act of violence (such as hitting, kicking, punching, and scratching) upon a teacher,
administrator or other school employee or attempting to do so.
2. Committing an act of violence (such as hitting, kicking, punching, and scratching) upon another
student or any other person lawfully on school property or attempting to do so.
3. Possessing a weapon. Authorized law enforcement officials are the only persons permitted to have a
weapon in their possession while on school property or at a
school function.
4. Displaying what appears to be a weapon.
5. Threatening to use any weapon.
6. Intentionally damaging or destroying the personal property of a student, teacher, administrator,
other district employee or any person lawfully on school property, including graffiti or arson.
7. Intentionally damaging or destroying school district property.
E. Engage in any conduct that endangers the safety, physical or mental health or welfare of others.
Examples include, but are not limited to:
1. Subjecting other students, school personnel or any other person lawfully on school property or
attending a school function to danger by recklessly engaging in conduct which creates a substantial
risk of physical injury.
2. Stealing or attempting to steal the property of other students, school personnel or any other person
lawfully on school property or attending a school function.
3. Defamation, which includes making false or unprivileged statements or representations about
an individual or identifiable group of individuals that harm the reputation of the person or the
identifiable group by demeaning them.
4. Discrimination, which includes using race, color, creed, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious
practice, sex, gender (identity and expression), sexual orientation, weight or disability to deny rights,
equitable treatment or access to facilities available to others.
5. Harassment, which includes a sufficiently severe action or persistent pervasive pattern of actions
or statements directed at an identifiable individual or group which are intended to be, or which a
reasonable person would perceive as ridiculing or demeaning. Harassment is also the creation of a
hostile environment. Please see Board Policy 0115 for more information.

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18STUDENT & PARENT HANDBOOK GRADES K - 5

6. Intimidation, which includes engaging in actions or statements that put an individual in fear of
bodily harm.
7. Bullying which consists of inappropriate persistent behavior including threats or intimidation of
others, treating others cruelly, terrorizing, coercing or habitual put-downs and/or badgering others.
Please see Board Policy 0115 for more information.
8. Selling, using, distributing or possessing obscene material.
9. Using vulgar or abusive language, cursing or swearing.
10. Smoking a cigarette, cigar, pipe or using chewing or smokeless tobacco.
11. Possessing, consuming, selling, distributing or exchanging alcoholic beverages or illegal substances,
or being under the influence of either. “Illegal substances” include, but are not limited to, inhalants,
marijuana, cocaine, LSD, PCP, amphetamines, heroin, steroids, look-alike drugs, and any substances

commonly referred to as “designer drugs.” Inappropriately using or sharing prescription and over-
the-counter drugs.

12. Gambling.
13. Indecent exposure, that is, exposure to sight of the private parts of the body in a lewd or indecent manner.
14. Initiating a report warning of fire or other catastrophe without valid cause, misuse of 911, or
discharging a fire extinguisher.
F. Engage in any form of academic misconduct. Examples include, but are not limited to: plagiarism,
cheating, copying, altering records, assisting another student in any of the above actions.
G. Engage in off-campus misconduct that interferes with, or can reasonably be expected to
substantially disrupt the educational process in the school or at a school function. Examples include,
but are not limited to:
1. Cyber-bullying (i.e., inflicting willful and repeated harm through the use of electronic text).
2. Threatening or harassing students or school personnel over the phone or other
electronic medium.

3-4. DISCIPLINARY PENALTIES
Discipline is most effective when it deals directly with the problem at the time and place it occurs, and in
a way that students view as fair and impartial. School personnel who interact with students are expected
to use disciplinary action only when necessary and to place emphasis on the students’ ability to grow in
self-discipline.
Disciplinary action, when necessary, will be firm, fair and consistent so as to be most effective in changing
student behavior. In determining the appropriate disciplinary action, school personnel authorized to
impose disciplinary penalties will consider the following:
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19STUDENT & PARENT HANDBOOK GRADES K - 5
1. The student’s age.
2. The nature of the offense and the circumstances which led to the offense.
3. The student’s prior disciplinary record.
4. The effectiveness of other forms of discipline.
5. Information from parents, teachers and/or others, as appropriate.
6. Other extenuating circumstances.
As a general rule, discipline will be progressive. This means that a student’s first violation will usually
merit a lighter penalty than subsequent violations.
If the conduct of a student is related to a disability or suspected disability, the student shall be referred to
the Committee on Special Education and discipline, if warranted, shall be administered consistent with the
separate requirements of this code of conduct for disciplining students with a disability or presumed to
have a disability. A student identified as having a disability shall not be disciplined for behavior related to
his/her disability, unless the discipline is consistent with the student’s individualized education plan (IEP).
Penalties
Students who are found to have violated the district’s code of conduct may be subject to the following penalties,
either alone or in combination. The school personnel identified after each penalty are authorized to impose that
penalty, consistent with the student’s right to due process.
1. Oral warning: any member of the district staff
2. Written warning: bus drivers, hall and lunch monitors, coaches, guidance counselors, teachers, Principal,
Superintendent
3. Written notification to parent: bus driver, hall and lunch monitors, coaches, guidance counselors,
teachers, Principal, Superintendent
4. Detention: teachers, Principal, Superintendent
5. Suspension from transportation: Director of Transportation, Principal, Superintendent
6. Suspension from athletic participation: coaches, Principal, Superintendent
7. Suspension from social or extracurricular activities: activity director, Principal, Superintendent
8. Suspension of other privileges: Principal, Superintendent
9. In-school suspension: Principal, Superintendent
10. Removal from classroom by teacher: teachers, Principal short-term (five days or less) suspension from
school: Principal, Superintendent, Board
11. Long-term (more than five days) suspension from school –Superintendent, Board
12. Permanent suspension from school: Superintendent, Board
13. Police Referral
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20STUDENT & PARENT HANDBOOK GRADES K - 5

Procedures
The amount of due process a student is entitled to receive before a penalty is imposed depends on the
penalty being imposed. In all cases, regardless of the penalty imposed, the school personnel authorized to
impose the penalty must inform the student of the alleged misconduct and must investigate, to the extent
necessary, the facts surrounding the alleged misconduct. All students will have an opportunity to present
their version of the facts to the school personnel imposing the disciplinary penalty in connection with the
imposition of the penalty. Please see District Policy 5300 for additional information.