Policy No. 3241

Students

 

Discipline for Student Misconduct

Rules of student conduct established by the District are essential to maintain a school environment conducive to learning. A student’s refusal to comply with written rules and regulations for the governing of the school will constitute cause for discipline.

Role of Staff in Correction of Students

Staff are responsible for supervising student behavior, employing effective classroom-management methods, and enforcing the rules of student conduct in a fair, consistent, and nondiscriminatory manner. Within each school, the principal or his/her designee will determine that appropriate student discipline is established and enforced. The superintendent and other certificated administrators have the authority to discipline, suspend, or expel students when appropriate.

Discipline must be reasonable and necessary under the circumstances and reflect the District’s priority to maintain a safe and positive learning environment for all students and staff. The methods employed in enforcing District rules involve professional judgment. The following factors should be considered in imposing discipline:

• Consistency from day to day, student to student, and teacher to teacher;
• Severity of the misconduct;
• The student’s nature and prior behavior;
• Fairness to the student, parent/guardian, and others;
• Effectiveness of the proposed corrective action; and
• Effect of misconduct on the educational environment

Conditions for Imposition of Discipline

Student discipline will be enforced in order to maintain a safe and orderly school environment that is conducive to student learning. No student will be expelled, suspended, or disciplined in any manner for the performance of or failure to perform any act not related to the orderly operation of the school or school-sponsored activities or any other aspect of the educational process. When administering discipline under this chapter, the District will not:

• Unlawfully discriminate against a student on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal;
• Deprive a student of the student’s constitutional right to freedom of speech and press; the constitutional right to peaceably assemble and to petition the government and its representatives for a redress of grievances; or the constitutional right to the free exercise of religion and to have the student’s school free from sectarian control or influence, subject to reasonable limitations upon the time, place, and manner of exercising the right;
• Deprive a student of the student’s constitutional right to be secure in the student’s person, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures;
• Unlawfully interfere in a student’s pursuit of an education while in the custody of the District; or
• Deprive a student of the student’s right to an equal educational opportunity, in whole or in part, without due process of law.

Procedures for Discipline

In order to preserve a beneficial learning environment for all students and to maintain good order and discipline in each classroom, the superintendent or his/her designee will develop written procedures for administering discipline at each school within the District. The procedures will be developed with the participation of school personnel, students, parents/guardians, and the community. The procedures will:

• Provide for early involvement of parents in efforts to support students in meeting behavioral expectations.
• Provide that the teacher, principal or designee, and other school authorities will make every reasonable attempt to involve parents/guardians and the student in the resolution of behavioral violations for which discipline may be administered.
• Provide that no form of discipline (as that term is used in Procedure 3241P) will be administered in such a manner as to prevent a student from completing subject, grade-level, or graduation requirements.

In addition, the procedures will be consistent with the due process rules issued by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) in Chapter 392-400 of the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) and address conditions for imposing and contesting (i.e., appealing) corrective actions, including the following:

• No student will be long-term suspended or expelled for more than the length of one academic term, which the Board defines as one semester (approximately 90 school days), unless the principal or designee petitions the District superintendent for extension of an expulsion, and the petition is granted.
• The District will not impose long-term suspension or expulsion as a form of “discretionary discipline,” as that term is defined in state law (RCW 28A.600.015).
• The District will not suspend the provision of educational services to a student in response to behavioral violations. Students will be provided with an opportunity to receive educational services during a period of suspension or expulsion.
• The District will make efforts to have each student who has been long-term suspended or expelled return to an educational setting as soon as possible. The District will convene a reengagement meeting with and create a reengagement plan for each student who has been long-term suspended or expelled. The reengagement plan will be tailored to the student’s individual circumstances, including consideration of the incident that led to the student’s long-term suspension or expulsion.
• Any student who has been suspended or expelled may apply to be readmitted at any time.

The purpose of the procedures is to provide an opportunity for discipline to be reviewed by someone in authority and to instill confidence among students and parents as to the essential fairness of staff. The District will ensure that its employees and contractors are knowledgeable about this policy and the related procedures. Staff will follow the District’s discipline procedures in responding to student misbehavior.

The District will make its policies and procedures regarding student conduct rules and student discipline available to students, parent/guardians, employees, and the community via the district and school websites, and it will include an annual notification in the student handbook. The District will provide language assistance regarding those policies and procedures for students and parents/guardians with limited-English proficiency as required by federal and state law. Students and parents/guardians are expected to be aware of the District’s rules of student conduct, including behavioral standards that respect the rights, person, and property of others. The superintendent or his/her designee, in consultation with staff, students, families, and the community, will periodically review and update said procedures. During development and review of those student discipline policies and procedures, the District will use disaggregated data collected under RCW 28A.300.042 to monitor the impact of its policies, procedures, and practices and update its policies and procedures to improve fairness and equity in the administration of discipline.

Cross References:

2121	Substance Abuse Program
2161	Special Education and Related Services for Eligible Students
2162	Education of Students with Disabilities under Section 504
3122	Excused and Unexcused Absences
3240	Student Conduct Expectations and Reasonable Sanctions
3246	Use of Reasonable Force, Isolation and Restraint
3520	Student Fees, Fines, or Charges
4210	Regulation of Dangerous Weapons on School Premises

 

Legal References:

RCW 9A.16.100	Use of force on children — Policy — Actions presumed unreasonable
RCW 9.41.280	Possessing dangerous weapons on school facilities — Penalty — Exceptions
RCW 28A.150.240	Certificated teaching and administrative staff as accountable for classroom teaching — Scope — Responsibilities — Penalty
Chapter 28A.225 RCW	Compulsory school attendance and admission
Chapter 28A.320 RCW	Provisions applicable to all districts
RCW 28A.400.100	Principals and vice principals — Employment of — Qualifications — Duties
RCW 28A.400.110	Principal to assure appropriate student discipline — Building discipline standards — Classes to improve classroom management skills
Chapter 28A.600 RCW	Students
Chapter 392-400 WAC	Pupils
WAC 392-190-048	Access to course offerings – Student discipline
34 C.F.R. Part 100.3	Regulations implementing Civil Rights Act of 1964
42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.	Civil Rights Act of 1964

 

Management Resources:

2018	August Issue
2016	July Issue
2014	December Issue
2014	August Issue
2010	June Issue

 

 

Adopted: February 22, 2010

Amended: August 26, 2013

Amended: February 9, 2015

Amended: June 10, 2019