A sincere and caring concern for each student is the basis for rules regarding student behavior, most particularly in the areas of dangerous substances as alcohol and other drugs. The district expects students to behave in a socially-acceptable manner appropriate to their instructional program and school-sponsored activities. The Governing Board supports the efforts of principals and teachers in providing a safe, positive school atmosphere.
The district also believes that all students have the right to attend a school that is safe and secure. To the end, the district, schools, and community have an obligation to promote mutual respect and safe and harmonious relations that support human dignity and equality. The district will not tolerate any gestures, comments, threats or actions, either written, verbal or physical, which cause, or threaten to cause or are likely to cause, bodily harm or personal degradation. These actions will not be tolerated on any district campus or at any school activity whether on or off campus.
The Board has established policies and standards of behavior in order to promote learning and protect the safety and well-being of all students. When these policies and standards are violated, it may be necessary to suspend or expel a student from regular classroom instruction.
(cf. 5144 - Discipline)
Suspended or expelled students shall be denied the privilege of participation in all extracurricular activities during the period of suspension or expulsion.
(cf. 6145 - Extracurricular and Cocurricular Activities)
Except where suspension for a first offense is warranted in accordance with law, suspension shall be imposed only when other means of correction fail to bring about proper conduct. (Education Code 48900.5)
Expulsion is an action taken by the Board for severe or prolonged breaches of discipline by a student. Except for single acts of a grave nature, expulsion shall be used only when there is a history of misconduct, when other forms of discipline, including suspension, have failed to bring about proper conduct, or when the student's presence causes a continuing danger to self or others.
To correct the behavior of students who are subject to discipline, the Superintendent or designee, to the extent allowed by law, shall use alternative disciplinary measures that keep students in school during the school day.
(cf. 1020 - Youth Services)
(cf. 5138 - Conflict Resolution/Peer Mediation)
(cf. 6142.4 - Service Learning/Community Service Classes)
(cf. 6164.2 - Guidance/Counseling Services)
(cf. 6164.5 - Student Success Teams)
The grounds for suspension and expulsion and the procedures for considering, recommending and/or implementing suspension and expulsion shall be those specified in law and/or administrative regulation.
Student Due Process
The Board shall provide for the fair and equitable treatment of students facing suspension and expulsion by affording them their due process rights under the law. The Superintendent or designee shall comply with procedures for notices and appeals as specified in administrative regulation and/or law. (Education Code 48911, 48915, 48915.5)
(cf. 5119 - Students Expelled from Other Districts)
(cf. 5144.2 - Suspension and Expulsion/Due Process (Individuals with Disabilities))
Supervised Suspension Classroom
The Board recognizes that students who are suspended from school often have no supervision or guidance during the school hours when they are off campus and may fall behind in the coursework. The Board believes that, in many cases, it would be better to manage the student's behavior by keeping the student at school and providing him/her with supervision that is separated from the regular classroom.
The Superintendent or designee shall establish a supervised classroom suspension program which meets the requirements of law for students suspended for any of the reasons enumerated in Education Code 48900 and 48900.2, who pose no imminent danger or threat at school, and for whom an expulsion action has not been initiated.
The Superintendent or designee shall examine alternatives to off-campus suspension and may establish a suspension program which involves progressive discipline during the school day on campus; use of conferences between staff, parents/guardians and students; detention; student study teams or other assessment-related teams; and/or referral to school support services staff. The use of such alternatives does not preclude off-campus suspensions.
Required Parental Attendance
The Board believes that parental involvement plays an important role in the resolution of classroom behavior problems. The Board expects that teachers will communicate with parents/guardians when behavior problems arise.
Whenever a student is suspended from class by a teacher because he/she committed an obscene act, engaged in habitual profanity or vulgarity, disrupted school activities, or otherwise willfully defied valid staff authority, the teacher of the class from which the student was removed may provide that the student's parent/guardian attend a portion of a school day in the class from which the student was suspended. (Education Code 48900.1)
Before requiring parental attendance, the teacher shall make reasonable efforts to have the parent/guardian visit the class voluntarily. The teacher also may inform the parent/guardian about available resources and parent education opportunities. Teachers should reserve the option of required parental attendance for cases in which they have determined that it is the best strategy to promote positive interaction between the student and the parent/guardian and to improve classroom behavior.
The teacher shall apply this policy uniformly to all students within the classroom. This policy shall apply only to a parent/guardian who lives with the student. (Education Code 48900.1)
When a teacher requires parental attendance, the principal shall send a written notice to the parent/guardian stating that his/her attendance is pursuant to law. (Education Code 48900.1)
The notice shall specify that the attendance may be on either the date the student is scheduled to return to class or within one week thereafter.
A parent/guardian who has received a written notice shall attend class as specified in the notice. After completing the classroom visit and before leaving school premises, the parent/guardian also shall meet with the principal or designee. (Education Code 48900.1)
The principal or designee shall contact a parent/guardian who does not respond to the request to attend school. The Board recognizes that parent/guardian compliance with this policy may be delayed, modified, or prevented for reasons such as serious illness/injury/disability, absence from town, or inability to get release time from work.
District regulations and school-site rules for student discipline shall include procedures for implementing parental attendance requirements. Parents/guardians shall be notified of this policy prior to its implementation. (Education Code 48900.1)
Decision Not to Enforce Expulsion Order
On a case-by-case basis, the enforcement of an expulsion order may be suspended by the Board pursuant to the requirements of law.
Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
212.5 Sexual harassment
233 Hate violence
1981 Enrollment of students in community school
17292.5 Program for expelled students
32261 Interagency School Safety Demonstration Act of 1985
35145 Open board meetings
35146 Closed sessions (regarding suspensions)
35291 Rules (for government and discipline of schools)
35291.5 Rules and procedures on school discipline
48645.5 Readmission; contact with juvenile justice system
48660-48667 Community day schools
48853.5 Foster youth
48900-48927 Suspension and expulsion
48950 Speech and other communication
48980 Parental notifications
49073-49079 Privacy of student records
CIVIL CODE
47 Privileged communication
48.8 Defamation liability
CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE
1985-1997 Subpoenas; means of production
GOVERNMENT CODE
11455.20 Contempt
54950-54963 Ralph M. Brown Act
HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE
11014.5 Drug paraphernalia
11053-11058 Standards and schedules
LABOR CODE
230.7 Discharge or discrimination against employee for taking time off to appear in school on behalf of a child
PENAL CODE
31 Principal of a crime, defined
240 Assault defined
241.2 Assault fines
242 Battery defined
243.2 Battery on school property
243.4 Sexual battery
245 Assault with deadly weapon
245.6 Hazing
261 Rape defined
266c Unlawful sexual intercourse
286 Sodomy defined
288 Lewd or lascivious acts with child under age 14
288a Oral copulation
289 Penetration of genital or anal openings
417.27 Laser pointers
PENAL CODE (continued)
422.55 Hate crime defined
422.6 Interference with exercise of civil rights
422.7 Aggravating factors for punishment
422.75 Enhanced penalties for hate crimes
626.2 Entry upon campus after written notice of suspension or dismissal without permission
626.9 Gun-Free School Zone Act of 1995
626.10 Dirks, daggers, knives, razors, or stun guns
868.5 Supporting person; attendance during testimony of witness
WELFARE AND INSTITUTIONS CODE
729.6 Counseling
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 18
921 Definitions, firearm
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 20
1415(K) Placement in alternative educational setting
7151 Gun-free schools
COURT DECISIONS
T.H. v. San Diego Unified School District (2004) 122 Cal. App. 4th 1267
Woodbury v. Dempsey (2003) 108 Cal. App. 4th 421
Board of Education of Sacramento City Unified School District v. Sacramento County Board of Education and Kenneth H. (2001) 85 Cal.App.4th 1321
Garcia v. Los Angeles Board of Education (1991) 123 Cal. App. 3d 807
Fremont Union High School District v. Santa Clara County Board (1991) 235 Cal. App. 3d 1182
John A. v. San Bernardino School District (1982) 33 Cal. 3d 301
ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINIONS
84 Ops.Cal.Atty.Gen. 146 (2001)
80 Ops.Cal.Atty.Gen. 91 (1997)
80 Ops.Cal.Atty.Gen. 85 (1997)
Management Resources:
CSBA PUBLICATIONS
Safe Schools: Strategies for Governing Boards to Ensure Student Success, 2011
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PUBLICATIONS
Civil Rights Data Collection Summary, March 2012
WEB SITES
CSBA: http://www.csba.org
California Attorney General's Office: http://www.oag.ca.gov
California Department of Education: http://www.cde.ca.gov
U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/crdc-2012-data-summary.pdf
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osdfs
Policy NEWPORT-MESA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
adopted: February 12, 2013 Costa Mesa, California