DISCIPLINE GUIDELINES

The Warrick County Board of School Trustees believes that discipline is a required condition for educating, teaching and learning. This means that students, parents, teachers and administrators -- the human components of every school -- must share the responsibility to ensure that discipline pervades the entire school environment.

STUDENT DISCIPLINE MEASURES - KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE 6

A. While positive reinforcement for good student behavior is encouragedand rewarded, consequences (see Page JGA- R-6) will be implementedwhen students choose to engage in disruptive behavior leading to misconduct. Consequences will be imposed for student misconduct which occur during school hours, at any school sponsored or related activity and/or while traveling to and from school.

B. All student disciplinary incidents shall be supported by written documentation.

C. Unless otherwise stated, all student suspensions will be served out of school.

D. All student suspensions and expulsion procedures shall be governed by the provisions set forth under I.C. 20- 8.1-5-4.

E. The list of Consequences - Grades K-6 on Page JGA-R-6 is not intended to be an all inclusive list. Schools reserve the right to address any other forms of misconduct not listed on the following page and to apply any reasonable penalty in response to such misconduct.

F. Teachers and principals may select and administer a consequence for student misconduct at any Suggested Disciplinary Level (A,B, C, or D on Page JGA-R-5) at their discretion.

G. All K-6 teachers, K-6 principals and their designees, have the responsibility and authority to implement student discipline measures, including consequences, explicitly stated in School Board Policy JGA and accompanying Regulations JGA-R. All K-6 teachers, K-6 principals and their designees also have authority to implement consequences not listed in JGA-R, provided that such consequences are approved by an appropriate K-6 building principal prior to implementation.

MISCONDUCT AND CONSEQUENCES - GRADES K-6*

Suggested Disciplinary Levels & Consequences

Misconduct ¦ 1st ¦ 2nd ¦ 3rd ¦ 4th ¦

1. Negligence resulting in Warning and ¦ A ¦ B ¦ C,D ¦ destruction of property ¦ Restitution ¦ Restitution ¦ Restitution Restitution ¦

2. Dress Code ¦ Warning and ¦ A and ¦ B and ¦ C,D ¦

¦ Change ¦Change Dress ¦Change Dress

3. Failure to follow classroom rules ¦ Warning ¦ A ¦ B ¦ C,D ¦

4. Inappropriate behavior in hallways, playground ¦ Warning ¦ A B ¦ C,D ¦¦

5. Possession/use of tobacco products, matches/lighters ¦ B,C ¦ D ¦ E ¦ ¦

6. Truancy ¦ B,C ¦ C,D ¦ D ¦

7. Obscene or profane behavior/language¦ B,C ¦ C,D ¦ D ¦ D ¦

8. Theft ¦ B,C ¦ C,D ¦ D ¦ D+ ¦

9. Fighting/threats/harassment ¦ B,C ¦ C,D ¦ D ¦

10. Insubordination ¦ B,C ¦ C,D ¦ D ¦ D ¦

11. Vandalism - intentional ¦ B,C ¦ C,D ¦ D ¦ D ¦

12. Possession/use of drug ¦ D+ ¦ E+ ¦ paraphernalia

13. Possession/use of alcohol and other drugs ¦ E+

14. Possession/use of weapons ¦ E+

15. Physical or verbal attack on a staff member ¦ D, E+ ¦ E+ ¦

Suggested Disciplinary Levels and Consequence

A - Warning

B - Time out in another classroom- School work (extra)- Phoning parents at work or home- Student-teacher contract- Classroom time out or isolation- Write narrative concerning misconduct - Counseling with At-Risk counselor requiring parent signature- Student conference with teach - Loss of privileges

C - Send to principal

D - Suspension in/out of school- Parent conference with teacher - Contact Assistant Superintendent and/or principal of Student/Support Service- Parent attends school with child - Saturday School(all day) - Corporal Punishment- Cooperative home/school plan for improved behavior- In-school suspension

E - Expulsion + Contact juvenile authorities and/or law enforcement officials.

CORPORAL PUNISHMENT

Corporal punishment is a penalty for misbehavior and may be administered by authorized school personnel, unless an individual parent or guardian files a written statement (School Corporation Form) with a school principal requesting that corporal punishment not be administered to his/her child or children. The filing of such a statement by a parent or guardian may result in a one to five day suspension in or out of school for a disruptive child or children in lieu of corporal punishment.

If corporal punishment becomes imperative as a "last resort" consequence for disruptive behavior, except in cases where a parent or guardian has filed a written statement with a building principal requesting that corporal punishment not be administered to their child, the parent or guardian will first be notified verbally prior to administering such punishment. Written notification will later be mailed to the parent or guardian. Corporal punishment is permitted in Grades K-6 only.

SATURDAY SCHOOL - GRADES 5-6

Any 5th or 6th grade student who commits a suspendable offense during the regular school program may be offered attendance at Saturday School as an alternative to suspension from school. A student may not be assigned to Saturday School for more than two (2) incidents of suspendable offenses in any school year without the approval of the Superintendent. One (1) day suspension or any part thereof equals one (1) Saturday Session. Transportation must be provided by parents/guardians. School buses are not available. Students are expected to provide their own study materials and may have available a specific written work program approved by their principal. Saturday School is staffed by faculty members who expect student productivity during each Saturday session. Notification of a Saturday School assignment is to be sent to the parent/guardian and the superintendent. An incident of student behavior resulting in a choice of Saturday School as a consequence will be counted as a suspendable offense in progressive discipline consequences, including driver's license eligibility.

SUSPENSION (20-8.1-5-6)

(a) Any principal may suspend a student for a period of no more than five (5) school days for conduct constituting grounds for expulsion or suspension as set out in section 4 (20-8.1-5-4) of this chapter. Such suspension shall be made only after the principal has made an investigation thereof and has determined that such suspension is necessary to help any student or to prevent interference with an educational function or school purposes.

However, the student may be suspended by the hearing examiner until the date of the expulsion or exclusion hearing, if the hearing examiner determines that this suspension is necessary under IC 20-8.l-5-12.

(b) No suspension may be made without affording the student an opportunity for an informal hearing. At the informal hearing the student is entitled to:

(l) A written or oral statement of the charges against him;

(2) And, if he denies the charges, a summary of the evidence against him; and

(3) An opportunity to explain his conduct.

The procedures provided in sections 8 through l2 (20-8.l-5-8 - 20-8.l-5-12) of this chapter do not apply to suspensions made under this section.

(c) Notice and the informal hearing shall precede suspension of the student except where the nature of the misconduct requires immediate removal. In such a situation, the notice and informal hearing shall follow as soon as reasonably possible after the suspension.

(d) Within twenty-four (24) hours, or such additional time as is reasonably necessary, following a suspension, the principal shall send a written statement to the student's parent describing the student's conduct, misconduct or violation of any rule or standard and th reasons for the action taken. The principal shall make a reasonable effort to hold a conference with the parent before or at the time the student returns to school. Failure of the parent to participate in a conference with the principal does not justify extending the period of the student's suspension. (IC 20-8.1-5-6, as added by Acts l973, P.L.2l8,-l; Acts l976, P.L.l02,-2; Acts l980, P.L.146,-l2, Acts l982, P.L.129,-2.).

EXPULSION

In the event the principal feels it is necessary to request the expulsion (or exclusion) of a student the procedure described in I.C. 20-8.l-5-8 will be followed. Any student or parent wishing to review this process may request a copy.

LOCKERS, SEARCHES, AND SEIZURES (20-8.1-5-17)

All lockers are the private property of the school corporation. A student using a locker is presumed to have no expectation of privacy in that locker or its contents. The principal, or other member of the administrative staff of a school designated in writing by the principal, may search such a locker and its contents at any time. Other than a general search of lockers of all students, any search conducted, shall be, where possible, conducted in the presence of the student whose assigned locker is the subject of the search. A law enforcement agency having jurisdiction over the geographic area in which the school is located may, at the request of the school principal, assist the school administrators in searching such a locker and its contents. Only the locks provided by the school shall be used. Any unauthorized lock may be removed and destroyed at any time without notice.

Search of the Person

The principal, or another member of the administrative staff designated in writing by the principal and acting at the direction of the principal, may search the person of a student during a school activity if the principal or another member of the administrative staff has reasonable cause for a search of that student. Searches of the person of the student shall be limited to:

1. Searches of the pockets of the student.

2. Any object in the possession of the student, such as a purse or briefcase, and

3. A "pat-down" of the exterior of the student's clothing.

Searches of the person of a student which require removal of clothing, other than a coat or jacket or sweater, may be referred to a law enforcement officer after contacting parents.

Reasonable Cause

As used in this section "reasonable cause" means circumstances which would cause a reasonable person to believe that the search of a particular person, place, or thing will lead to the discovery of:

1. Evidence of a violation of the student conduct standards contained in the student handbook; or

2. Anything, which, because of its presence, presents an immediate danger of physical harm or illness to any person; or

3. Evidence of an interference with school purposes.

Anything found in the course of the search conducted in accordance with this section, which is evidence of a violation of the student conduct standards contained in the student handbook, or anything which because of its presence presents an immediate danger of physical harm or illness to any person, or evidence of an interference with school purposes, may be:

1. Seized and admitted as evidence in any suspension or expulsion proceeding;

2. Returned to the parent or guardian of the student from whom it was seized;

3. Destroyed if it has no significant value; or

4. Turned over to any law enforcement officer.

The principal, or member of the administrative staff designated in writing by the principal, may request the assistance of a law enforcement officer to search any area of the school premises, any student, or any motor vehicle on school premises, or to identify or dispose of anything found in the course of the search conducted in accordance with this section.

GANG-LIKE BEHAVIOR

In a continuing effort to provide a safe and orderly environment for our students and toward the goal of keeping our schools free from the harmful influence of any groups or gangs which advocate and/or provoke dangerous, disruptive, violent and/or intimidating behavior, the Warrick County School Corporation has implemented the following guidelines.

A gang is any identifiable group of people who:

1. Are perceived as a distinct group by the principal,

2. Are perceived by the students, parents and/or staff of the school as interfering with normal school activities by participating in dangerous, disruptive, violent, and/or intimidating acts of behavior,

3. Are involved in the commission of disruptive, violent and/or intimidating acts of behavior.