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School board adopts extensive revisions to discipline policies

The Board of Education adopted several new discipline policies Aug. 23 after the N.C. General Assembly repealed the existing student discipline laws and replaced them with 12 new discipline statutes.
 
This summary gives an explanation of what is expected of students and the guidelines for discipline. The complete policies are below:
 
Revisions include: 
  • removing all mandatory sanctions except for 365-day suspensions for firearms and destructive devices on school property
  • removing the section on due process and moving it to new Policy 5131.5
  • limiting short-term suspensions to five days or fewer
  • requiring principals to use the School Plan for Management of Student Behavior before suspending a student more than 10 days in a semester
  • mandating that alternative schools and programs be considered in lieu of long-term suspensions
Policy 5131.1: Prohibition Against Discrimination, Harassment and Bullying and Administrative Regulation 5131.1: Discrimination, Harassment and Bullying Complaint Procedure
These do not change the definition of bullying, discrimination or harassment, but they do make clear the procedure for dealing with complaints for students. Previously, sexual harassment, harassment and bullying were included in Policy 5131.
 
This new policy eliminates the appeal of an assignment to alternative schools or programs; requires that written notices about discipline be given in English or Spanish, depending on the student’s home language; requires that students be given a chance to appeal a long-term suspension or expulsion; and requires expelled students to wait 180 days before applying for readmission.

The revisions include removing the lengthy descriptions of mandatory discipline for drug offenses, replacing them with guidelines for discipline and interventions
 
The revisions move sections dealing with prohibited relationships from Policy 5131 so that all reporting requirements for criminal acts are consolidated. The reporting of criminal acts on school property was changed to reflect changes in state law, meaning that only 10 offenses must be reported to law enforcement. Principals are no longer required to do daily electronic reporting of minor criminal acts.