The Board of Education expects all students 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. District 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.
The Board 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 penalties 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 of disorderly conduct include, but are not limited to:
- Running in hallways.
- Making unreasonable noise.
- Using language or gestures that are profane, lewd, vulgar or abusive.
- Obstructing vehicular or pedestrian traffic.
- Engaging in any willful act which disrupts the normal operation of the school community.
- 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.
- Computer/electronic communications misuse, including any unauthorized use of computers, software, or internet/intranet account; accessing inappropriate websites; or any other violation of the District’s acceptable use policy.
B. Engage in conduct that is insubordinate. Examples of insubordinate conduct include, but are not limited to:
- Failing to comply with the reasonable directions of teachers, school administrators or other school employees in charge of students or otherwise demonstrating disrespect.
- Lateness for, missing or leaving school without permission.
- Skipping detention.
C. Engage in conduct that is disruptive. Examples of disruptive conduct include, but are not limited to:
- Failing to comply with the reasonable directions of teachers, school administrators or other school personnel in charge of students.
- Inappropriate public sexual contact.
- Display or use of personal electronic devices, such as, but not limited to, cell phones, I-pods, hand-held games, digital cameras, in a manner that is in violation of district policy.
D. Engage in conduct that is violent. Examples of violent conduct include, but are not limited to:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Displaying what appears to be a weapon.
- Threatening to use any weapon.
- 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.
- Intentionally damaging or destroying school district property.
E. Engage in any conduct that endangers the safety, morals, physical or mental health or welfare of others. Examples of such conduct include, but are not limited to:
- 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 that creates a substantial risk of physical injury.
- 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.
- 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.
- Discrimination, which includes the use of race, color, creed, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, sex, gender (identity and expression), sexual orientation, weight or disability as a basis for treating another in a negative manner.
- 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.
- Intimidation, which includes engaging in actions or statements that put an individual in fear of bodily harm (threats).
- Bullying, which is generally repeated negative, abusive, and/or aggressive behavior (verbal, physical, cyber, and /or relational). It is intentional with the purpose of causing physical or emotional harm and involves a real or perceived imbalance of power.
- Hazing, which includes any intentional or reckless act directed against another for the purpose of initiation into, affiliating with or maintaining membership in any school sponsored activity, organization, club or team.
- Selling, using, distributing or possessing obscene and/or pornographic material.
- Using vulgar or abusive language, cursing or swearing.
- Smoking a cigarette, cigar, pipe, e-cigarette or using chewing or smokeless tobacco.
- Possessing, consuming, selling, offering, manufacturing, 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, synthetic cannabinoids, or any other synthetic version thereof, whether specifically illegal or not, commonly referred to as “designer drugs,” which are substances designed and synthesized to mimic the intended effects and usages of, which are chemically substantially similar to, illegal drugs, which may or may not be labeled for human consumption.
- Inappropriately using or sharing prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
- Gambling.
- Indecent exposure, that is, exposure to sight of the private parts of the body in a lewd or indecent manner.
- Initiating a report warning of fire or other catastrophe without valid cause, misuse of 911, or discharging a fire extinguisher.
F. Engage in misconduct while on a school bus. It is crucial for students to behave appropriately while riding on district buses, to ensure their safety and that of other passengers and to avoid distracting the bus driver. Students are required to conduct themselves on the bus in a manner consistent with established standards for classroom behavior. Excessive noise, pushing, shoving and fighting will not be tolerated.
G. Engage in any form of academic misconduct. Examples of academic misconduct include, but are not limited to:
- Plagiarism.
- Cheating.
- Copying.
- Altering records.
- Assisting another student in any of the above actions.
H. Engage in off-campus misconduct that endangers the health and safety of students or staff within the school or substantially disrupts the educational process. Examples of such misconduct include, but are not be limited to:
- Cyberbullying (i.e., inflicting willful and repeated harm through the use of electronic text).
- Threatening or harassing students or school personnel over the phone or other electronic medium.
- Using message boards to convey threats, derogatory comments or post obscene and/or pornographic pictures of students or school personnel.
Ref:
- The Dignity for All Students Act
Cross-ref:
- 1520, Public Conduct on School Property
- 5300, Student Conduct
- 5310, Student Discipline
- 5313, Penalties
Adoption date: May 27, 1997
Revised: August 30, 2010
Revised: June 11, 2012
Revised: December 10, 2012
Revised: June 9, 2014
Reviewed: May 22, 2017