WSR 97-01-047

PERMANENT RULES

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION

[Filed December 12, 1996, 10:56 a.m.]

Date of Adoption: November 22, 1996.

Purpose: To make additional technical modifications necessary to implement chapter 321, Laws of 1996.

Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 180-40-245 and 180-40-260.

Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 28A.305.160.

Other Authority: Chapter 321, Laws of 1996.

Adopted under notice filed as WSR 96-20-102 on October 1, 1996.

Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, amended 0, repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, amended 0, repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, amended 0, repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, amended 0, repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's own Initiative: New 0, amended 0, repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, amended 0, repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, amended 0, repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, amended 0, repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, amended 0, repealed 0.

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing.

December 12, 1996

Larry Davis

Executive Director

AMENDATORY SECTION (Amending WSR 90-17-009, filed 8/6/90, effective 9/6/90)

WAC 180-40-245 Short-term suspension--Conditions and limitations. A short-term suspension may be imposed upon a student for violation of school district rules adopted pursuant to WAC 180-40-225, subject to the following limitations or conditions, the prior informal conference procedures set forth in WAC 180-40-250, and the grievance procedures set forth in WAC 180-40-255:

(1) The nature and circumstances of the violation must be considered and must reasonably warrant a short-term suspension and the length of the suspension imposed. This requirement does not preclude school districts (that is, the boards of directors of school districts) from establishing the nature and extent of the corrective actions and/or punishments which, as a general rule, must be imposed as a consequence of proscribed misconduct. Such advance notice to students is advisable, and the imposition of such preestablished corrective action and/or punishment is permissible as long as (a) disciplinarians and hearing officers are allowed to grant exceptions in cases involving extenuating and/or exceptional circumstances, and (b) short-term suspension is not established as the corrective action or punishment for a student's first time offense other than for offenses involving exceptional misconduct as defined in subsection (2) of this section.

(2) As a general rule, no student shall be suspended for a short term unless another form of corrective action or punishment reasonably calculated to modify his or her conduct has previously been imposed upon the student as a consequence of misconduct of the same nature. A school district may, however, elect to adopt rules providing for the immediate resort to short-term suspension in cases involving exceptional misconduct as long as disciplinarians and hearing officers may grant exceptions in cases involving extenuating and/or exceptional circumstances, notwithstanding the fact prior alternative corrective action or punishment has not been imposed upon the student(s) involved. For the purpose of this rule, "exceptional misconduct" means misconduct other than absenteeism which a school district has judged following consultation with an ad hoc citizens committee to (a) be of such frequent occurrence, notwithstanding past attempts of district personnel to control such misconduct through the use of other forms of corrective action and/or punishment, as to warrant an immediate resort to short-term suspension, and/or (b) be so serious in nature and/or so serious in terms of the disruptive effect upon the operation of the school(s) as to warrant an immediate resort to short-term suspension (for example, misconduct judged by a school district to be the same or of the same nature as a violation of the state's drug or controlled substances laws). The ad hoc citizens committee required by this section shall be composed of three or more persons chosen by the school district or the administrative designee(s) of the district, and shall be constituted with the intent and purpose of representing various socio economic, minority and majority populations of the school district to the extent deemed practical.

(3) No student subject to compulsory attendance pursuant to chapter 28A.225 RCW, as now or hereafter amended, shall be suspended by reason, in whole or part, of one or more unexcused absences unless the school district has first imposed an alternative corrective action or punishment reasonably calculated to modify his or her conduct and, in addition:

(a) Provided notice to the student's parent(s) or guardian(s) or custodial parent(s) in writing in English or, if different, the primary language of the parent(s), guardian(s) or custodial parent(s) that the student has failed to attend school without valid justification, and by other means reasonably necessary to achieve notice of such fact;

(b) Scheduled a conference or conferences with the parent(s) or guardian(s) or custodial parent(s) and the student at a time and place reasonably convenient to all persons included to analyze the causes for the student's absence, the analysis to determine by appropriate means whether the student should be made a focus of concern for placement in a special education or other special program designed for his/her educational success; and

(c) Taken steps to reduce the student's absence which include, where appropriate in the judgment of local school officials and where possible, discussed with the student, parent(s), guardian(s) or custodial parent(s), adjustments of the student's school program or school or course assignment or assisting the student or parent to obtain supplementary services that might ameliorate the cause(s) for the student's absence from school.

(4) Kindergarten through grade four--No student in grades kindergarten through four shall be subject to short-term suspensions for more than a total of ((five)) ten school days during any single semester or trimester as the case may be, and no loss of academic grades or credit shall be imposed by reason of the suspension of such a student.

(5) Grade five and above program--No student in the grade five and above program shall be subjected to short-term suspensions for more than a total of fifteen school days during any single semester or ten school days during any single trimester, as the case may be.

(6) Any student subject to a short-term suspension shall be provided the opportunity upon his or her return to make up assignments and tests missed by reason of the short-term suspension if:

(a) Such assignments or tests have a substantial effect upon the student's semester or trimester grade or grades, or

(b) Failure to complete such assignments or tests would preclude the student from receiving credit for the course or courses.

(7) Any student who has been suspended shall be allowed to make application for readmission at any time. Each school district board of directors shall adopt written rules which provide for such an application for readmission and set forth the procedures to be followed.

[Statutory Authority: 1990 c 33. 90-17-009, 180-40-245, filed 8/6/90, effective 9/6/90. Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.04.132. 85-12-042 (Order 14-85), 180-40-245, filed 6/5/85. Statutory Authority: 1979 1st ex.s. c 173 and c 201. 79-11-049 (Order 14-79), 180-40-245, filed 10/16/79; Order 13-77, 180-40-245, filed 10/18/77; Order 6-77, 180-40-245, filed 6/2/77, effective 8/1/77.]

AMENDATORY SECTION (Amending WSR 90-17-009, filed 8/6/90, effective 9/6/90)

WAC 180-40-260 Long-term suspension--Conditions and limitations. A long-term suspension may be imposed upon a student for violation of school district rules adopted pursuant to WAC 180-40-225, subject to the following limitations or conditions and the notice requirements set forth in WAC 180-40-265 and the hearing requirements set forth in WAC 180-40-270:

(1) The nature and circumstances of the violation must be considered and must reasonably warrant a long-term suspension and the length of the suspension imposed. This requirement does not preclude school districts (that is, the boards of directors of school districts) from establishing the nature and extent of the corrective actions and/or punishments which, as a general rule, must be imposed as a consequence of proscribed misconduct. Such advance notice to students is advisable, and the imposition of such preestablished corrective action and/or punishment is permissible as long as (a) disciplinarians and hearing officers are allowed to grant exceptions in cases involving extenuating and/or exceptional circumstances, and (b) long-term suspension is not established as the corrective action or punishment for a student's first time offense other than for offenses involving exceptional misconduct as defined in subsection (2) of this section.

(2) As a general rule, no student shall be suspended for a long term unless another form of corrective action or punishment reasonably calculated to modify his or her conduct has previously been imposed upon the student as a consequence of misconduct of the same nature. A school district may, however, elect to adopt rules providing for the immediate resort to long-term suspension in cases involving exceptional misconduct as long as disciplinarians and hearing officers are allowed to grant exceptions in cases involving extenuating and/or exceptional circumstances, notwithstanding the fact prior alternative corrective action or punishment has not been imposed upon the student(s) involved. For the purpose of this rule, "exceptional misconduct" means misconduct other than absenteeism which a school district has judged following consultation with an ad hoc citizens committee to (a) be of such frequent occurrence, notwithstanding past attempts of district personnel to control such misconduct through the use of other forms of corrective action and/or punishment, as to warrant an immediate resort to long-term suspension, and/or (b) be so serious in nature and/or so serious in terms of the disruptive effect upon the operation of the school(s) as to warrant an immediate resort to long-term suspension (for example, misconduct judged by a school district to be the same or of the same nature as a violation of the state's drug or controlled substances laws). The ad hoc citizens committee required by this section shall be composed of three or more persons chosen by the school district or the administrative designee(s) of the district, and shall be constituted with the intent and purpose of representing various socio economic, minority and majority populations of the school district to the extent deemed practical.

(3) No student subject to compulsory attendance pursuant to chapter 28A.225 RCW, as now or hereafter amended, shall be suspended by reason, in whole or part, of one or more unexcused absences unless the school district has first imposed an alternative corrective action or punishment reasonably calculated to modify his or her conduct and, in addition:

(a) Provided notice to the student's parent(s) or guardian(s) or custodial parent(s) in writing in English or, if different, the primary language of the parent(s), guardian(s) or custodial parent(s) that the student has failed to attend school without valid justification, and by other means reasonably necessary to achieve notice of such fact;

(b) Scheduled a conference or conferences with the parent(s) or guardian(s) or custodial parent(s) and the student at a time and place reasonably convenient to all persons included to analyze the causes for the student's absence, the analysis to determine by appropriate means whether the student should be made a focus of concern for placement in a special education or other special program designed for his/her educational success; and

(c) Taken steps to reduce the student's absence which include, where appropriate in the judgment of local school officials and, where possible, discussed with the student, parent(s), guardian(s) or custodial parent(s), adjustments of the student's school program or school or course assignment or assisting the student or parent to obtain supplementary services that might ameliorate the cause(s) for the student's absence from school.

(4) Kindergarten through grade four--No student in grades kindergarten through four shall be subject to ((short-term and)) long-term suspension((s for more than a total of ten school days during any single semester or trimester, as the case may be, and no loss of academic grades or credit shall be imposed by reason of the suspension of such a student)).

(5) Grade five and above program--No single long-term suspension shall be imposed upon a student in the grade five and above program in a manner which causes the student to lose academic grades or credit for in excess of one semester or trimester, as the case may be, during the same school year.

(6) Any student who has been suspended shall be allowed to make application for readmission at any time. Each school district board of directors shall adopt written rules which provide for such an application for readmission and set forth the procedures to be followed.

(7) All long-term suspensions and the reasons therefor shall be reported in writing to the superintendent of the school district or his or her designee within twenty-four hours after the imposition of the suspension.