Administrative Action

1. Probation
   1. Probation is conditional suspension of a penalty for a set period of time. Probation may be imposed by the principal for infractions of school rules which do not warrant the necessity of removal from school.
   2. The principal will conduct an investigation of the allegations against the student prior to imposition of probation. The investigation will include, but not be limited to, written or oral notice to the student of the allegations against the student and an opportunity to respond. Written notice and reasons for the probation will be sent to the parents.
2. In-School Suspension
   1. In-school suspension is the temporary isolation of a student from one or more classes while under administrative supervision. In-school suspensions may be imposed by the principal for infractions of school rules which are serious but which do not warrant the necessity of removal from school.
   2. The principal will conduct an investigation of the allegations against the student prior to imposition of an in-school suspension. The investigation will include, but not be limited to, written or oral notice to the student of the allegations against the student and an opportunity to respond. In-school suspension will not be imposed for more than ten school days. Written notice and reasons for the in-school suspension will be sent to the student's parents.
3. Out-of-School Suspension
   1. Out-of-school suspension is the removal of a student from the school environment for periods of short duration. Out-of-school suspension is to be used when other available school resources are unable to constructively remedy student misconduct.
   2. A student may be suspended out of school for up to ten school days by a principal for a commission of gross or repeated infractions of school rules, regulations, policy or the law, or when the presence of the student will cause interference with the maintenance of the educational environment or the operation of the school. The principal may suspend students after conducting an investigation of the charges against the student, giving the student:
      
      1. Oral or written notice of the allegations against the student and
      2. The opportunity to respond to those charges.

At the principal's discretion, the student may be allowed to confront witnesses against the student or present witnesses on behalf of the student.

3. Notice of the out-of-school suspension will be mailed no later than the end of the school day following the suspension to the student's parents and the superintendent. A reasonable effort is made to personally notify the student's parents and such effort is documented by the person making or attempting to make the contact. Written notice to the parents will include the circumstances which led to the suspension and a copy of the board policy and rules pertaining to the suspension.

4. Suspensions and Special Education Students
   1. Students who have been identified as special education students may be referred for a review of the student's Individual Education Program (IEP). The IEP may be revised to include a continuum of intervention strategies and programming to change the behavior.
   2. Students who have not been identified as special education students may be referred for evaluation after the student's suspension to determine whether the student has a disability and is in need of special education.

 

 

Approved: August 1996                    
Reviewed: February 2017, May 2020
Revised: May 2009                

 

The board recognizes that while certain fees charged students are appropriate and authorized, certain students and their families are not financially able to pay the fees. The school district will grant either full waivers, partial waivers or temporary waivers depending upon the circumstances and the student or student's parents' ability to meet the financial criteria.

1. Waivers
   1. Full Waivers - a student will be granted a full waiver of fees charged by the school district if the student or student's parents meet the financial eligibility criteria for free meals under the Child Nutrition program, Family Investment Program, or transportation assistance under open enrollment. Students in foster care are also eligible for full waivers.
   2. Partial Waivers - a student will be granted a partial waiver of fees charged by the school district if the student or the student's parents meet the financial eligibility criteria for reduced price meals offered under the Child Nutrition program. The reduction percentage will be_50%_ percent.
   3. Temporary Waivers - a student may be eligible for a temporary waiver of fees charged by the district in the event the student's parents are facing financial difficulty. Temporary waivers may be applied for at any time throughout the school year and will not extend beyond the end of the school year.
2. Application - Parents or students eligible for a fee waiver will make an application on the form provided by the school district. Applications may be made at any time but must be renewed annually.
3. Confidentiality - The school district will treat the application and application process as any other student record and student confidentiality and access provisions will be followed.
4. Appeals - Denials of a waiver may be appealed to the  school districts need to include their own appeal process .
5. Fines or charges assessed for damage or loss to school property are not fees and will not be waived.
6. Notice - the school district will annually notify parents and students of the waiver. The following information will be included in registration materials.

Students whose families meet the income guidelines for free and reduced price lunch, the Family Investment Program (FIP), or transportation assistance under open enrollment, or who are in foster care are eligible to have their student fees waived or partially waived. Students whose families are experiencing a temporary financial difficulty may be eligible for a temporary waiver of student fees. Parents or students who believe they may qualify for temporary financial hardship should contact the  principal, secretary, etc.  for a waiver form. This waiver does not carry over from year to year and must be completed annually.

 

Date                                                     School Year                                       

All information provided in connection with this application will be kept confidential.

   

Name of Student:                                                                                                      Grade in School:                                

Name of Student:                                                                                                      Grade in School:                                

Name of Student:                                                                                                      Grade in School:                                

Attendance Center / School:                                                                                                                                                 

Name of Parent / Guardian: (or Legal / Actual Custodian)                                                                                                    

  

Please check type of waiver desired:

Full Wavier                                Partial Waiver                                Temporary Waiver                              

Please check if the student or the student's family meets the financial eligibility criteria or is involved in one of the following programs:

Full waiver

              Free meals offered under the Children Nutrition Program (CNP)

              The Family Investment Program (FIP)

              Transportation assistance under open enrollment

              Foster care

Partial waiver

              Reduced priced meals offered under the Children Nutrition Program

Temporary waiver

If none of the above apply, but you wish to apply for a temporary waiver of school fees because of serious financial problems, please state the reason for the request:

                                                                                                                                                                                         

Signature of Parent / Guardian: (or Legal / Actual Custodian)                                                                                               

 

 

Approved: August 1996                    
Reviewed: February 2017, May 2020
Revised: May 2009                

 

The District will comply with 281 Iowa Administrative Code Ch. 103 for the use of physical restraint and seclusion with students, including, but not limited to:

• Physical restraint and seclusion will be used only by employees who have been trained in accordance with applicable law unless a trained employee is not immediately available due to the unforeseeable nature of the occurrence.
• As soon as practical after the situation is under control, but within one hour after either the occurrence or the end of the school day, whichever occurs first, the school will attempt to contact the student’s parent or guardian using the school’s emergency contact system.
• The seclusion or physical restraint is used only for as long as necessary based on research and evidence to allow the student to regain control of their behavior to the point that the threat or behavior necessitating the use of the seclusion or physical restraint has ended, or when a medical condition occurs that puts the student at risk of harm.  Unless otherwise provided for in the student’s written approved IEP, BIP, IHP or safety plan, if the seclusion or physical restraint continues for more than 15 minutes:
• The student will be provided with any necessary breaks to attend to personal and bodily needs, unless doing so would endanger the child or others.
• An employee will obtain approval from an administrator or administrator’s designee to continue seclusion or physical restraint beyond 15 minutes.  After the initial approval, an employee must obtain additional approval every 30 minutes thereafter for the continuation of the seclusion or physical restraint.
• The student’s parent or guardian and the school may agree to more frequent notifications than is required by law.
• Schools and district employees must document and explain in writing the reasons why it was not possible for the employees to obtain approval, notify parents, or take action within prescribed time limits.
• Schools and district employees who begin and then end use of non approved restraints will document and explain in writing the reasons why they had no other option but to use this type of behavioral intervention.
• The area of seclusion will be a designated seclusion room that complies with the seclusion room requirements in accordance with law, unless the nature of the occurrence makes the use of the designated seclusion room impossible, clearly impractical, or clearly contrary to the safety of the student, others, or both; in that event, the school must document and explain in writing the reasons why a designated seclusion room was not used.
• An employee must continually visually monitor the student for the duration of the seclusion or physical restraint.
• If an employee restrains a student who uses sign language or an augmentive mode of communication as the student’s primary mode of communication, the student shall be permitted to have the student’s hands free of physical restraint, unless doing so is not feasible in view of the threat posed.
• Seclusion or physical restraint shall not be used:  as punishment or discipline; to force compliance or to retaliate; as a substitute for appropriate educational or behavioral support; to prevent property damage except as provided in law; as a routine school safety measure; or as a convenience to staff.
• The Superintendent or the Superintendent’s designee will investigate any complaint or allegation that one or more employees violated any provisions of 281 Iowa Administrative Code Ch. 103.  If the District determines a violation has occurred, corrective action will be taken up to and including termination of the employees involved.  If the allegation or complaint involves a specific student the District will notify the parents or guardian of the involved student about the results of the investigation.  If any allegation or complaint is also defined as abuse in 281 Iowa Administrative Code 102.2, the procedures listed in chapter 102 will apply.
• The District must comply with and implement Chapter 103 whether or not a parent consents to the use of physical restraint or seclusion.

 

Student name:	Date of occurrence:
Start time of occurrence:	End time of occurrence:
Start time of use of physical restraint or seclusion:	End time of use of physical restraint or seclusion:
Employee names and titles who observed, were involved with or implemented physical restraint and/or seclusion during occurrence (including administrators who approved extended time if applicable):		Employee’s date of last training on use of physical restraint and seclusion:
Describe student actions before, during and after occurrence:
Describe employee actions before, during and after occurrence, including the reason for any of the following, if applicable:  use of non-approved restraint, use of non-designated seclusion rooms, any restraint or seclusion that lasted longer than necessary:

Describe any less restrictive means attempted as an alternative to physical restraint and seclusion or why those means would not be effective or feasible, or have failed:
Approval from administrator to continue physical restraint or seclusion past 15 minutes:		Approval obtained from administrator to continue physical restraint or seclusion more than 30 minutes past last approval time:
Administrator approving:		Administrator approving:
Time approved:		Time approved:
Reasons for length of incident:		Reasons for length of incident:
If Administrator approval was not obtained at 15 minutes or every 30 minutes thereafter, or a student was not provided with breaks for bodily needs in incidents lasting longer than 15 minutes, explain why:
Parent/Guardian notification:  Parents/Guardians will be notified as soon as practicable once the occurrence is under control, but no more than one hour after, or the end of the school day, whichever occurs first. Space below for documenting multiple attempts to notify guardians is listed in case the guardian cannot be reached in the first attempt.
Employee attempting notification:	Parent/Guardian contacted:	Time and manner of attempted notification:	Was notification successful?
Employee attempting notification:	Parent/Guardian contacted:	Time and manner of attempted notification:	Was notification successful?
Employee attempting notification:	Parent/Guardian contacted:	Time and manner of attempted notification:	Was notification successful?
If Parent/Guardian notification requirements were not complied with, explain why:
Describe injuries sustained or property damaged by students or employees:

 

Describe future approaches to address student behavior including any consequences or disciplinary actions that may be imposed on the student:

This form has been reviewed and completed by the undersigned employee.  A written copy of this form has been sent to the student’s parent or guardian within three school days of the occurrence.  Unless the parent or guardian agrees to receive the report by email, fax, or hand delivery, the report must be sent by mail and postmarked by the third day following the occurrence.  Enclosed with a copy of this form is an invitation for the parents or guardians to participate in the debriefing meeting scheduled in accordance with the law.

____________________________________  ______________________________
Employee                                                                            Date of form delivered to Parent/Guardian

_______________________________
Method of Transmittal

 

This letter and the enclosed report may be transmitted electronically via email or fax, picked up in person, or mailed.  If the district and the guardian do not agree on how to transmit this letter, it must be mailed via postage prepaid, first class mail to the guardian within 3 school days of the occurrence.

Dear [Guardian],

Recently, your student [name] was involved in an occurrence at school that required the physical restraint and/or seclusion of your student as defined by 281 Iowa Administrative Code Ch. 103.  A report related to this occurrence is enclosed with this letter.

The law requires debriefing meetings be held for such occurrences in the following circumstances:

• following the first instance of seclusion or physical restraint during a school year;
• When any personal injury occurs as a part of the use of seclusion or physical restraint;
• When a reasonable educator would determine a debriefing session is necessary;
• When suggested by a student’s IEP team;
• When agreed to by the guardian and school officials; and
• After seven instances of seclusion or physical restraint of the student.

This letter is intended to inform you that a debriefing meeting will be held on [date within 5 days of transmission of letter, time, place] because of [reason from bulleted list above].  The following employees will be in attendance at this meeting:  [list names and titles of employees].  We are inviting you to attend this debriefing meeting to engage with us on topics related to this occurrence.

If you would like to reschedule the debriefing meeting, please contact me as soon as possible via email [email address] or telephone [telephone number], and at least one school day prior to the date and time listed for this debriefing meeting.  Your student is allowed to attend this meeting with your consent, and you are welcome to bring a representative of your choosing if you wish.  If you plan to bring a representative to this meeting, please let us know at least one school day prior to the meeting so that we have an opportunity to make arrangements.

We look forward to working with you to foster the continued health, safety and educational growth of your student.

___________________________________  ___________________________
[Administrator name], title                                          Date

Enclosure:  Report related to student occurrence

 

Student name:	Date of occurrence:
Date of debriefing meeting:	Time of debriefing meeting:
Location of debriefing meeting:
Names of individuals attending the debriefing meeting (must include the employees involved and at least one employee who was not involved):		Job title of employee and/or relation to student:
Documentation reviewed during meeting (must include at least the occurrence report; and BIP, IHP, IEP and/or safety plan if applicable):
Identification of patterns of behavior and proportionate response, if any, in the student and employees involved:
Possible alternative responses, if any, to the incident/less restrictive means, if any:

 

Additional resources, if any, that could facilitate those alternative responses in the future:

Plans for additional follow up actions, if any:

 

This form has been reviewed and completed by the undersigned employee.  A written copy of this form has been sent to the student’s guardian within three school days of the debriefing meeting.

____________________________________  ______________________________
Employee                                                                          Date of delivered to Parent/Guardian

______________________________
Method of Transmittal

 

Code No. 503.8R1

STUDENT THREATS OF VIOLENCE AND INCIDENTS OF VIOLENCE REGULATION

Effective student discipline policies serve the needs of the District in maintaining the order of the education environment while safeguarding the education interests of all students.  For this reason, it is crucial to engage many perspectives in crafting sound policies related to discipline. The board, in conjunction with teachers and administrators in the District, have assigned further meaning to concepts listed in this policy.

 

Incident Levels Defined

 

Incident levels must escalate, with Level 1 being less severe than Level 3 incidents. However, the District maintains discretion in applying the level of discipline appropriate for an incident. In making this determination, the administration will consider the following definitions of incident levels. Because no definition could encompass all possible threats or incidents, the administration has discretion in determining which level to assign the incident after looking at the nature of the incident as well as the age, grade level, and maturity of the student.

 

Level 1 Defined: A relatively minor threat of violence or a minor incident of violence involving a student. These incidents are typically characterized by low severity, minimal harm or intent, and a low likelihood of causing significant disruption or harm to others. Level 1 incidents may include verbal threats, minor alterations, or non-serious incidents that do not pose an immediate danger to others.

 

Level 2 Defined: A moderate threat of violence or a moderate incident of violence involving a student. These incidents are more serious than Level 1 and may involve intent to cause harm, although the harm caused is still limited in scope. Level 2 incidents could include physical fights with minor injuries, serious verbal threats, or behaviors that significantly disrupt the school environment and/or school day. Students who have previously been involved in a ‘Level 1’ event may escalate to a ‘Level 2’.

 

Level 3 Defined: A severe threat of violence or a serious incident of violence involving a student. These incidents are highly concerning and pose a significant risk to the safety and well-being of others and/or create a substantial disruption in the school community and community and/or school day. Level 3 incidents may include physical assaults causing substantial harm, credible threats of serious violence, or incidents involving weapons. Students involved in a ‘Level 2’ event may escalate to a ‘Level 3’.

 

 

Timeframe for Determining Repeated Incidents

 

The District will consider all incidents occurring within one school year as sufficiently close in proximity between incidents to establish that a repeated incident has occurred. However, the district reserves the right to escalate incidents where students habitually violate this policy. The rationale for establishing this timeframe is alignment with the District’s Anti bullying/Anti-harassment policy. The administration will have discretion to alter this timeframe when appropriate under the circumstances, depending on the nature of the incident as well as the age, grade level and maturity of the student.

 

Considerations for Determining the Maturity of the Student

 

The District believes that gauging the maturity of a student is subject to interpretation and best left to the licensed employees who interact most closely with the student on a regular basis.  Assessing a student’s maturity level is based on individual characteristics unique to each student. Therefore, in making a determination about the maturity of a student, the administration may consult with the student’s classroom teacher and other relevant licensed staff.  The administration will consider the following factors in determining the maturity of the student:

 

• Age and Developmental Stage: The age of the student is a crucial factor in determining maturity. Younger students, especially those in elementary school, may lack the emotional and cognitive development to fully understand the consequences of their actions. Older students, such as those in high school, are generally expected to have a higher level of maturity and are more accountable for their behavior.
• Social and Emotional Intelligence: Consider the student's social and emotional intelligence, including their ability to empathize with others, regulate their emotions, and resolve conflicts peacefully. Students who demonstrate good emotional intelligence may be better equipped to handle difficult situations and conflicts without resorting to violence. Assessing a student's ability to understand the feelings and perspectives of others can provide insights into their level of maturity.
• Past Behavior and Patterns: Evaluate the student's history of behavior, including any previous incidents of violence or aggressive behavior. Consistent patterns of aggression or violent tendencies may indicate a lack of maturity in handling conflicts and stressors. On the other hand, students who have shown improvement, learned from past mistakes, and engaged positively in conflict resolution strategies may demonstrate a higher level of maturity, indicating their ability to grow and learn from their experiences.

Considerations for Determining Whether the Off-Campus Threat of Violence or Incident of Violence Will Directly Affect the Good Order, Efficient Management and Welfare of the School District

The District recognizes that students maintain First Amendment rights to free expression both within school and outside. However, free speech protections are not absolute and do not extend to true threats of violence toward an individual or a group of individuals. In considering whether a threat or incident of violence will directly affect the good order, efficient management and welfare of the school district necessitating the need for investigation, the administration will consider, among other things, the following factors:

• The specificity of the threat for time, location or individual(s) targeted;
• The reasonable likelihood of the student’s ability to carry out the threat;
• The reasonable likelihood that the threat will interfere with the operation of the educational environment.

In addition to the notification requirements in policy, the administration will apprise the parents or guardians of any student who suffered violence or a threat of violence, of the rights to file complaints under any other relevant board policies including but not limited to anti-bullying/anti-harassment and Title IX.

 NOTE:  Iowa law requires school boards to collaborate with teachers and administrators in adopting a policy related to threats of violence and incidents of violence. This accompanying regulation is designed to supplement the framework provided by the Department of Education in policy 503.8 and be edited and completed by boards through a collaborative process involving relevant stakeholders for the district.

Legal Reference:                    Iowa Code §279.79

Cross Reference:       502      Student Rights and Responsibilities
                                    503      Student Discipline

 

 

 Approved   04/23/2024            Reviewed                                Revised