STUDENT CONDUCT:

The Gainesville City School System’s Board of Education requires the adherence of all students to reasonable standards of general behavior, school rules, academic performance, personal hygiene and appearance, and regular attendance.  Procedures for enforcing and thus defining consequences for inappropriate student behavior are found in each school’s handbook for administrative procedures, in addition to the student and faculty handbooks.

IN-SCHOOL SUSPENSION PROGRAM:

The Gainesville City School System’s Board of Education believes that disruptive students should be reassigned to isolated, individually oriented in-school suspension programs.

The purposes of the in-school suspension program are to:

Isolate the disruptive students during the school day from the regularly assignedclassrooms and activities of the school.

Continue the student’s progress with classroom assignments.

Provide individually oriented instruction in essential skills and knowledge areas for which low achievement levels may be contributing to the student’s adjustment problems.

Procedures for administering the in-school suspension program are found in the respective school’s handbook for administrative procedures, in addition to the student and faculty handbooks. Copies of the administrative procedures handbook, student handbook and faculty handbook shall be maintained in the principal’s office of each school. Information concerning the school’s discipline and in-school suspension policies shall be provided to school personnel, students, and parents.

The Board shall annually review each school’s administrative procedures regarding student discipline and the in-school suspension program.

In enforcing short term student suspension, the principal of assistant principal will abide by the following rules:

The principal may suspend a student for violation of school rules or any other act or misconduct or insubordination for a period not exceeding 10 school days.

Where the principal did not witness the violation, he will make an investigation and gather the facts, making written notes thereof where practicable.

Upon completing his investigation, he will call the student before him and advise the student that he proposes to suspend the student for a specified number of days, and advise him of the charges. If the student is unwilling to discuss the matter with the principal, the principal has fulfilled the due process requirements. Likewise, if the student admits the charges, no further hearing is required.

If the student denies the charges, the principal will explain to the student the evidence known to the school authorities, and permit the student a reasonable opportunity to state his version of the facts, but the principal need not call witnesses either to sustain or oppose the charges, although he may do so if in his discretion he so desires.

Students (under age 18) who are suspended will be placed in the custody of the parent, guardian, or other adult who is responsible for the care of the student during and after school hours.

Notice of the suspension will be mailed within 24 hours from suspension date to the parents or guardian listing the causes of suspension, the term of suspension, and their rights of appeal as prescribed by law. Copies of notices of suspension shall be furnished the superintendent and also placed in the record file of the school.

A principal may suspend a student without affording him the notice and hearing provided in Rule 3 herein, where the student is obviously intoxicated, under the influence of drugs, mentally deranged, or where his presence otherwise poses a continuing danger to persons or property or an ongoing threat of disrupting the academic process. In such cases, however, the hearing required by Rule 3 shall be provided as soon as practicable. 

If the superintendent deems the offense of such gravity as to require suspension for more than 10 days or expulsion, he will cause a written notice of the charges to be prepared, in the manner prescribed by rules for long term suspension and expulsion. Where the hearing is not held before expiration of the short term suspension imposed by the principal, the student will be reinstated after expiration of the short term suspension pending hearing and determination.

At the discretion of the principal, students under short term suspension may remain in school, be assigned to special classes, and be restricted from participation in regular school activities.

Records of disciplinary action may be purged from the student's permanent file by the principal provided the behavior of the student has been deemed acceptable after a reasonable time