Lake Forest School District 67

Student Expectation and Discipline
The school environment of District 67 encourages students to develop self-control and self-respect, to respect the rights of all other students, to show courtesy to all adults and children with whom they come in contact, and to properly care for all school property. Disciplinary actions, when required, shall be reasonable and considerate of the needs and rights of each student as well as the needs and rights of all other students and adults in District 67 schools.

Policy 7:190 – Student Discipline
Prohibited Student Conduct
The school administration is authorized to discipline students for gross disobedience or misconduct, including but not limited to:

Using, possessing, distributing, purchasing, or selling tobacco materials.
Using, possessing, distributing, purchasing, or selling alcoholic beverages. Students who are under the influence of an alcoholic beverage are not permitted to attend school or school functions and are treated as though they had alcohol in their possession.
Using, possessing, distributing, purchasing, or selling:
1. Any illegal drug, controlled substance, or cannabis (including marijuana and hashish).
2. Any anabolic steroid not administered under a physician’s care and supervision.
3. Any prescription drug when not prescribed for the student by a licensed physician or when used in a manner inconsistent with the prescription or prescribing physician’s instructions.
4. Any inhalant, regardless of whether it contains an illegal drug or controlled substance: (a) that a student believes is, or represents to be capable of, causing intoxication, hallucination, excitement, or dulling of the brain or nervous system; or (b) about which the student engaged in behavior that would lead a reasonable person to believe that the student intended the inhalant to cause intoxication, hallucination, excitement, or dulling of the brain or nervous system. The prohibition in this section does not apply to a student’s use of asthma or other legally prescribed inhalant medications.
5. “Look-alike” or counterfeit drugs, including a substance not containing an illegal drug or controlled substance, but one: (a) that a student believes to be, or represents to be, an illegal drug or controlled substance; or (b) about which a student engaged in behavior that would lead a reasonable person to believe that the student expressly or impliedly represented to be an illegal drug or controlled substance.
6. Drug paraphernalia, including devices that are or can be used to: (a) ingest, inhale, or inject cannabis or controlled substances into the body; and (b) grow, process, store, or conceal cannabis or controlled substances.
Students who are under the influence of any prohibited substance are not permitted to attend school or school functions and are treated as though they had the prohibited substance, as applicable, in their possession.
Using, possessing, controlling, or transferring a weapon in violation of the “weapons” section of this policy.
Using or possessing an electronic paging device. Using a cellular telephone, video recording device, personal digital assistant (PDA), or other electronic device in any manner that disrupts the educational environment or violates the rights of others, including using the device to take photographs in locker rooms or bathrooms, cheat, or otherwise violate student conduct rules. Unless otherwise banned under this policy or by the Building Principal, all electronic devices must be kept powered-off and out-of-sight during the regular school day unless: (a) the supervising teacher grants permission; (b) use of the device is provided in a student’s individualized education program (lEP); or (c) it is needed in an emergency that threatens the safety of students, staff, or other individuals.
Using or possessing a laser pointer unless under a staff member’s direct supervision and in the context of instruction.
Disobeying rules of student conduct or directives from staff members or school officials. Examples of disobeying staff directives include refusing a District staff member’s request to stop, present school identification, or submit to a search.
Engaging in academic dishonesty, including cheating, intentionally plagiarizing, wrongfully giving or receiving help during an academic examination, and. wrongfully obtaining test copies or scores.
Engaging in hazing or any kind of aggressive behavior that does physical or psychological harm to another or any urging of other students to engage in such conduct. Prohibited conduct includes any use of violence, force, noise, coercion, threats, intimidation, fear, harassment, bullying, hazing, or other comparable conduct.
Causing or attempting to cause damage to, or stealing or attempting to steal, school properly or another person’s personal property.
Being absent without a recognized excuse; State law and School Board policy regarding truancy control will be used with chronic and habitual truants.
Being involved with any public school fraternity, sorority, or secret society, by: (a) being a member; (b) promising to join; (c) pledging to become a member; or (d) soliciting any other person to join, promise to join, or be pledged to become a member.
Being involved in gangs or gang-related activities, including displaying gang symbols or paraphernalia.
Violating any criminal law, including but not limited to, assault, battery, arson, theft, gambling, eavesdropping, and hazing.
Engaging in any activity, on or off campus, that interferes with, disrupts, or adversely affects the school environment, school operations, or an educational function, including but not limited to, conduct that may reasonably be considered to: (a) be a threat or an attempted intimidation of a staff member; or (b) endanger the health or safety of students, staff, or school property.

For purposes of this policy, the term “possession” includes having control, custody, or care, currently or in the past, of an object or substance, including situations in which the item is: (a) on the student’s person; (b) contained in another item belonging to, or under the control of, the student, such as in the student’s clothing, backpack, or automobile; (c) in a school’s student locker, desk, or other school property; or (d) at any location on school property or at a school-sponsored event.

Efforts, including the use of early intervention and progressive discipline, shall be made to deter students, while at school or a school-related event, from engaging in aggressive behavior that may reasonably produce physical or physiological harm to someone else. The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that the parent/guardian of a student who engages in aggressive behavior is notified of the incident. The failure to provide such notification does not limit the Board’s authority to impose discipline, including suspension or expulsion, for such behavior.

No disciplinary action shall be taken against any student that is based totally or in part on the refusal of the student’s parent/guardian to administer or consent to the administration of psychotropic or psychostimulant medication to the student.

The grounds for disciplinary action, including those described more thoroughly later in this policy, apply whenever the student’s conduct is reasonably related to school or school activities, including but not limited to:

On, or within sight of, school grounds before, during, or after school hours or at any time;
Off school grounds at a school-sponsored activity or event, or any activity or event that bears a reasonable relationship to school;
Traveling to or from school or a school activity, function, or event; or
Anywhere, if the conduct interferes with, disrupts, or adversely affects the school environment, school operations, or an educational function, including but not limited to, conduct that may reasonably be considered to: (a) be a threat or an attempted intimidation of a staff member; or (b) endanger the health or safety of students, staff, or school properly.

Disciplinary Measures
Disciplinary measures may include:

Disciplinary conference.
Withholding of privileges.
Seizure of contraband.
Suspension from school and all school activities for up to 10 days, provided that appropriate procedures are followed. A suspended student is prohibited from being on school grounds.
Suspension of bus riding privileges, provided that appropriate procedures are followed.
Expulsion from school and all school-sponsored activities and events for a definite time period not to exceed 2 calendar years, provided that the appropriate procedures are followed. An expelled student is prohibited from being on school grounds.
Notifying juvenile authorities or other law enforcement whenever the conduct involves illegal drugs (controlled substances), “look-alikes,” alcohol, or weapons.
Notifying parents/guardians.
Temporary removal from the classroom.
In-school suspension for a period not to exceed 5 school days. The Building Principal or designee shall ensure that the student is properly supervised.
After-school study or Saturday study, provided the student’s parent/guardian has been notified. If transportation arrangements cannot be agreed upon, an alternative disciplinary measure must be used. The student must be supervised by the detaining teacher or the Building Principal or designee.
Community service with local public and nonprofit agencies that enhances community efforts to meet human, educational, environmental, or public safety needs. The District will not provide transportation. School administration shall use this option only as an alternative to another disciplinary measure giving the student and/or parent/guardian the choice.

A student who is subject to suspension or expulsion may be eligible for transfer to an alternative school program.

Corporal punishment shall not be used. Corporal punishment is defined as slapping, paddling, or prolonged maintenance of students in physically painful positions, or intentional infliction of bodily harm. Corporal punishment does not include reasonable force’ as needed to maintain safety for students, staff, or other persons, or for the purpose of self-defense or defense of property.

Weapons
A student who uses, possesses, controls, or transfers a weapon, or any other object that can reasonably be considered, or looks like, a weapon, shall be expelled for at least one calendar year, but no more than 2 calendar years. The Superintendent may modify the expulsion period and the Board may modify the Superintendent’s determination, on a case-by-case basis. A “weapon” means possession, use, control, or transfer of: (1) any gun, rifle, shotgun, a weapon as defined by Section 921 of Title 18, United States Code, firearm as defined in Section 1.1 of the Firearm Owners Identification Act, or use of a weapon as defined in Section 24-1 of the Criminal Code; (2) any other object if used or attempted to be used to cause bodily harm, including but not limited to, knives, brass knuckles, billy clubs; or (3) “look-alikes” of any weapon as defined above. Any item, such as a baseball bat, pipe, bottle, lock, stick, pencil, and pen, is considered to be a weapon if used or attempted to be used to cause bodily harm. The Superintendent or designee may grant an exception to this policy, upon the prior request of an adult supervisor, for students in theatre, cooking, ROTC, martial arts, and similar programs, whether or not school-sponsored, provided the item is not equipped, nor intended, to do bodily harm.

Required Notices
A school staff member shall immediately notify the office of the Building Principal in the event that he or she: (1) observes any person in possession of a firearm on or around school grounds; however, such action may be delayed if immediate notice would endanger students under his or her supervision, (2) observes or has reason to suspect that any person on school grounds is or was involved in a drug-related incident, or (3) observes a battery committed against any staff member. Upon receiving such a report, the Building Principal or designee shall immediately notify the local law enforcement agency, State Police, and any involved student’s parent/guardian. “School grounds” includes modes of transportation to school activities and any public way within 1000 feet of the school, as well as school property itself.

Delegation of Authority
Each teacher, and any other school personnel when students are under his or her charge, is authorized to impose any disciplinary measure, other than suspension, expulsion, corporal punishment or in-school suspension, that is appropriate and in accordance with, the policies and rules on student discipline. Teachers, other certificated educational employees, and other persons providing a related service for or with respect to a student, may use reasonable force as needed to maintain safety for other students, school personnel, or other persons, or for the purpose of self-defense or defense of property. Teachers may temporarily remove students from a classroom for disruptive behavior.

The Superintendent, Building Principal, Assistant Building Principal, or Dean of Students is authorized to impose the same disciplinary measures as teachers and may suspend students guilty of gross disobedience or misconduct from school (including all school functions) and from riding the school bus, up to 10 consecutive school days, provided the appropriate procedures are followed. The Board may suspend a student from riding the bus in excess of 10 school days for safety reasons.

Student Handbook
The Superintendent, with input from the parent-teacher advisory committee, shall prepare disciplinary rules implementing the District’s disciplinary policies. A student handbook, including the District disciplinary policies and rules, shall be distributed to the students’ parents/guardians within 15 days of the beginning of the school year or a student’s enrollment.