| Additional Discipline Information |  | Local Pupil Problems Committee (Local PPC) – The Local Pupil
Problems Committee deals with problems relating to student discipline
and school adjustment. This committee is appointed by the principal and
usually includes an administrator, counselor, teachers, social worker,
nurse, and other staff. This committee shall meet regularly to consider
disciplinary and behavioral problems of students referred to it by the
principal or designee (chair) and shall recommend to the principal such
remedial, corrective, or disciplinary measures as it may deem to be in
the best interests of the students and the school. A principal reserves
the authority to immediately send a referral for expulsion/exclusion
directly to the Area Superintendent without Local PPC action.
When
a major decision or recommendation regarding a child is to be
considered, parents shall be invited to be present at the Local PPC
meeting. Parents have the option to bring an additional person with
them to the Local PPC meeting, but this additional person may not act
as an attorney. Parents may appeal to the City-Wide Pupil Problems
Committee if they are not in agreement with the local decision. If the
principal feels a particular problem is beyond his/her resources, then
the principal may refer it to the City-Wide Pupil Problems Committee.
City-Wide Pupil Problems Committee (City-Wide PPC) –
The City-Wide Pupil Problems Committee is established by the
Superintendent of Schools. Membership shall typically include a
principal, an assistant principal, classroom teachers, counselors, a
nurse, social workers, and other support personnel.
The function
of the committee shall be to recommend action on parent appeals of
Local Pupil Problems Committee decisions or referrals from schools.
The City-Wide PPC shall have the authority to:
- Review a decision of a Local Pupil Problems Committee and recommend action to the appropriate Area Superintendent.
- Enlist the advice and assistance of agencies and services within the school system.
- Recommend an administrative transfer or administrative placement
of a student to another school or facility in the school system.
- Recommend to the Superintendent the exclusion or expulsion of a student from the school district.
The chairperson of the City-Wide PPC shall offer the student’s
parents or guardians an opportunity to appear before the committee.
Parents have the option to bring an additional person with them to the
City-Wide PPC meeting, but this additional person may not act as an
attorney. The chairperson shall notify the parents of the City-Wide
PPC’s recommendation or decision.
If parents still object, they
may appeal to the appropriate Area Superintendent, then to the
Superintendent, and then to the Board of Education.
Threat Assessment – As part of the District School Safety Plan,
the Local Pupil Problems Committee or a subset of the Local Pupil
Problems Committee will evaluate threats of violence to self or others
and threatening behaviors, and determine the probability that the
person will carry out the threat. The district shall provide training
in threat assessment to designated staff at each site.
NOTE:
Violations of the Board’s Zero Tolerance Policy are referred directly
to the Area Superintendent for consideration of expulsion or exclusion.
Discipline Procedures
– All disciplinary actions will be processed pursuant to Saint Paul
Public Schools’ discipline policies, the requirements of the Minnesota
Pupil Fair Dismissal Act and other applicable law.
Any student who violates a school policy that has a
potential consequence of suspension from school for more than one
school day shall have an informal conference with a school
administrator. An informal conference is not required before suspension
where the student is creating an immediate and substantial danger to
himself or herself or to surrounding persons or property.
If a student’s total days of removal from school exceeds 10 cumulative
days in a school year, the school district shall make reasonable
attempts to convene a meeting with the student and the student’s parent
or guardian before subsequently removing the student from school. The
purpose of this meeting is to attempt to determine the student’s need
for assessment or other services or whether the parent should have the
student assessed or diagnosed to determine whether the student needs
treatment for a mental health disorder.
All students who violate a school policy or rule that has the potential
consequence of expulsion or exclusion will be given the opportunity to
have a hearing in accordance with Minnesota law.
Physical Restraint – Administrators, teachers and other
staff may use reasonable force, including physical restraint, when it
is necessary under the circumstances to restrain a student or to
prevent injury to the student, others, or property, or as otherwise
allowed by law. (Def. reasonable force - Minn. Stat. § 609.379, subd.
1(b); Minn. Stat. § 121A.582 subd. 1; Minn. Stat. § 609.06, subd. 1.)
School Resource Officers (SROs)
– SROs are sworn officers of the Saint Paul Police Department. SROs
work in partnership with school administrators to provide the safest
learning environment possible. SROs’ primary function is law
enforcement. School administrators may also include the SRO in
determining an appropriate consequence for a student’s violation of
school policy. Juvenile or criminal proceedings or consequences against
the student do not preclude the school district from disciplining the
student for violations of the Student Behavior Handbook or for other
misconduct.
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