§ 6-18-503 - Written student discipline policies required. - Arkansas Statutes

6-18-503. Written student discipline policies required.

(a) (1) (A) Each school district in this state shall develop written student discipline policies in compliance with the guidelines established by the Department of Education and shall file such policies with the department.

(B) Guidelines shall include minimum standards of quality, experimentation with innovative programs, and a system to judge the effectiveness of the program.

(C) The discipline policy shall include provisions for:

(i) Placement of a student with disciplinary, socially dysfunctional, or behavioral problems not associated with a handicapping condition in an alternative learning environment provided by the district; and

(ii) Expulsion from school for a period of not less than one (1) year for possession of any firearm or other weapon prohibited upon the school campus by law; provided, however, that the superintendent shall have discretion to modify such expulsion requirement for a student on a case-by-case basis.

(2) Behavioral problems shall include those at risk of not satisfactorily completing a high school education.

(b) (1) A school district that authorizes use of corporal punishment in its discipline policy shall include provisions for administration of the punishment, including that it be administered only for cause, be reasonable, follow warnings that the misbehavior will not be tolerated, and be administered by a teacher or a school administrator and only in the presence of a school administrator or his or her designee, who shall be a teacher or administrator employed by the school district.

(2) As used in this section, "teachers and administrators" means those persons employed by a school district and required to have a state-issued certificate as a condition of their employment.

(c) Any amendments or revisions to a school district's student discipline policies shall be developed and adopted in the same manner as the original policies required by 6-18-502 and shall be consistent with the guidelines established by the department.

(d) Any amendment or revision to the student discipline policies adopted by a school district shall be submitted to the department within thirty (30) days after the adoption of such amendment or revision.