Preamble
One of the primary responsibilities of the Lake Washington School District
and its staff shall be the development of an understanding and appreciation
of our representative form of government, the rights and responsibilities
of the individual, and the legal processes whereby necessary changes are
brought about.
The school is a community and the rules and regulations of the school
are the laws of that community. The school has the responsibility of protecting
the rights of all individuals in the school community and all those enjoying
the rights of citizenship in the school community must accept the responsibilities
of their citizenship by obeying the regulations.
Recent court decisions have indicated clearly that young people in the
United States have the right to receive a free, public education and the
deprivation of that right may occur only for just cause and in accordance
with due process of law.
The courts also have stated that students have the right to citizenship
as delineated in the United States Constitution and its amendments; and
these rights may not be abridged, obstructed, or in other ways altered except
in accordance with due process of law. The First and Fourteenth Amendments
to the Constitution of the United States prohibit states from unduly infringing
on the rights of speech and expression. In the school setting, this restriction
on state action limits the manner and extent to which schools may limit
the speech and expression of the students. In order to have a secure and
suitable atmosphere in which students can pursue their educational process
in a social environment, it is necessary to have rules that regulate social
behavior. School authorities have the responsibility to demonstrate the
need for such rules and the responsibility to enforce these rules.
Parents, administrators, and teachers have rights and duties. Parents
are compelled by law to send their children to school; they share with the
administrators and teachers the responsibility of establishing the best
possible environment for learning.
The rights, responsibilities, and regulations delineated in this document
are designed to protect all members of the educational community in the
exercise of their freedoms.
School District Rules Defining Misconduct
The Lake Washington School District has the responsibility to adopt,
publish, and make available to all students and parents written rules which
state types of misconduct for which discipline, suspension, and expulsion
may be imposed.
Procedures for administering corrective action shall be developed and
reviewed periodically.
The Lake Washington School District provides for the development of,
with parent and community participation, written procedures for administering
corrective action at each school. The district also provides that the principal,
parents, and certificated employees in each school building shall confer
at least annually for the purpose of developing, or reviewing, or both,
building discipline standards and the uniform enforcement of those standards.
Rules established by the Lake Washington School District have a real
and substantial relationship to the lawful maintenance and operation of
the school district including, but not limited to, the preservation of health
and safety of students and employees and the preservation of an educational
process which is conducive to learning.
Distribution of School District Rules
The Lake Washington School District shall publish and make available
to all students and parents, on an annual basis, the rules that establish
types of misconduct for which discipline, suspension, or expulsion may be
invoked. In addition, the written procedures of the district for administering
corrective action shall be provided by each school.
If the school district chooses not to distribute such rules to all students
and parents, then notice which describes the contents of such rules and
specifies the person(s) to contact for a copy thereof shall be provided
to students and parents on an annual basis in a manner reasonably calculated
to come to their attention.
Persons Authorized to Impose Discipline or Emergency Removal upon Students
Each certificated teacher, each school administrator, each school bus
driver, and any other school employee designated by the Board of Directors
of the Lake Washington School District shall possess the authority to impose
discipline or emergency removal upon a student for misconduct which violates
rules of the school district established pursuant to policies approved by
the Board of Directors and laws of the State of Washington.
Persons Authorized to Recommend Suspension or Expulsion
The Board of Directors of the Lake Washington School District delegates
to the superintendent and/or his/her designee(s) the authority to impose
suspensions and expulsions upon students for misconduct which violates rules
of the school district established pursuant to policies of the Board of
Directors of the District and laws of the State of Washington. Each certificated
teacher and each administrator shall possess the authority to recommend
suspensions and expulsions for such conduct.
Student Publications
Student publications produced as part of the school's curriculum or with
the support of the associated student body fund are intended to serve both
as vehicles for instruction and student communication. They are operated
and substantively financed by the district.
Student publications provide opportunities for learning experiences for
students, either through journalism classes or under the direction of a
faculty advisor. These publications are created primarily for the student
body, but may also be circulated to other audiences. The content and editorial
policy will be determined collectively by students and their advisor(s),
with final authority for both content and policy invested in the building
principal. Publications may be self-sustained through subscription and
advertising sales, or funded through school and/or student government budgets.
Material appearing in such publications should reflect all areas of student
interest, including topics about which there may be controversy and dissent.
Controversial issues may be presented provided that they are treated in
depth and represent a variety of view points. Such materials may not:
be libelous, obscene or profane; cause a substantial disruption of the school,
invade the privacy of others; demean any race, religion, sex, or ethnic
group; or advocate the violation of the law or advertise tobacco products,
liquor, illicit drugs or drug paraphernalia.
The superintendent shall develop guidelines to implement these standards
and shall establish procedures for the prompt review of any materials which
appear not to comply with the standards.
Teachers Empowered to Exclude Disruptive Students
Notwithstanding any provision of this policy to the contrary, each teacher
is empowered to exclude any student who creates a disruption of the educational
process in violation of the building disciplinary standards while under
the teacher's immediate supervision from his/her individual classroom and
instructional or activity area for all or any portion of the balance of
the school day or until the principal or designee and teacher have conferred, whichever
occurs first: provided, that except in emergency circumstances, as defined
in the handbook, the teacher shall have first attempted one or more alternative
forms of corrective action. Provided, further, that in no event without
the consent of the teacher shall an excluded student be returned during
the balance of the particular class or activity period from which the student
was initially excluded.
Freedom of Expression
The free expression of student opinion is an important part of education
in a democratic society. Students' verbal and written expression of opinion
on school premises is to be encouraged so long as it does not substantially
disrupt the operation of the school. Students are expressly prohibited
from the use of vulgar and/or offensive terms in classroom or assembly settings.
The superintendent shall develop guidelines assuring that students are
able to enjoy free expression of opinion while maintaining orderly conduct
of the school.
Freedom of Assembly
Individual students and student organizations may meet in school rooms
or auditoriums, or at outdoor locations on school grounds, to discuss, pass
resolutions and take other lawful action respecting any matter which directly
or indirectly concerns or affects them, whether or not it relates to school.
Such activities shall not be permitted to interfere with the normal operation
of the school.
Peaceful demonstrations are permissible, though they are to be held in
designated places where they shall present no hazards to persons or property
and at designated times that shall not disrupt classes or other school activities.
Adopted:
9/5/72
Revised:
3/15/76
9/7/76
10/25/76
9/9/77
3/16/81
11/4/91
LEGAL REF.:
RCW 28A.600.010
RCW 28A.600.020
RCW 28A.320.080
RCW 28A.320.040
RCW 28A.600.040
RCW 28A.400.110
RCW 28A.150.240
RCW 28A.405.060
WAC 180-40, generally and 392-168, generally
20 U.S.C. 1232h (Hatch Amendment)
34 CFR Parts 75, 76, and 98 (1984)
CROSS REFS.:
Student Conduct on School Buses(JFCC,also EEACC)
JG and subcodes, all relate to student discipline