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Suspension and Expulsion Hearings Procedures

The Governing Board recognizes the importance of providing a safe school environment that is conducive to learning and promotes student safety and well-being. Appropriate measures shall be implemented to minimize the risk of harm to students, including, but not limited to, protocols for maintaining safe conditions on school grounds, promoting safe use of school facilities and equipment, and guiding student participation in educational programs and school-sponsored activities.

Suspension: Each school site shall follow its school discipline plan and consider suspension from school only when other means have not been successful or where the student's presence would constitute a danger to persons or property or seriously disrupt the educational process. This comprises sufficient prior warning to students and parents of the consequences of misconduct.
Suspension: the temporary removal of a student from class instruction for adjustment or disciplinary reasons.

AUTHORITY TO SUSPEND

1. A teacher may suspend a student from the classroom for the day of the suspension and the following school day.
2. The Principal / designee may suspend a student from class or the school campus for a period not to exceed five days per
infraction. The suspension may be extended by the Superintendent or his/her designee.
3. The Superintendent or his/her designee may extend a student's suspension pending final Board decision on a recommendation
for expulsion.
4. A Special Education student being considered for expulsion maybe suspended for ten days pending assessment and an IEP
Team meeting. A suspension may also be extended pending final Board decision.

NOTIFICATION
1. The teacher who imposes a classroom suspension shall report all suspensions in writing to the appropriate school
site administrator.
2. The school site administrator shall log all suspensions by teachers in the student information system.

PARENT NOTIFICATION
By Teacher: The teacher shall ask the parent to attend a parent-teacher conference regarding the suspension as soon as possible. [EC 48910]
By Administrator: A school employee shall make a reasonable effort to conference with the student's parent or guardian in person or by telephone at the time of the suspension. [ED. CODE 48911 (d)] A written notice shall be sent to the parent or guardian.

Grounds for Suspension: No student shall be suspended from school unless the principal/principal designee of the school in
which the student is enrolled determines that the student has violated one or more of the following provisions of Education Code
48900(A-M) or 48900.2, 48900.3, 48900.4 or 48900.7. In addition, State law requires that District to report certain offenses to
law enforcement authorities. [EC §48902]

DUE PROCESS: Disciplinary action will be preceded by an investigation, a conference between the principal and student, in which the student shall be informed of the reason for the suspension, the evidence against him, and be given the opportunity to present his or her defense. At the time of suspension, a school employee will make a reasonable effort to contact the student's parent in person or by telephone. The parent will be given written notice of the suspension. While on suspension from school, the pupil is not to loiter on or about any school grounds at any time, nor to attend any Redwood City School District activity at any time. Violation may
result in further disciplinary action.

SUSPENSION OR EXPULSION DURING SCHOOL ACTIVITY/ATTENDANCE
A pupil may be suspended or expelled for acts on any school campus at any time of the day or night, regardless of the school
district of jurisdiction. A pupil may be suspended for acts on the way to and from school.

Expulsion is the involuntary removal of a student from all schools and programs of the School District for an extended period of time for acts of specified misconduct. Final action is taken only by vote of the Board of Education. Expulsion proceedings for a Special Education student require additional due process procedures. While under expulsion, a student cannot enroll in another California school district without approval of that district's Board of Education.

MANDATORY EXPULSION: Under the mandatory provision of Education Code 48915(c), a student who has committed one or more of the following acts must be recommended for expulsion and the Board of Education must expel the student.
1. Possessing, selling or otherwise furnishing a firearm, or explosive,
2. Brandishing a knife at another person,
3. Unlawfully selling a controlled substance listed in Health and Safety Code 11053, et. seq., or
4. Committing or attempting to commit a sexual assault or committing a sexual battery.