The St. Bernard Parish School Board considered revisions to discipline and student conduct policies at its April 8 meeting, advancing updates to policy JDD (suspension) and policy JDE (placement at alternative school) and approving changes to the Guide to Student Conduct.

Mr. Morales, identified at the meeting as the district policy custodian, reviewed edits to JDD that the district said reflect statutory changes and clarify the difference between suspension and transfer to an alternative school, and noted editorial cleanups moving expulsion‑related language to the appropriate policy. The board voted to send proposed revisions to JDD to the full board (motion passed 10–0).

Nut graf: The policy changes are intended to align district procedure with recent state legislative changes and to reduce discretionary interpretation in student dress and conduct enforcement, the district said.

The board also forwarded JDE revisions to the full board; those changes add clearer definitions for time served in alternative placement and an exit date for each student placed there. The motion to send JDE revisions to the full board passed 10–0.

On the Guide to Student Conduct, the discipline committee — which included representatives from each school level and a parent representative — recommended several changes. Key dress code modifications the board approved include: requiring skirts and jumpers to touch the knee (to reduce discretionary enforcement), requiring school IDs to be worn outside clothing and remain visible, permitting hijabs that are solid in color and either match school colors or be navy blue, and specifying that nose piercings in middle and high school must be studs. The guide also clarifies that shoes must have a full back (explicitly prohibiting low‑back shoes, certain boots, UGG‑style slides, jellies and foam shoes). The committee recommended allowing shaped hair designs and unnatural colors by removing two earlier prohibitive bullets; administrators indicated they supported the proposed language and emphasized consistent enforcement.

The committee further proposed infractions changes tied to state law: the committee noted Act 337 (passed August 2024) and said that, because Act 33 changed the number of suspensions that require alternative placement from four to three, some interventions previously listed for a third suspension should apply earlier. The guide adds electronic device language (changing “communication” to “electronics”) and inserts “artificial intelligence” into the definition of cheating. It also recommends reclassifying certain possession and conduct items between class 2 and class 3 infractions and adding ammunition to weapon definitions.

Ending: The board voted 10–0 to accept the Guide to Student Conduct revisions as presented and directed staff to proceed with implementation and consistent administrator training on enforcement.