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Committee returns RS 32016 to sponsor to refine school-enrollment denial language
Summary
Sponsor Rep. Chris Mathias introduced RS 32016 to allow school boards to deny enrollment to students disenrolled in lieu of discipline; the committee voted to return the request to the sponsor for redrafting after members asked for clarifications, including federal 504 protections.
Representative Chris Mathias introduced RS 32016 to the House Education Committee on Jan. 23, saying the requested statute change would give local school boards authority to deny enrollment to students who had been disenrolled by parents ‘‘in lieu of discipline’’ in order to prevent students from avoiding sanctions by transferring districts.
Mathias said the bill is intended to close a gap in Idaho Code 33-205 so receiving districts can see when a student left a previous district to avoid an expulsion or similar disciplinary sanction. He said the draft also removes outdated language such as ‘‘incorrigible.’’
Committee members raised questions about students protected under Section 504 and whether federal disability protections would limit the receiving district’s ability to take discipline-related action. Representative Church clarified that a 504 review is required when a student on a 504 faces more than 10 days of removal, and that the statute requires evaluation to determine whether behavior is related to a disability.
After discussion, members voted to return RS 32016 to the sponsor for revision so its language can be clarified and coordinated with school boards and special-education considerations. The motion to return the RS to the sponsor passed on a voice vote; committee members indicated they expect the sponsor to bring back a cleaned-up version.
