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Board approves disciplinary-removal policy revisions; advocates urge explicit cross-reference to students with disabilities rules
Summary
After public comment from disability advocates, the board added a cross-reference to existing special‑education discipline rules and approved revisions to the disciplinary removal from classroom policy (JKBA). Advocates asked the board to ensure students with disabilities are routed to existing IEP/BIP procedures before removal.
The Roaring Fork School District Board of Education approved revisions to policy JKBA, "disciplinary removal from classroom," after public comment and staff edits. Disability advocates who spoke during public comment asked the board to explicitly link JKBA to the district—s existing policy and regulation for discipline of students with disabilities (JK2 and JK2 regulation).
Jill Pitcock, executive director of the Arc of the Central Mountains, told the board the Arc supports language in JKBA but requested the policy explicitly reference JK2 and its regulation, which outline functional-behavior assessments and behavior-intervention plans for students with disabilities.
"My ask is this: please add language to the proposed policy JKBA...which specifically refers to the existing policy JK2," Pitcock told the board. She said cross-referencing JK2 will help ensure teams and families use existing individualized processes before removing a student from class.
Staff responded that they had already added a cross-reference in the regulation (JKBA-R) and agreed to place a similar line in the policy text itself. During the board discussion Chief Park (district staff lead on behavior and special education processes) explained the regulation describes the stepwise process used when students exhibit repeated behavior: functional behavioral assessments, behavior-intervention plans and gradual remedies that may include temporary removal.
The board then voted to approve JKBA as amended; staff will update the clean policy text to include the explicit cross-reference to JK2 and the related regulation and publish the amended policy.
Why it matters: Advocates warned removal and abbreviated school days are a recurring concern for students with disabilities. The cross-reference directs administrators and IEP teams to use the district—s existing procedures to identify antecedents, craft behavior-intervention plans and limit removals when possible.
Ending: Staff will insert the cross-reference to JK2 into the clean policy and post the updated policy. The board indicated it expects schools to follow the sequence outlined in the special-education discipline regulation when behavior escalates.
