North Santiam schools propose clarified discipline handbook language, add hate-symbol prohibition

Superintendent Loving presented the district's revised student handbook language and a clarified "Code of Conduct," telling the board the draft will be posted online in four to six weeks and translated before final adoption. He said the revisions are intended to "clarify processes and protocols" rather than to create new rules, and that administrators have calibrated wording to make expectations and procedures more consistent.

The superintendent said the updated consequence guidelines reorganize detention and define in-school versus out-of-school suspension more clearly. He explained that detention may include lunch, after‑school or Saturday sessions but "detention shall not begin until the student's family have been notified of the reason for the detention and can make arrangements for transportation," and that the district will, in most cases, avoid imposing detention before notification.

On suspension, Loving noted the draft removes the word "willful" so that the district can address serious incidents that occur without intent. "There is some room there for things that the student doesn't necessarily intend that may cause some discipline," he said, illustrating with an accidental property-damage scenario and stressing administrators must still observe due process, provide written reasons for suspension, a readmission plan and appeal rights.

The revision adds a new section tied to board policy ACB (Every Student Belongs) that explicitly identifies symbols of hate — "such as swastikas, Confederate flags and nooses" — as prohibited and to be taught at the start of each school year. Loving told the board that displays of such symbols "will be considered a violation of board policy ACB... and will result in school discipline," and that the prohibition extends to harassing, aggressive or hateful speech during school-sponsored events and on school transportation.

Board members asked for clarifications about how discipline will be applied and whether the handbook will include a matrix of offenses and expected responses. Loving said the district deliberately avoids a rigid one‑size‑fits‑all matrix because context matters, but is developing calibration exercises for administrators to promote consistency. He also said the district will provide administrators with additional guidance about conferences, parent meetings and procedures that underpin due-process protections.

The board was told training sessions (Every Student Belongs) for classified and licensed staff are scheduled immediately, and that readmission meetings will be used to set expectations for students returning from suspension. Superintendent Loving invited board members to review the posted draft when it is available and to raise questions before a future adoption vote.

The most recent step is review and public posting; no policy adoption vote occurred at this meeting.