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Board hears extensive briefing on new student-discipline procedures emphasizing classroom-exclusion changes
Summary
Deputy Hester briefed the board on major procedural changes in student discipline: classroom exclusions are redefined, long-term suspension/expulsion standards tightened toward safety-related thresholds, and districts must provide educational services during suspensions; the board received training and asked procedural clarifications.
Deputy Hester delivered a detailed briefing on proposed updates to the district’s student-discipline procedure and matrix, explaining how recent state rule changes and OSPI guidance alter practice at Franklin Pierce.
Hester said the rules have “swung” over time and that the new procedure tightens standards in some areas while loosening others. Among the biggest shifts he highlighted: classroom exclusions (short-term removals supervised by an adult with evidence-based supports) are no longer automatically recorded as suspensions if the excluded student remains under an adult’s care and receives evidence-based interventions; long-term suspension and expulsion are now more tightly tied to safety concerns rather than broader disruption criteria; and the district is required to provide educational services for students who are suspended or expelled.
Hester walked trustees through the discipline response matrix (Form F-1), described the family-and-student guide and the consultative process with legal counsel and the superintendent’s advisory council, and explained how the district has updated correspondence and notification forms to align with legal requirements. He acknowledged that some language now uses the term “discourage” for withholding recess but explained the district’s legal counsel recommended that phrasing to preserve limited safety exceptions while aligning with legislative intent.
Board members asked for clarification about how the matrix applies to younger students (K–4) versus older grades, what in-school interventions would look like for elementary students, and whether paraprofessionals meet the standard for a supervising adult in classroom-exclusion situations. Hester said the matrix and procedure include those details and that practice emphasizes restorative and evidence-based supports for younger students to avoid exclusionary discipline when appropriate.
Hester summarized: “That’s a huge change for schools,” referring to the classroom-exclusion definition and how it will affect daily practice. Trustees did not vote on a final procedural adoption at this meeting; the presentation functioned as an informational briefing and training to prepare the board for later action on formal procedure adoption.
What happens next: staff said updated procedures and supporting materials (matrix, correspondence templates, and family guide) are available online and that administration will follow up with any requested clarifications and a future agenda item if formal adoption is needed.
