St. Charles Parish School Board upholds two student expulsions after substitute motion fails

The St. Charles Parish School Board on March 23 considered appeals of expulsions for two students and ultimately affirmed the superintendent’s prior disciplinary actions.

During consideration of student number one, the board’s ad hoc committee recommended affirming the superintendent’s decision; the board moved to approve that recommendation and the motion passed. The meeting record cites Louisiana statutory authority for board review of expulsions.

Discussion of student number two was longer and included a substitute motion to shorten the expulsion to 90 days while retaining the requirement that the student complete the Option A counseling program. Mr. Alexander asked whether the shorter-term substitute would still require completion of Option A; he recorded the clarification “It includes all of that.” The substitute motion, which Mr. Alexander moved and Mr. John Smith seconded, failed on a show of hands (2 in favor, 6 opposed). The board then voted to affirm the superintendent’s original recommendation; the final tally on that question was recorded as 6 in favor, 2 opposed.

Meeting materials discussed requiring student number two to attend the Landry educational program center as part of the sanction and to complete the prescribed counseling under Option A before returning to regular school assignments; the transcript text and meeting minutes describe the program and timeline but do not set a return date earlier than the district’s stated milestones. The board’s authority to review expulsions was cited from the statute the staff read into the record.

Board members who moved and seconded the controlling motions, and those who sought the substitute, spoke during the exchange, and the substitute’s failure effectively left the superintendent’s original recommendation in place.

The board proceeded to other business after the votes; no further appeals were taken at this meeting.