Introduction

     The Board of Education of the Ogdensburg City School District is committed to providing a safe and orderly school environment where students may receive, and district personnel may deliver, quality educational services without disruption or interference.  Responsible behavior by students, teachers, other district personnel, parents and other visitors is essential to achieving this goal.

     The district has a long-standing set of expectations for conduct on school property and at school functions. These expectations are based on the principles of civility, mutual respect, citizenship, character, tolerance, honesty and integrity.

     The board recognizes the need to clearly define these expectations for acceptable conduct on school property, to identify the possible consequences of unacceptable conduct, and to ensure that discipline when necessary is administered promptly and fairly.  To this end, the board adopts this code of conduct ("code").

     Unless otherwise indicated, this code applies to all students, school personnel, parents and other visitors when on school property or attending a school function.  The building principal or his/her designee shall be responsible for enforcing the conduct required by this code.  Anyone with concerns to express about students, school personnel, parents and/or other visitors who may be in contradiction to any provisions of this code can contact the appropriate building principal.  A listing of these individuals and their school phone numbers has been provided on the last page of this section of the handbook.

I.        Definition

For purposes of this code, the following definitions apply.

"Disruptive student" means an elementary or secondary student under the age of 21 who is substantially disruptive of the educational process or substantially interferes with the teacher's authority over the classroom.  Failing to comply with the reasonable directions of teachers, school administrators, student teachers, aides, or other school personnel in charge of students would be examples of actions that meet this definition.

"Parent" means parent, guardian or person in parental relation to a student.

"School property" means in or within any building, structure, athletic playing field, playground, parking lot or land contained within the real property boundary line of a public elementary or secondary school, or in or on a school bus, as defined in Vehicle and Traffic Law 142.

"School function" means any school sponsored curricular or extra-curricular event or activity.

A "substantially disruptive student" is one who:

                    Continues to impede the teaching and learning process or who interferes with the teacher's authority over the classroom following the teacher's attempt to modify the student's behaviors. (Depending upon the severity of the behavior, the teacher could choose to remove a student without attempting to implement a behavior management strategy.)

"Violent student" means a student under the age of 21 who:

      1.  Commits an act of violence upon a school employee, or attempts to do so.
      2.  Commits, while on school property or at a school function an act of violence upon another student.
      3.  Possesses, while on school property or at the school function, or attempts to do so.
      4.  Displays, while on school property or at a school function, what appears to be a weapon.
      5.  Threatens, while on school property or at a school function, to use a weapon.
      6.  Knowingly and intentionally damages or destroys the personal property of any school employee or any person lawfully on school property or   at a school function.
      7. Knowingly and intentionally damages or destroys school district property.