Detention/Suspensions

Detention Policies and Procedures

  1. Detention is a requirement for a student to remain in school or attend school outside normal school hours. Detention lasts for one hour after school on set days. In most cases, detention is served at least one day after it is issued so that parents can be notified. Detention date can only be changed by a call from a parent to the office before detention time. The detention room and list of students serving detention for that day will be posted in the window of the principal’s office.
    1. Morning and Lunch Detentions may also be assigned
  2. Each minute that a student is late for detention will result in an additional five minutes of detention to be served up to 5 minutes. If a student is more than 5 minutes late to detention it will be treated as a skipped detention and another detention will be assigned.
  3. If a student is told to leave detention for not obeying the rules of the Detention Center, it will be recorded as a skip. Skipping detention will result in one additional day of detention. The second time a student skips detention will result in one day of in-school suspension.
  4. When school is not in session, detentions are rescheduled.
  5. Students will not be excused from detention because of extracurricular activities.
  6. Students must bring study materials and be busy with these materials during detention time. If study materials are not brought to the Detention Center or if the student is not productive, the detention time will not count and must be repeated. Detention is given for a reason; it is not a time to play, misbehave or sleep. No student will be allowed to go to a locker.
    1. Detentions are always served after prior notice and, during detention; the rest of the school building is off limits.
  7. No drinks, food or music are allowed in the Detention Center.
  8. Talking is allowed with the supervisor of the Detention Center only.
  9. Detention is intended to help students realize that certain behaviors are not acceptable at Barnum High School. If the assignment of detention does not appear to be corrective, a pre-expulsion hearing will be held to determine the most beneficial school location for the student.
    1. Please remember: If the detention is an inconvenience, so be it. The behavior that caused the detention was an inconvenience to others.

DETENTION

  1. Students will be required to fill out a detention worksheet and a log of what was accomplished during the hour after school. This log will be taken home, signed by parent/guardian and returned to Mr. Kazmierczak the next morning.
  2. Upon receiving a 4th detention students will be assigned a behavior intervention session with Mr. Kazmierczak or a community/county school support.
  3. Parents will be contacted and will be required to meet with Mr. Kazmierczak.
  4. Upon a 5th detention, In-school and Out of school consequences may be used.

SUSPENSION

Occasionally it becomes necessary to suspend a student from school. In these events, all procedures will be governed by the Minnesota State Law (MSA 127.26-127.40). Students will be suspended from school for any of the following:

  1. Willful violation of any reasonable school regulations. All policies in this handbook are school regulations.
  2. Willful conduct that materially and substantially disrupts the right of others to an education. This includes harassment, threats of physical or mental harm and/or offensive language.
  3. Willful conduct that endangers the student, other students or school property (i.e., fighting, vandalism, stealing).
  4. Other policies included in the Student Rights and Responsibilities Code.

When a student is under the influence of alcohol or drugs or when it is determined that a student may be potentially harmful to self or others, the student will be suspended out-of-school and placed under the supervision of the Law Enforcement Center. In this case, a parent/guardian will be notified immediately.

Following a suspension, a parent/guardian must accompany the student to school to complete a Contract for Readmission. Students are responsible for collecting assignments from their teachers for the days on which they are suspended. Suspended students are not allowed on school property or at extracurricular activities until the suspension period is over unless approved by the principal.

Suspension, In-School – Action taken by an administrator (usually on the recommendation of a teacher or other District employee) to prohibit a student from attending more than one class/activity for a period not to exceed five days. The student cannot be readmitted to classes without a parent conference with the school administrator issuing the In-School Suspension.

Suspension, Out-Of-School – Action taken by the school administrator to prohibit a student from attending a Barnum Public School for a period of time of no more than ten school days (a one-day suspension is for a consecutive period of time equivalent to one school day). The student cannot be readmitted to classes without a parent conference with the school administrator issuing the Out-Of-School Suspension. At this conference, the principal, parent, and student will discuss a remediation plan which may include counseling services, school service, and/or detention.

Alternative to Suspension – It is our goal at BHS to avoid suspension. In the event there is an alternative to suspension program available and BHS is an active partner in this program, students will be required to attend an alternative instead of ISS or OSS. Barnum High School reserves the right to partner with other school districts and/or county or community-based agencies.