15.06 Exclusion and Expulsion

15.06.01 Exclusion and Expulsion of Pupils with a Disability

Legal Citations

When a pupil who has an individual education plan is excluded or expelled under sections 121A.40 to 121A.56 for misbehavior that is not a manifestation of the pupil's disability, the district shall continue to provide special education and related services after a period of suspension, if suspension is imposed. The district shall initiate a review of the pupil's individual education plan and conduct a review of the relationship between the pupil's disability and the behavior subject to disciplinary action and determine the appropriateness of the pupil's education plan before commencing an expulsion or exclusion. Minn. Stat. § 121A.43.

15.06.02 Expulsion for Possession of Firearm

Legal Citations

(a) Notwithstanding the time limitation in section 121A.41, subd. 5, a school board must expel for a period of at least one year a pupil who is determined to have brought a firearm to school except the board may modify this expulsion requirement for a pupil on a case-by-case basis. For the purposes of this section, firearm is as defined in United States Code, title 18, section 921.

(b) Notwithstanding chapter 13, a student's expulsion or withdrawal or transfer from a school after an expulsion action is initiated against the student for a weapons violation paragraph (a) may be disclosed by the school district initiating the expulsion proceeding. Unless the information is otherwise public, the disclosure may be made only to another school district in connection with the possible admission of the student to the other district. Minn. Stat. § 121A.44.

15.06.03 Grounds for Dismissal

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Subd. 1. No school shall dismiss any pupil without attempting to provide alternative educational services before dismissal proceedings, except where it appears that the pupil will create an immediate and substantial danger to self or to surrounding persons or property.

Subd. 2. A pupil may be dismissed on any of the following grounds:

(a) willful violation of any reasonable school board regulation. Such regulation must be clear and definite to provide notice to pupils that they must conform their conduct to its requirements;

(b) willful conduct that significantly disrupts the rights of others to an education, or the ability of school personnel to perform their duties, or school sponsored extracurricular activities; or

(c) willful conduct that endangers the pupil or other pupils, or surrounding persons, including school district employees, or property of the school.

Subd. 3. If a pupil's total days of removal from school exceeds ten cumulative days in a school year, the school district shall make reasonable attempts to convene a meeting with the pupil and the pupil's parent or guardian before subsequently removing the pupil from school and, with the permission of the parent or guardian, arrange for a mental health screening for the pupil. The district is not required to pay for the mental health screening. The purpose of this meeting is to attempt to determine the pupil's need for assessment or other services or whether the parent or guardian should have the pupil assessed or diagnosed to determine whether the pupil needs treatment for a mental health disorder. Minn. Stat. § 121A.45.

15.06.04 Exclusion and Expulsion Procedures

Legal Citations

Subd. 1. No exclusion or expulsion shall be imposed without a hearing, unless the right to a hearing is waived in writing by the pupil and parent or guardian. The action shall be initiated by the school board or its agent.

Subd. 2. Written notice of intent to take action shall:

(a) be served upon the pupil and the pupil's parent or guardian personally or by mail;

(b) contain a complete statement of the facts, a list of the witnesses and a description of their testimony;

(c) state the date, time, and place of the hearing;

(d) be accompanied by a copy of sections 121A.40 to 121A.56;

(e) describe alternative educational services accorded the pupil in an attempt to avoid the expulsion proceedings; and

(f) inform the pupil and parent or guardian of the right to:

(1) have a representative of the pupil's own choosing, including legal counsel, at the hearing. The district shall advise the pupil's parent or guardian that free or low-cost legal assistance may be available and that a legal assistance resource list is available from the Department of Education;

(2) examine the pupil's records before the hearing;

(3) present evidence; and

(4) confront and cross-examine witnesses.

Subd. 3. The hearing shall be scheduled within ten days of the service of the written notice unless an extension, not to exceed five days, is requested for good cause by the school board, pupil, parent or guardian.

Subd. 4. The hearing shall be at a time and place reasonably convenient to pupil, parent or guardian.

Subd. 5. The hearing shall be closed unless the pupil, parent or guardian requests an open hearing.

Subd. 6. The hearing shall take place before:

(1) an independent hearing officer;

(2) a member of the school board;

(3) a committee of the school board; or

(4) the full school board;

as determined by the school board. The hearing shall be conducted in a fair and impartial manner.

Subd. 7. The school board shall record the hearing proceedings at district expense, and a party may obtain a transcript at its own expense. Testimony shall be given under oath. The hearing officer or a member of the school board shall have the power to issue subpoenas and administer oaths.

Subd. 8. At a reasonable time prior to the hearing, the pupil, parent or guardian, or representative, shall be given access to all public school system records pertaining to the pupil, including any tests or reports upon which the proposed action may be based.

Subd. 9. The pupil, parent or guardian, or representative, shall have the right to compel the attendance of any official employee or agent of the public school system or any public employee or any other person who may have evidence upon which the proposed action may be based, and to confront and to cross-examine any witness testifying for the public school system.

Subd. 10. The pupil, parent or guardian, or representative, shall have the right to present evidence and testimony, including expert psychological or educational testimony.

Subd. 11. The pupil cannot be compelled to testify in the dismissal proceedings.

Subd. 12. The recommendation of the hearing officer or school board member or committee shall be based solely upon substantial evidence presented at the hearing and must be made to the school board and served upon the parties within two days of the end of the hearing.

Subd. 13. The school board shall base its decision upon the recommendation of the hearing officer or school board member or committee and shall render its decision at a meeting held within five days after receiving the recommendation. The school board may provide the parties with the opportunity to present exceptions and comments to the hearing officer's recommendations provided that neither party presents any evidence not admitted at the hearing. The decision by the school board must be based on the record, must be in writing, and must state the controlling facts on which the decision is made in sufficient detail to apprise the parties and the commissioner of education of the basis and reason for the decision.

Subd. 14. A school administrator shall prepare and enforce an admission or readmission plan for any pupil who is excluded or expelled from school. The plan may include measures to improve the pupil's behavior and require parental involvement in the admission or readmission process, and may indicate the consequences to the pupil of not improving the pupil's behavior. Minn. Stat. § 121A.47.

A violation of the technical provisions of the Pupil Fair Dismissal Act, made in good faith, is not a defense to a disciplinary procedure under the act unless the pupil can demonstrate actual prejudice as a result of the violation. Minn. Stat. § 121A.48.

Whenever a pupil fails to return to school within ten school days of the termination of dismissal, a school administrator shall inform the pupil and the pupil's parents by mail of the pupil's right to attend and to be reinstated in the public school. Minn. Stat. § 121A.54.

15.06.05 Appeal to an Exclusion and Expulsion Decision

Legal Citations

A party to an exclusion or expulsion decision made under sections 121A.40 to 121A.56 may appeal the decision to the commissioner of education within 21 calendar days of school board action. Upon being served with a notice of appeal, the district shall provide the commissioner and the parent or guardian with a complete copy of the hearing record within five days of its receipt of the notice of appeal. All written submissions by the appellant must be submitted and served on the respondent within ten days of its actual receipt of the transcript. All written submissions by the respondent must be submitted and served on the appellant within ten days of its actual receipt of the written submissions of the appellant. The decision of the school board must be implemented during the appeal to the commissioner.

In an appeal under this section, the commissioner may affirm the decision of the agency, may remand the decision for additional findings, or may reverse or modify the decision if the substantial rights of the petitioners have been prejudiced because the administrative findings, inferences, conclusions, or decisions are:

(1) in violation of constitutional provisions;

(2) in excess of the statutory authority or jurisdiction of the school district;

(3) made upon unlawful procedure, except as provided in section 121A.48;

(4) affected by other error of law;

(5) unsupported by substantial evidence in view of the entire record submitted; or

(6) arbitrary or capricious.

The commissioner or the commissioner's representative shall make a final decision based upon the record. The commissioner shall issue a decision within 30 calendar days of receiving the entire record and the parties' written submission on appeal. The commissioner's decision shall be final and binding upon the parties after the time for appeal expires under section 121A.50. Minn. Stat. § 121A.49.

15.06.06 Enrollment Options Program

Legal Citations

(a) An enrollment options program is established to enable any pupil to attend a school or program in a district in which the pupil does not reside, subject to the limitations in this section.

(b) A district may refuse to allow a pupil who is expelled under section 121A.45 to enroll during the term of the expulsion if the student was expelled for:

(1) possessing a dangerous weapon, as defined by United States Code, title 18, section 930, paragraph (g)(2), at school or a school function;

(2) possessing or using an illegal drug at school or a school function;

(3) selling or soliciting the sale of a controlled substance while at school or a school function; or

(4) committing a third-degree assault as described in section 609.223, subdivision 1. Minn. Stat. 124D.03, subd. 1.