The following is excerpted from Fairfield Board of Education Policy # 5114(a-f) – Suspension/Expulsion/Due Process.  The complete policy, together with the entire Fairfield Board of Education Policy Manual, is available, in writing, in all school and district offices and online at www.fairfieldschools.org

SUSPENSION AND EXPULSION / DUE PROCESS 5114(a)  

I. Definitions  

A. Emergency means a situation in which the continued presence of’ the student in school poses such a danger to persons or property or such a disruption of the educational process that a hearing may be delayed until a time as soon after the exclusion of such student as possible.  

B. Exclusion means any denial of public school privileges to a student for disciplinary purposes.  

C. Expulsion is defined as an exclusion from school privileges for any student in grades three through twelve, inclusive for more than ten (10) consecutive school days and shall be deemed to include, but not be limited to, exclusion from the school to which such student was assigned at the time such disciplinary action was taken, provided such exclusion shall not extend beyond a period of one (1) calendar year. Such period of exclusion may extend to the school year following the school year in which such exclusion was imposed.  

D. Removal is the exclusion of a student for a class period of ninety (90) minutes or less.  

E. School Days shall mean days when school is in session for students.  

F. School-Sponsored Activity means any activity sponsored, recognized or authorized  

G. Seriously Disruptive of the Educational Process means any conduct that markedly interrupts or severely impedes the day-to day operation of a school.  

H. Suspension means the exclusion of a student from school arid/or transportation services for not more than ten (10) consecutive  school days, provided such suspension shall not extend beyond the end of the school year in which such suspension is imposed;  and further provided no student shall be suspended more than ten (10) times or a total of fifty (50) days in one school year, whichever results in fewer days of exclusion, unless such student is granted a formal hearing as provided below. All suspensions pursuant to this Policy shall be in-school suspensions unless during the hearing held pursuant to Section V of this Policy, (1) the administration determines that the student in grades three through twelve, inclusive being suspended poses such a danger to persons or property or such a disruption of the educational process that the student shall be excluded from school during the period of suspension, or (2) the administration determines that an out-of-school suspension is appropriate for such student based on evidence of (A) previous disciplinary problems that have led to suspensions or expulsion of such student, and (B) efforts by the administration to address such disciplinary problems through means other than out-of-school suspension or expulsion, including positive behavioral support strategies. An in-school suspension may be served in the school that the student attends, or in any school building under the jurisdiction of the board of education.  

A student in grades preschool to two, inclusive, may be given an out-of-school suspension if it is determined by the administration that such suspension is appropriate based on evidence that the student’s conduct on school grounds is or a violent or of a sexual nature that endangers persons. In addition, a person’s duty as a mandated reporter to report suspected child abuse or neglect is not limited by this provision.  

I. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the reassignment of a student from one regular education classroom program in the district to another regular education classroom program in the district shall not constitute a suspension or expulsion.  

J. In-School Suspension is defined as an exclusion from regular classroom activity for not more than ten consecutive school days,  but not an exclusion from school, provided such exclusion shall not extend beyond the end of the school year in which such in school suspension was imposed. An in-school suspension may include reassignment to a regular classroom. Program in a different  school in the school district; such reassignment shall not constitute a “suspension” or “expulsion” under this policy.  In-school suspensions shall be served in the school attended by the student.