School Discipline Laws & Regulations by State & Category

The General Assembly shall annually provide an appropriation for the operation of the Comprehensive School Discipline Improvement Program in the budget appropriation bill. From the funds appropriated, the Department may allocate funds to the public school districts for the financial support of various components of the program.

(1) The Council shall issue prevention funding to local school districts proposing to establish an integrated plan to deliver prevention services including, but not limited to, academic tutoring and student mentoring programs to provide at-risk students with the extra help they may need to succeed academically and with positive adult role models; outreach programs to promote parental, family and community involvement in students' academic studies and in reducing and resolving school discipline problems; school-linked support services to help students with family or health problems that may be adversely affecting their academic performance and their conduct at school; training to help students and school personnel resolve conflicts peacefully and non-disruptively; and assistance to help teachers better manage the behavior of students in their classrooms.

(3) The Council shall provide technical assistance to districts preparing applications and ongoing assistance to districts awarded funding pursuant to this section.

(a) The Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health shall allocate and award all funds appropriated for any purposes set forth in § 3801 and elsewhere in this chapter. Such funds shall be awarded only to programs or projects, undertaken jointly by a law enforcement entity and a local school district or other public school entity, to prevent and/or suppress substance abuse and the trafficking of prohibited or controlled substances in the public schools. All applications for such funds shall be applications made jointly by the school and law enforcement entities involved in the proposed project.

(b) In the allocation and awarding of funds to joint law enforcement and public school recipients, the Division shall obtain the comments and recommendations of the State Drug-free School Advisory Committee. All allocation and awarding of funds by the Division shall be in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act, and with those guidelines promulgated by the State Drug-free School Advisory Committee which do not conflict with existing state laws.

(c) Each application shall be accompanied by a fiscal note, prepared by the joint applicants, which sets forth all anticipated first-year costs and the anticipated total costs of the project or program. The Division may return any application to the applicant with a request that any or all expenses be more fully set out, together with the applicant's explanations or reasons for each projected cost or expense.

(a) All criteria for the rating of applications for funds under this chapter shall be developed by the State Drug-free School Advisory Committee. The State Drug-free School Advisory Committee shall be composed of 16 members appointed by the Governor: 1 police chief; 1 sheriff; 1 prosecutor from the State Department of Justice who specializes in drug and/or alcohol cases; 1 attorney primarily engaged in criminal defense; 1 person from each county appointed by an active parent group or community-based group concerned primarily with drug and/or alcohol problems; 1 representative of the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health; 1 county drug and/or alcohol program administrator; and a permanent, full-time member of a drug treatment clinic or office, public or private. In addition, membership shall include the Attorney General or the Attorney General's designee; 4 members who are professional employees of the Department of Education, 1 of whom shall be the Secretary of Education; and a drug and/or alcohol prevention professional employed by the Department of Education. The Committee shall review applications made to the Division for those funds which are awarded pursuant to this chapter, and shall recommend approval for those applications which the Committee deems appropriate, and which it deems are consistent with the guidelines and procedures established pursuant to this chapter. The Division shall not approve nor release any funds until approval under § 3805(b) of this title is first obtained.

(b) The State Drug-free School Advisory Committee shall develop specific guidelines and procedures which shall set forth the terms and conditions upon which grants of funds are made. Funds disbursed under this chapter shall not be used for the acquisition of equipment.

(c) Funds disbursed under this chapter shall not be used to pay informants for information on drug and/or alcohol offenders. Not more than 10 percent of the total amount of funds disbursed under this chapter shall be used for administrative costs.

(a) A local drug-free school advisory committee may be established and appointed by each local board of education. Such committee may be either a newly created committee, or an existing local drug and alcohol abuse committee formerly established by the county, municipality or school district. Although the committee may have additional members, its basic membership shall be composed of the following residents of the district or area affected:

(b) No project or program, financed in whole or in part with funds under this chapter, shall begin in any school until such project or program has first received the approval of the local drug-free school advisory committee.

(a) Funds shall be awarded primarily for projects undertaken jointly by the school district or other public school entity, and a law enforcement entity. In participating in any joint application for the funds, the public school entity shall consult with the superintendent of each affected school. Any funds disbursed under this chapter are supplemental to and shall not supplant local funds which would, in the absence of this chapter, be otherwise available to suppress and prevent drug and alcohol abuse among school age children, or which otherwise would be used to curtail drug and alcohol trafficking in and around schools, parks and playgrounds.

(b) When applying for funds under this chapter, the local law enforcement entity and the public school entity may jointly enter into those agreements between themselves which would allow and facilitate the administrative, fiscal and operational responsibilities created by their joint project or program.

(c) Funds disbursed under the provisions of this chapter shall be utilized primarily for enhanced apprehension, prevention, and education efforts, and for obtaining material and information resources relating to drug and alcohol abuse and drug trafficking in and around schools, parks and playgrounds. Enhanced apprehension, prevention and education efforts shall include, but are not limited to:

(d) Duties of the Department of Education.

2.0. Application for Funding