(a) To expel pupils guilty of gross disobedience or misconduct, including gross disobedience or misconduct perpetuated by electronic means, pursuant to subsection (b-20) of this Section, and no action shall lie against them for such expulsion. Expulsion shall take place only after the parents have been requested to appear at a meeting of the board, or with a hearing officer appointed by it, to discuss their child's behavior. Such request shall be made by registered or certified mail and shall state the time, place and purpose of the meeting. The board, or a hearing officer appointed by it, at such meeting shall state the reasons for dismissal and the date on which the expulsion is to become effective. If a hearing officer is appointed by the board, he shall report to the board a written summary of the evidence heard at the meeting and the board may take such action thereon as it finds appropriate. If the board acts to expel a pupil, the written expulsion decision shall detail the specific reasons why removing the pupil from the learning environment is in the best interest of the school. The expulsion decision shall also include a rationale as to the specific duration of the expulsion. An expelled pupil may be immediately transferred to an alternative program in the manner provided in Article 13A or 13B of this Code [105 ILCS 5/13A-0.5 et seq. or 105 ILCS 5/13B-1 et seq.]. A pupil must not be denied transfer because of the expulsion, except in cases in which such transfer is deemed to cause a threat to the safety of students or staff in the alternative program. [...]

Any suspension shall be reported immediately to the parents or guardians of a pupil along with a full statement of the reasons for such suspension and a notice of their right to a review. The school board must be given a summary of the notice, including the reason for the suspension and the suspension length. Upon request of the parents or guardians, the school board or a hearing officer appointed by it shall review such action of the superintendent or principal, assistant principal, or dean of students. At such review, the parents or guardians of the pupil may appear and discuss the suspension with the board or its hearing officer. If a hearing officer is appointed by the board, he shall report to the board a written summary of the evidence heard at the meeting. After its hearing or upon receipt of the written report of its hearing officer, the board may take such action as it finds appropriate. If a student is suspended pursuant to this subsection (b), the board shall, in the written suspension decision, detail the specific act of gross disobedience or misconduct resulting in the decision to suspend. The suspension decision shall also include a rationale as to the specific duration of the suspension. A pupil who is suspended in excess of 20 school days may be immediately transferred to an alternative program in the manner provided in Article 13A or 13B of this Code. A pupil must not be denied transfer because of the suspension, except in cases in which such transfer is deemed to cause a threat to the safety of students or staff in the alternative program.

(b) Each regional superintendent shall hold a public hearing, by December 1 of the school year following the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1995, to determine the need for an alternative school. The hearing shall be held before the regional board. The regional superintendent, after consulting with the district superintendent of each school district located within the regional superintendent's educational service region and the regional board, shall determine the location and the need of the alternative school within that region. In making this determination, the regional superintendent shall consider the following:

A student who is determined to be subject to suspension or expulsion in the manner provided by Section 10-22.6 [105 ILCS 5/10-22.6] (or, in the case of a student enrolled in the public schools of a school district organized under Article 34, in accordance with the uniform system of discipline established under Section 34-19 [105 ILCS 5/34-19]) may be immediately transferred to the alternative program. At the earliest time following that transfer appropriate personnel from the sending school district and appropriate personnel of the alternative program shall meet to develop an alternative education plan for the student. The student's parent or guardian shall be invited to this meeting. The student may be invited. The alternative educational plan shall include, but not be limited to all of the following:

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article, if a student for whom an individualized educational program has been developed under Article 14 is transferred to an alternative school program under this Article 13A, that individualized educational program shall continue to apply to that student following the transfer unless modified in accordance with the provisions of Article 14.

Nothing in this Section affects the power of the board to establish rules with respect to discipline; except that each board shall establish a policy on discipline, and the policy so established shall provide, subject to the limitations of all policies established or adopted under Section 14-8.05 [105 ILCS 5/14-8.05], that a teacher, other certificated employee, and any other person, whether or not a certificated employee, providing a related service for or with respect to a student may use reasonable force as needed to maintain safety for the other students, school personnel or persons or for the purpose of self defense or the defense of property, shall provide that a teacher may remove a student from the classroom for disruptive behavior, and shall include provisions which provide due process to students. The policy shall not include slapping, paddling or prolonged maintenance of students in physically painful positions nor shall it include the intentional infliction of bodily harm.

The board may make and enforce reasonable rules of conduct and sportsmanship for athletic and extracurricular school events. Any person who violates such rules may be denied admission to school events for not more than one year, provided that written 10 days notice of the violation is given such person and a hearing had thereon by the board pursuant to its rules and regulations. The administration of any school may sign complaints as agents of the school against persons committing any offense at school events.

(a) Office of Chronic Truant Adjudication. The board shall establish and implement an Office of Chronic Truant Adjudication, which shall be responsible for administratively adjudicating cases of chronic truancy and imposing appropriate sanctions. The board shall appoint or employ hearing officers to perform the adjudicatory functions of that Office. Principals and other appropriate personnel may refer pupils suspected of being chronic truants, as defined in Section 26-2a of this Code [105 ILCS 5/26-2a], to the Office of Chronic Truant Adjudication.

(b) Notices. Before any hearing may be held under subsection (c), the principal of the school attended by the pupil or the principal's designee shall notify the pupil's parent or guardian by personal visit, letter, or telephone of each unexcused absence of the pupil. After giving the parent or guardian notice of the tenth unexcused absence of the pupil, the principal or the principal's designee shall send the pupil's parent or guardian a letter, by certified mail, return receipt requested, notifying the parent or guardian that he or she is subjecting himself or herself to a hearing procedure as provided under subsection (c) and clearly describing any and all possible penalties that may be imposed as provided for in subsections (d) and (e) of this Section.

(c) Hearing. Once a pupil has been referred to the Office of Chronic Truant Adjudication, a hearing shall be scheduled before an appointed hearing officer, and the pupil and the pupil's parents or guardian shall be notified by certified mail, return receipt requested stating the time, place, and purpose of the hearing. The hearing officer shall hold a hearing and render a written decision within 14 days determining whether the pupil is a chronic truant as defined in Section 26-2a of this Code [105 ILCS 5/26-2a] and whether the parent or guardian took reasonable steps to assure the pupil's attendance at school. The hearing shall be private unless a public hearing is requested by the pupil's parent or guardian, and the pupil may be present at the hearing with a representative in addition to the pupil's parent or guardian. The board shall present evidence of the pupil's truancy, and the pupil and the parent or guardian or representative of the pupil may cross examine witnesses, present witnesses and evidence, and present defenses to the charges. All testimony at the hearing shall be taken under oath administered by the hearing officer. The decision of the hearing officer shall constitute an "administrative decision" for purposes of judicial review under the Administrative Review Law [735 ILCS 5/3-101 et seq.].

(d) Penalties. The hearing officer may require the pupil or the pupil's parent or guardian or both the pupil and the pupil's parent or guardian to do any or all of the following: perform reasonable school or community services for a period not to exceed 30 days; complete a parenting education program; obtain counseling or other supportive services; and comply with an individualized educational plan or service plan as provided by appropriate school officials. If the parent or guardian of the chronic truant shows that he or she took reasonable steps to insure attendance of the pupil at school, he or she shall not be required to perform services.

(e) Non-compliance with sanctions. If a pupil determined by a hearing officer to be a chronic truant or the parent or guardian of the pupil fails to comply with the sanctions ordered by the hearing officer under subsection (c) of this Section, the Office of Chronic Truant Adjudication may refer the matter to the State's Attorney for prosecution under Section 3-33.5 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 [705 ILCS 405/3-33.5].

(f) Limitation on applicability. Nothing in this Section shall be construed to apply to a parent or guardian of a pupil not required to attend a public school pursuant to Section 26-1 [105 ILCS 5/26-1].

Subject to the limitations of all policies established or adopted under Section 14-8.05 [105 ILCS 5/14-8.05], teachers, other certificated educational employees, and any other person, whether or not a certificated employee, providing a related service for or with respect to a student shall maintain discipline in the schools, including school grounds which are owned or leased by the board and used for school purposes and activities. In all matters relating to the discipline in and conduct of the schools and the school children, they stand in the relation of parents and guardians to the pupils. This relationship shall extend to all activities connected with the school program, including all athletic and extracurricular programs, and may be exercised at any time for the safety and supervision of the pupils in the absence of their parents or guardians.

Nothing in this Section affects the power of the board to establish rules with respect to discipline, except that the rules of the board must provide, subject to the limitations of all policies established or adopted under Section 14-8.05 [105 ILCS 5/14-8.05], that a teacher, other certificated employee, and any other person, whether or not a certificated employee, providing a related service for or with respect to a student may use reasonable force as needed to maintain safety for the other students, shall provide that a teacher may remove a student from the classroom for disruptive behavior, and must include provisions which provide due process to students.