A. Any student who is guilty of an act described in paragraph 1 of subsection C of this section may be suspended out-of-school in accordance with the provisions of this section. Each school district board of education shall adopt a policy with procedures which provides for out-of-school suspension of students. The policy shall address the term of the out-of-school suspension, provide an appeals process as described in subsection B of this section, and provide that before a student is suspended out-of-school, the school or district administration shall consider and apply, if appropriate, alternative in-school placement options that are not to be considered suspension, such as placement in an alternative school setting, reassignment to another classroom, or in-school detention. The policy shall address education for students subject to the provisions of subsection D of this section and whether participation in extracurricular activities shall be permitted.

B.1. Students suspended out-of-school for ten (10) or fewer days shall have the right to appeal the decision of the administration as provided in the policy required in subsection A of this section. The policy shall specify whether appeals for short-term suspensions as provided in this subsection shall be to a local committee composed of district administrators or teachers or both, or to the district board of education. Upon full investigation of the matter, the committee or board shall determine the guilt or innocence of the student and the reasonableness of the term of the out-of-school suspension. If the policy requires appeals for short-term suspensions to a committee, the policy adopted by the board may, but is not required to, provide for appeal of the committee's decision to the board.

Regular meetings of the board of education of each school district shall be held upon the first Monday of each month, or upon such day as may be fixed by the board. Special meetings may be held from time to time as circumstances may demand.

All meetings of the boards of education shall be public meetings, and in all such meetings the vote of each member must be publicly cast and recorded. Executive sessions will be permitted only for the purpose of discussing the employment, hiring, appointment, promotion, demotion, disciplining, or resignations of any or all of the employees or volunteers of the school district, and for the purpose of discussing negotiations concerning employees and representatives of employee groups, and for the purpose of hearing evidence and discussing the expulsion or suspension of a student or students only when requested by the student involved or his or her parent, attorney, or legal guardian; provided, however, that any vote or action thereon must be taken in a public meeting with the vote of each member publicly cast and recorded. It is required that the board of education shall provide notice to the student, his or her parent, attorney or legal guardian that said student is entitled to an executive session regarding the discussion of expulsion or suspension of said student.