Minnesota School Discipline Laws & Regulations: Alternatives to Suspension

Discipline Compendium

Minnesota School Discipline Laws & Regulations: Alternatives to Suspension

Category: In-School Discipline
Subcategory: Alternatives to Suspension
State: Minnesota

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LAWS

121A.031. School student bullying policy.

Subd. 4. Local policy components.

(a) Each district and school policy implemented under this section must, at a minimum:

(1) designate a staff member as the primary contact person in the school building to receive reports of prohibited conduct under clause (3), ensure the policy and its procedures including restorative practices, consequences, and sanctions are fairly and fully implemented, and serve as the primary contact on policy and procedural matters implicating both the district or school and the department.

121A.45. Grounds for dismissal.

Subd. 3. Parent notification and meeting.–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.

121A.575. Alternatives to pupil suspension.

Notwithstanding any law to the contrary and in accordance with sections 121A.40 to 121A.56, after a school administration notifies a pupil of the grounds for suspension, the school administration may, instead of imposing the suspension, do one or more of the following:

(1) strongly encourage a parent or guardian of the pupil to attend school with the pupil for one day;

(2) assign the pupil to attend school on Saturday as supervised by the principal or the principal's designee; and

(3) petition the juvenile court that the student is in need of services under chapter 260C.

121A.61. Discipline and removal of students from class.

Subd. 3. Policy components.- The policy must include at least the following components:

(t) a prohibition on the use of exclusionary practices for early learners as defined in section 121A.425; and

(u) a prohibition on the use of exclusionary practices to address attendance and truancy issues. 

REGULATIONS

No relevant regulations found.

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