SB 31 - Pub. Schools - disciplinary problem students

Georgia Senate - 1995/1996 Sessions

SB 31 - Pub. Schools - disciplinary problem students

Page Numbers - 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5
Code Sections - 20-2-256/ 20-2-764/ 20-2-765/ 20-2-766/ 20-2-695
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1. Scott  36th            2. Ray  19th               3. Gillis  20th
4. Clay  37th             5. Stokes  43rd

Senate Comm: Ed / House Comm: Ed / Senate Vote: Yeas 54 Nays 1 --------------------------------------------- Senate Action House --------------------------------------------- 1/10/95 Read 1st time 2/3/95 1/31/95 Favorably Reported 3/10/95 Sub Committee Amend/Sub 2/1/95 Read 2nd Time 2/6/95 2/2/95 Read 3rd Time 3/15/95 2/2/95 Passed/Adopted 3/15/95 CS Comm/Floor Amend/Sub FAs 3/17/95 Amend/Sub Agreed To 4/3/95 Sent To Governor 4/7/95 Signed by Governor 234 Act/Veto Number 7/1/95 Effective Date --------------------------------------------- Code Sections amended: 20-2-764, 20-2-765, 20-2-766
SB 31 95 SB31/AP SENATE BILL 31 By: Senators Scott of the 36th, Ray of the 19th, Gillis of the 20th and others A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT 1- 1 To amend Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of 1- 2 Georgia Annotated, relating to elementary and secondary 1- 3 educaton, so as to provide for state grants for certain 1- 4 educational programs conducted after regular school hours 1- 5 for at-risk youth; to define certain terms; to provide that 1- 6 once a student is identified by an educator as a 1- 7 disciplinary problem, the parent or guardian shall be 1- 8 invited for a school visit and requested to attend a 1- 9 conference; to provide that before a student is permitted to 1-10 return from a suspension or expulsion, the school shall 1-11 request the student's parent or guardian to attend a 1-12 conference between the principal and the student's parent or 1-13 guardian; to provide for related matters; to repeal 1-14 conflicting laws; and for other purposes. 1-15 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: SECTION 1. 1-16 Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia 1-17 Annotated, relating to elementary and secondary education, 1-18 is amended by adding immediately after Code Section 20-2-255 1-19 a new Code Section 20-2-256 to read as follows: 1-20 "20-2-256. (Index) 1-21 (a) As used in this Code section, the term: 1-22 (1) 'After-school program' means any academic program 1-23 conducted after regular school hours to serve only 1-24 students who have previously dropped out of school or 1-25 who have previously failed courses. 1-26 (2) 'Course' means an instructional course for which a 1-27 program count is permissible under Code Section 1-28 20-2-160. 1-29 (3) 'FTE' or 'full-time equivalency' means the program 1-30 cost obtained under the method described in Code Section 1-31 20-2-160. S. B. 31 -1- (Index) SB31/AP 2- 1 (4) 'Student' means a person who is otherwise eligible 2- 2 to be included in a program count under Code Section 2- 3 20-2-160. 2- 4 (b) Two or more local school systems which jointly 2- 5 establish any after-school program for at-risk students 2- 6 shall be eligible to receive a state grant equal to the 2- 7 amount otherwise earned by such students if they were 2- 8 enrolled in equivalent courses in the high school program 2- 9 during the school day and counted as FTE students. The 2-10 State Board of Education is directed to prescribe a method 2-11 of determining full-time equivalency of such programs in 2-12 keeping with Code Section 20-2-160 and shall calculate the 2-13 funds needed for such programs as part of its annual 2-14 budget request." SECTION 2. 2-15 Said chapter is further amended by adding at the end of Part 2-16 2 of Article 16 a new Subpart 3 to read as follows: "Subpart 3 2-17 20-2-764. (Index) 2-18 As used in this subpart, the term: 2-19 (1) 'Chronic disciplinary problem student' means a 2-20 student who exhibits a pattern of behavior 2-21 characteristics which interfere with the learning 2-22 process of students around him or her and which are 2-23 likely to recur. 2-24 (2) 'Expulsion' means expulsion of a student from a 2-25 public school beyond the current school quarter or 2-26 semester. 2-27 (3) 'Suspension' means the short-term suspension of a 2-28 student from a public school for not more than ten days 2-29 or long-term suspension for more than ten days pursuant 2-30 to Code Section 20-2-751. 2-31 20-2-765. (Index) 2-32 Any time a teacher or principal identifies a student as a 2-33 chronic disciplinary problem student, the principal shall 2-34 notify by certified mail with return receipt requested, by 2-35 first-class mail, or by telephone call the student's 2-36 parent or guardian of the disciplinary problem, invite 2-37 such parent or guardian to observe the student in a 2-38 classroom situation, and request at least one parent or S. B. 31 -2- (Index) SB31/AP 3- 1 guardian to attend a conference with the principal or the 3- 2 teacher or both to devise a disciplinary and behavioral 3- 3 correction plan. 3- 4 20-2-766. (Index) 3- 5 Before any student is permitted to return from an 3- 6 expulsion or suspension, the school to which the student 3- 7 is to be readmitted shall request by certified mail with 3- 8 return receipt requested, by first-class mail, or by 3- 9 telephone call at least one parent or guardian to attend a 3-10 conference with the principal or his or her designee to 3-11 devise a disciplinary and behavioral correction plan. 3-12 Failure of the parent or guardian to attend shall not 3-13 preclude the student from being readmitted to the school. 3-14 At the discretion of the principal, a teacher, counselor, 3-15 or other person may attend the conference. The principal 3-16 shall ensure that a notation of the conference is placed 3-17 in the student's permanent file." SECTION 3. 3-18 To amend Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of 3-19 Georgia Annotated, relating to elementary and secondary 3-20 education, so as to change provisions relating to the 3-21 employment, use, and funding of attendance officers; to 3-22 provide for the authority and duties of attendance officers; 3-23 to define certain terms; to provide that once a student is 3-24 identified by an educator as a disciplinary problem, the 3-25 parent or guardian shall be invited for a school visit and 3-26 requested to attend a conference; to provide that before a 3-27 student is permitted to return from a suspension or 3-28 expulsion, the school shall request the student's parent or 3-29 guardian to attend a conference between the principal and 3-30 the student's parent or guardian; to provide for related 3-31 matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. 3-32 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: SECTION 4. 3-33 Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia 3-34 Annotated, relating to elementary and secondary education, 3-35 is amended by striking Code Section 20-2-695, relating to 3-36 employment by local boards of education of attendance 3-37 officers, and inserting in lieu thereof a new Code Section 3-38 20-2-695 to read as follows: 3-39 "20-2-695. (Index) S. B. 31 -3- (Index) SB31/AP 4- 1 (a) A local board of education may employ a person as an 4- 2 attendance officer or attendance officers in lieu of 4- 3 addition to a visiting teacher or visiting teachers only 4- 4 if that person had been employed as an attendance officer 4- 5 by such local board prior to July 1, 1990. Such an 4- 6 attendance officer must be paid wholly from local funds of 4- 7 the local board unless state funds are specifically 4- 8 appropriated for purposes of employment of attendance 4- 9 officers, in which case state funds may be used to the 4-10 extent so appropriated. Attendance officers shall not be 4-11 required to qualify under rules and regulations 4-12 promulgated by the Professional Standards Commission for 4-13 the certification of visiting teachers. 4-14 (b) The authority and duties of any attendance officer so 4-15 appointed by a local board of education shall include: 4-16 (1) The duty to cooperate with state agencies, make 4-17 monthly reports to that officer's school superintendent, 4-18 and comply with state and local rules, as provided in 4-19 Code Section 20-2-696; 4-20 (2) The authority to receive cooperation and attendance 4-21 reports from that officer's school system, as provided 4-22 for in Code Section 20-2-697; 4-23 (3) When specifically authorized by the appointing local 4-24 board of education, the authority to assume temporary 4-25 custody of children absent from school in the same 4-26 manner as authorized for peace officers under Code 4-27 Sections 20-2-698 through 20-2-700; and any attendance 4-28 officer so authorized by the appointing local board of 4-29 education shall when engaged in such function have the 4-30 same duties, authority, rights, privileges, and 4-31 immunities as applicable to a peace officer engaged in 4-32 such function, provided that the same shall not extend 4-33 to the carrying of a weapon unless the attendance 4-34 officer holds a valid certification as a peace officer 4-35 from the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training 4-36 Council; 4-37 (4) The duty to report children absent from school to 4-38 the juvenile court or other court having jurisdiction, 4-39 as provided for in Code Section 20-2-701; and 4-40 (5) Such other authority and duties as may be provided 4-41 by law or as may be provided by the appointing local 4-42 board of education in conformity with law." S. B. 31 -4- (Index) SB31/AP SECTION 5. 5- 1 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are 5- 2 repealed. S. B. 31 -5- (Index)

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Last Updated on 01/02/97