This bill amends existing Iowa law regarding the responsibilities of school districts and charter schools in disciplining students who cause violent or nonviolent disruptions. It modifies the language in Code sections 256.9, 256E.7, and 279.65A to replace references to "making a threat of violence" and "causing an incident of violence" with broader terms that include "causing a violent or nonviolent disruption." The bill defines nonviolent disruptions to include behaviors such as disorderly conduct, abusive language, bullying, and repeated disruptive behavior, while violent disruptions are defined as those resulting from threats or incidents of violence leading to injury, property damage, or assault.

Additionally, the bill mandates that school districts and charter schools develop policies in collaboration with teachers and administrative staff to address these disruptions. Key provisions include the establishment of a placement review committee at each attendance center to determine when a student can return to the classroom after being removed, and the requirement for teachers to remove students causing disruptions and place them under the principal's supervision. The bill also stipulates that students removed for nonviolent disruptions must make up missed work, and if a student is removed multiple times in a year, a meeting involving the teacher, guidance counselor, parent, and student must occur to create a behavioral plan. The policies must ensure that a student removed for a violent disruption cannot return to the classroom without the teacher's consent, particularly if the removal was due to an assault on the teacher.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 256.9, 279.65A