A basic element of effective prevention of misconduct is the setting of division wide school rules which are implemented consistently. Students may be disciplined for conduct incompatible with a PK-12 educational environment, for conduct specifically in violation of Prince William County School Board policies and regulations, certain provisions of state and federal law, those offenses summarized below, or other conduct that has a negative impact on the operation of the school; the health, safety, or security of students, staff, or school property; or the educational opportunities of other students. Equitable and consistent implementation of rules and regulations shall occur across school sites and within all student groups.
The principal has the authority to set the appropriate consequences for infractions, which may range from counseling to a referral for further disciplinary action (long-term suspension, placement in a nontraditional setting, or recommendation for expulsion) by the Student Hearings Department, or the School Board depending on the severity of the infraction. The student’s age and grade level, the circumstances surrounding the infraction, and other relevant factors will be considered when determining the appropriate corrective measure.
In making certain disciplinary decisions, PWCS takes into account the presence of aggravating circumstances. As defined by the VDOE, aggravating circumstances include:
- Misconduct that caused serious harm (including but not limited to physical, emotional, and psychological harm) to another person(s) or posed a credible threat of serious harm to another person(s), as determined by a behavioral threat assessment.
- The student’s presence in the school poses an ongoing and unreasonable risk to the safety of the school, its students, staff, or others in the school.
- The student engaged in a serious offense that was persistent and unresponsive to targeted interventions as documented through an established intervention process. The Code of Virginia requires that the above also include consideration of the student’s disciplinary history.
Please see the Tiered Responses to Student Misconduct for guidance on possible interventions and disciplinary consequences for violations of the COB.
Student Behavior and Administrative Response (SBAR) Codes
The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) provides guidelines for school division responses to certain student misconduct and codes that allow reporting of misconduct. These guidelines are voluntary and PWCS generally follows VDOE guidance. In the tables, an “X” denotes options that are available for consideration of disciplinary consequences. However, in some instances PWCS may impose more serious consequences for certain offenses considered particularly serious. In the categories below, any violation of the Code of Behavior marked with an asterisk (*) indicates that available disciplinary responses are higher than the minimum VDOE recommendation. For example, due to the seriousness of the conduct, PWCS considers the following offenses to be of particular concern, and therefore consideration of expulsion (Level 5) is mandatory:
- Possession of controlled substances, imitation controlled substances, or marijuana, as set forth in Regulation 735-1, “Prohibited Substances;”
- Possession of firearms or other statutory weapons and the use of any weapon or ordinary object used as a weapon to harm, threaten or intimidate a student or staff member, as set forth in Regulation 775-1, “Weapons and Other Prohibited Objects;”
- Assault and battery of a school staff member; and
- Group assaults.