(a) Governing bodies of public school units, in consultation with teachers, school-based administrators, parents, and local law enforcement agencies, shall adopt policies to govern the conduct of students and establish procedures to be followed by school officials in disciplining students. These policies must be consistent with the provisions of this Article and the constitutions, statutes, and regulations of the United States and the State of North Carolina. In adopting these policies, governing bodies of public school units shall consider any existing federal guidance for the discipline of students with disabilities as well as other guidance on school discipline practices issued by the United States Department of Education.

(b) Governing body policies shall include or provide for the development of a Code of Student Conduct that notifies students of the standards of behavior expected of them, conduct that may subject them to discipline, and the range of disciplinary measures that may be used by school officials.

(b1) No later than September 1 of each year, each governing body of a public school unit shall provide the Department of Public Instruction with a copy of its most up-to-date student discipline policies and Code of Student Conduct.

(c) Governing body policies may authorize suspension for conduct not occurring on educational property, but only if the student’s conduct otherwise violates the Code of Student Conduct and the conduct has or is reasonably expected to have a direct and immediate impact on the orderly and efficient operation of the schools or the safety of individuals in the school environment.

(d) Governing body policies shall not allow students to be long-term suspended or expelled from school solely for truancy or tardiness offenses and shall not allow short-term suspension of more than two days for such offenses.

(e) Governing body policies shall not impose mandatory long-term suspensions or expulsions for specific violations unless otherwise provided in State or federal law.

(f) Governing body policies shall minimize the use of long-term suspension and expulsion by restricting the availability of long-term suspension or expulsion to those violations deemed to be serious violations of the governing body’s Code of Student Conduct that either threaten the safety of students, staff, or school visitors or threaten to substantially disrupt the educational environment. Examples of conduct that would not be deemed to be a serious violation include the use of inappropriate or disrespectful language, noncompliance with a staff directive, dress code violations, and minor physical altercations that do not involve weapons or injury. The principal may, however, in his or her discretion, determine that aggravating circumstances justify treating a minor violation as a serious violation.

(g) Governing body policies shall not prohibit the superintendent and principals from considering the student’s intent, disciplinary and academic history, the potential benefits to the student of alternatives to suspension, and other mitigating or aggravating factors when deciding whether to recommend or impose long-term suspension.

(h) Governing body policies shall include the procedures to be followed by school officials in suspending, expelling, or administering corporal punishment to any student, which shall be consistent with this Article.

(i) Each governing body of a public school unit shall publish all policies, administrative procedures, or school rules mandated by this section and make them available to each student and his or her parent at the beginning of each school year and upon request. This information shall include the full range of responses to violations of disciplinary rules, including responses that do not remove a student from the classroom or school building. Governing bodies may require students and parents or guardians to sign an acknowledgement that they have received a copy of such policies, procedures, or rules.

(j) Governing bodies of public school units are encouraged to include in their safe schools plans, adopted pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-105.47, research-based behavior management programs that take positive approaches to improving student behaviors.

(k) School officials are encouraged to use a full range of responses to violations of disciplinary rules, such as conferences, counseling, peer mediation, behavior contracts, instruction in conflict resolution and anger management, detention, academic interventions, community service, and other similar tools that do not remove a student from the classroom or school building.

(l) Governing body policies shall state that absences under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 130A-440 shall not be suspensions. A student subject to an absence under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 130A-440 shall be provided the following:

(1) The opportunity to take textbooks and school-furnished digital devices home for the duration of the absence.

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(2) Upon request, the right to receive all missed assignments and, to the extent practicable, the materials distributed to students in connection with the assignment.

(3) The opportunity to take any quarterly, semester, or grading period examinations missed during the absence period.

(m) Nothing in this section or any section of this Chapter shall be construed as regulating the discretion of a governing body of a public school unit to devise, impose, and enforce personal appearance codes. (2011-282, s. 2; 2015-222, s. 4.5; 2022-74, s. 7.7(b).)