Increasing the maximum length of time a student in kindergarten through fourth grade may be expelled or suspended for misconduct from one year to two years has been approved by the Apache Junction Unified School District governing board.
The board on Nov. 12 voted unanimously to approve the change. The board at a meeting Oct. 22 had a first read on the policy for procedures or suspension and expulsion proceedings.
The procedure numbered 5-306A, already in place, is for a student engaged in conduct on school grounds that involves the possession of a dangerous weapon without authorization from the school; the possession, use or sale of a dangerous drug or a narcotic drug; immediately endangers the health or safety of others; or the student’s behavior is determined by the board to qualify as aggravating circumstances, it states.
A building principal or other designated administrator has the authority to suspend a student for 10 school days or less; and the superintendent, a designated hearing officer and the governing board upon appeal are authorized to impose a long-term suspension, with additional wording proposed to be added — “not to exceed two years or 730 days,” the policy is to state.
“We’re updating this policy. You already have a policy about long-term suspension and expulsion,” AJUSD Superintendent Dr. Robert Pappalardo said to the governing board Oct. 22. “If you expel a kid, they can appeal to come back in a year; long-term suspension, after a semester if you only do a year. So the recommendation is we do two years and then you don’t have that appeal, OK? Because at year two they are not returning, they are going to find another place. So that takes you out of the equation and everybody understands that school safety comes first.”
Board member Cami Garcia asked about the occasions a long-term suspension would be required.
“So, long-term suspension; something big really has to happen for that year?” she said.
Pappalardo gave an example where a student uses social media to state “‘I’m going to come tomorrow and I’m going to do whatever I’m going to do to the entire campus.’ That will take care of it, right?”
Board Vice President Gil Cancio asked about paragraph C of the policy, long-term suspension.
“Ive got a question there on that highlighted area, ‘not to exceed two years or 730 days.’ OK, are we talking about actual calendar days? he said.
Pappalardo said it would be actual calendar days not to exceed two years.
Board President Dena Kimble asked if the legal department had looked at the changes and Pappalardo said they had.
AJUSD has three elementary schools, a junior high school and a high school. The district is from Meridian Road on the west to the town of Queen Valley on the east and from the Goldfield Mountains to the north, south into the San Tan Corridor. Communities served include Apache Junction, Gold Canyon, Peralta Trail, Queen Valley and unincorporated Pinal County land in-between.
Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.
Meet Richard Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.
Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions.
Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.
Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.
Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.
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