School Discipline Guide
Minnesota Students with Disabilities - Parent Information
Table of Contents
- 1 – Introduction
- 2 – Begin the Discipline Guide
- 3 – On IEP and the discipline is?
- 4 – Recess detention
- 5 – Removal from class
- 6 – Sent home before the end of the school day
- 7 – Restraint or removal from school by a peace officer
- 8 – In-school suspension
- 9 – Suspension from the bus
- 12 – Out-of-school suspension
- 13 – Up to five days
- 14 – More than five days
- 15 – More than 10 consecutive school days or more than 10 total school days for this school year
- 25 – Expulsion or exclusion
- 35 – Concerns about the school not following required discipline procedures
- 3 – On IEP and the discipline is?
- 36 – Conclusion
- Definitions
Concerns about the school not following required discipline procedures
Parents need to know:
Minnesota Statutes require every school board to adopt a written, districtwide school discipline policy which includes a discipline complaint procedure that you or anyone in the school community may use to file a complaint about how discipline policies were applied to your child, and to seek corrective action.1
Minnesota Statutes require that every school district discipline complaint procedure include, at a minimum:
- Procedures for communicating the district discipline complaint procedure to parents and explicit instructions for filing a complaint, including how to appeal a school board decision to expel or exclude their child2
- An opportunity for parties involved in a discipline complaint to submit additional information related to the complaint3
- A procedure to begin the investigation of a discipline complaint within three school days of the district receiving the complaint and identify the school staff who will manage the investigation and any resulting record of the investigation and be responsible for keeping and regulating access to the record4
- Procedures for issuing a written determination to the person who filed the discipline complaint that addresses each allegation and includes findings and conclusions5
- Procedures that require a corrective action plan to correct a student’s record and provide relevant staff with training, coaching, or other accountability practices to ensure appropriate compliance with the PFDA* and the districtwide school discipline policy in the future, if the investigation finds that any requirements of PFDA or the districtwide school discipline policy were not appropriately implemented6
- The prohibition of reprisals or retaliation against any person who asserts, alleges, or reports a discipline complaint and procedures for applying appropriate consequences for a person who engages in reprisal or retaliation7
Next steps:
If you have difficulty finding the districtwide school discipline policy or the discipline complaint procedure for your school district, or if you have questions about your district’s discipline policy or complaint procedure, you can reach out to your school administration for guidance or contact a PACER advocate.
Minnesota Statutes
1 - Minn. Stat. § 121A.61, subd. 1.
2 - Minn. Stat. § 121A.61, subd. 4(1).
3 - Minn. Stat. § 121A.61, subd. 4(2).
4 - Minn. Stat. § 121A.61, subd. 4(3).
5 - Minn. Stat. § 121A.61, subd. 4(4).
6 - Minn. Stat. § 121A.61, subd. 4(5).
7 - Minn. Stat. § 121A.61, subd. 4(6).
This resource is made possible with funding from the Minnesota Department of Education.