Local school boards must adopt student codes of conduct that specify the circumstances under which students can be removed to disciplinary alternative education programs (DAEPs), suspended, or expelled. The code of conduct cannot violate the disciplinary provisions in the Texas Education Code but can establish rules where the code itself is either silent or allows for local discretion.
Each school district’s code of conduct must be posted and prominently displayed on every campus within a district or made available for review at the principal’s office.
The Texas Education Code requires that the code of conduct:
Specify when students may be removed from class or campus, consistent with legal requirements.
Specify when a student can or must be removed to a disciplinary alternative education program.
Outline when a student may be suspended or expelled.
Specify whether consideration will be given to the student’s intent, prior disciplinary history, or disability, or whether the action was self-defense.
Provide guidelines as to the length of the student’s removal, suspension, or expulsion.
Provide appropriate options for managing student behavior.