RALEIGH -- Zero tolerance rules that mandate strict punishments are about to be eased in the Wake County school system as part of an effort to keep more students in school and off the streets.
School administrators say that some punishments are too harsh and should be changed to match the severity of the offenses that are committed. In a first step on Tuesday, a frequently divided school board unanimously backed changing policy so that long-term suspended students will no longer be kicked out for the rest of the school year.
The board will have to approve the change one more time next month before it goes into effect.
"Students who are absent from school for more than 10 days are more likely to not do as well academically and drop out of school," said Marvin Connelly, Wake's assistant superintendent for student support services.
Currently, a long-term suspension in Wake means a student is barred from class for the rest of the school year, with no exceptions. But the new policy, which matches state guidelines, says long-term suspensions can now be as short as 11 days.
Principals would be given the flexibility to determine how long the suspension, which could still last the rest of the school year, should last.
The change was welcomed by members of both factions of the school board who have often split 5-4 on issues such as dropping the socioeconomic diversity policy.
"When children are left to the streets for a year or better, they'll do drugs and join gangs and not likely come back," said school board member John Tedesco.
Connelly said more changes are coming based on recommendations developed by a team of educators charged with coming up with a way to reduce student suspensions. Last school year, 833 students received long-term suspensions, and 19,396 short-term suspensions of 10 days or less were issued.
Next month, Connelly said, they'll present the board with recommendations on which offenses should no longer automatically be subject to a long-term suspension. Wake's zero tolerance policies mean many offenses, such as two-on-one fights, are automatically treated as long-term suspensions even though it's not mandated by state law.
Historically, the most common reasons students receive long-term suspensions are possession of an illegal substance, minor assault and possession of a weapon that's not a firearm.
While principals will be given flexibility, Connelly said they'll try to develop some consistency among schools for lengths of suspensions. He warned that making these changes and finding more ways to keep students in school will require spending more on alternative education.
Also on Tuesday, the board agreed to allow schools to once again be named in honor of people.
In 1988, the board had adopted a policy to allow schools to be named only for geographic locations. Schools already named after people were grandfathered.
