ON EDUCATING LARUE: Back-to-school policy change

As students enter LaRue County schools to begin a new year of instruction Aug. 8, a few reminders and schedules might be helpful.

The school district strives to provide equitable opportunities for all students in a safe environment. To help ensure that safety and to inform parents and students of what conduct is expected of them, the district has for several years published a code of pupil conduct which is disseminated each year to school employees and parents of enrolled students.

Mike Brown, director of pupil personnel, indicated a couple of changes have been made in the code:

One change addresses the definition of bullying that now reads: “Bullying refers to any intentional act by a student or groups of students directed against another student to ridicule, humiliate or intimidate the other student while on school grounds, or at a school sponsored activity, which acts are repeated against the same student over time.”

Another modification involves the high school’s no-pass, no-drive section which now reads:

1. Students shall be deemed academically deficient if they have not received passing grades in at least four of the six courses taken in the preceding semester. *(Students must pass four of the six courses taken each semester to maintain drivers licenses/permits or be eligible to apply for a driving permit.)

2. Students shall be deemed deficient in attendance when they drop out of school or accumulate nine unexcused absent events during a semester. Suspensions are considered unexcused absences and two unexcused tardies equal one unexcused day absent in applying the No Pass/No Drive statute.

3. Reports of noncompliance based on academic deficiency (grades), dropouts and attendance for the 2012-2013 school year and thereafter will be made beginning with grades from the first fall semester. Students are considered noncompliant until they become compliant or reach age 18. For school purposes, students are noncompliant a full semester until they have time (the following semester or summer school) to improve their grades and/or attendance and meet the No Pass/No Drive compliance requirements.

Yet another change deals with the definition of drug/alcohol violation which now reads: 

DRUGS/ALCOHOL(marijuana, prescription, others, any alcohol/alcoholic items) - use, possession or under the influence; sale, transfer or distribution of a drug, look-a-like drug, prescription medication, over-the-counter medicine, synthetic compounds/substances, or drug paraphernalia including (pipes, roach clips, hemostats, rolling papers).

Drugs are defined as prescription (must be taken in accordance with school policy requiring a written pre-approved medical form completed by a physician) or any substance that has a harmful or unnatural effect on the person using them. This includes possession, use or under the influence on school property or at a school sponsored function. Possession includes items found on school property or at a school sponsored function. (To include, but not limited to locker assigned to student, vehicles driven by the students, any other place deposited by student including purse, backpack, garbage container, etc.)

“Our goal is to provide a document that is clear and concise in sharing our expectations with our students in order to maintain a safe educational environment in our schools,” Sam Sanders, LaRue County Schools superintendent, stated.   

For access to the Code of Conduct, go to the LaRue County District Web page (http://larue.kyschools.us/) under the LCPS DOC pull down or ask for a hard copy from any school in the district.

School start/stop times

Hodgenville Elementary School and Abraham Lincoln Elementary School classes start at 7:45 a.m. and end at 2:55 p.m. Monday through Thursday. On Friday, they start at 7:45 a.m. and end at 1:25 p.m.

LaRue County Middle School and LaRue County High School start at 8 a.m. and end at 3:10 p.m. Monday through Thursday. On Friday, they start at 8 a.m. and end at 1:40.

Preschool

Preschool will be located at the elementary schools this year, not at the board of education.