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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>68197</law_id><section_number>22.1-277.2:1</section_number><catch_line>Disciplinary authority of school boards under certain circumstances; alternative education program</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>22.1-266</reference><reference>22.1-276.01</reference><reference>22.1-277.2:2</reference><reference>22.1-289</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="22.1">Education</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="14">Pupils</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="3">Discipline</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> A <span class="dictionary">school board</span> may, in accordance with the procedures set forth in this article, require any student who has been (i) <span class="dictionary">charged</span> with an <span class="dictionary">offense</span> relating to the Commonwealth&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">laws</span>, or with a violation of <span class="dictionary">school board</span> policies, on weapons, alcohol or drugs, or intentional injury to another person, or with an <span class="dictionary">offense</span> that is required to be disclosed to the <span class="dictionary">superintendent</span> of the school division pursuant to subsection G of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Intake; petition; investigation" href="/16.1-260/">16.1-260</a>; (ii) found guilty or not innocent of an <span class="dictionary">offense</span> relating to the Commonwealth&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">laws</span> on weapons, alcohol, or drugs, or of a <span class="dictionary">crime</span> that resulted in or could have resulted in injury to others, or of an <span class="dictionary">offense</span> that is required to be disclosed to the <span class="dictionary">superintendent</span> of the school division pursuant to subsection G of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Intake; petition; investigation" href="/16.1-260/">16.1-260</a>; (iii) found to have committed a serious <span class="dictionary">offense</span> or repeated <span class="dictionary">offenses</span> in violation of <span class="dictionary">school board</span> policies; (iv) suspended pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Long-term suspensions; procedures; readmission" href="/22.1-277.05/">22.1-277.05</a>; or (v) expelled pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Expulsions; procedures; readmission" href="/22.1-277.06/">22.1-277.06</a>, <a class="law" title="Expulsion of students under certain circumstances; exceptions" href="/22.1-277.07/">22.1-277.07</a>, or <a class="law" title="Expulsion of students for certain drug offenses" href="/22.1-277.08/">22.1-277.08</a>, or subsection C of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Suspensions and expulsions of students generally" href="/22.1-277/">22.1-277</a>, to attend an alternative education program. A <span class="dictionary">school board</span> may require such student to attend such programs regardless of where the <span class="dictionary">crime</span> occurred. <span class="dictionary">School boards</span> may require any student who has been found, in accordance with the procedures set forth in this article, to have been in <span class="dictionary">possession</span> of, or under the influence of, drugs or alcohol on a school bus, on school property, or at a school-sponsored activity in violation of <span class="dictionary">school board</span> policies, to undergo evaluation for drug or alcohol abuse, or both, and, if recommended by the evaluator and with the consent of the student&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">parent</span>, to participate in a treatment program.
			As used in this section, the term &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">charged</span>&#x201D; means that a <span class="dictionary">petition</span> or warrant has been filed or is pending against a pupil. <a id="paragraph-246840" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/22.1-277.2_1/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> A <span class="dictionary">school board</span> may adopt regulations authorizing the <span class="dictionary">division superintendent</span> or his designee to require students to attend an alternative education program consistent with the provisions of subsection A after (i) written notice to the student and his <span class="dictionary">parent</span> that the student will be required to attend an alternative education program and (ii) notice of the opportunity for the student or his <span class="dictionary">parent</span> to participate in a <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> to be conducted by the <span class="dictionary">division superintendent</span> or his designee regarding such placement. The decision of the superintendent or his designee regarding such alternative education placement shall be final unless altered by the <span class="dictionary">school board</span>, upon timely written <span class="dictionary">petition</span>, as established in regulation, by the student or his <span class="dictionary">parent</span>, for a review of the record by the <span class="dictionary">school board</span>. <a id="paragraph-246841" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/22.1-277.2_1/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> A <span class="dictionary">school board</span> may adopt regulations authorizing the principal or his designee to impose a short-term suspension, pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Short-term suspension; procedures; readmission" href="/22.1-277.04/">22.1-277.04</a>, upon a student who has been <span class="dictionary">charged</span> with an <span class="dictionary">offense</span> involving intentional injury enumerated in subsection G of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Intake; petition; investigation" href="/16.1-260/">16.1-260</a>, to another student in the same school pending a decision as to whether to require that such student attend an alternative education program. <a id="paragraph-246842" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/22.1-277.2_1/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1990, c. 835; 1995, cc. 724, 755, 801; 1998, c. 355; 1999, c. 457; 2000, c. 577, &#xA7; 22.1-277.1; 2001, cc. 688, 820; 2003, c. 119; 2009, c. 208; 2018, c. 585.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
