An Administrator's Guide to California Private School Law

Chapter 15 – Student Discipline

Section 7 W HAT A DDITIONAL R ECORDS M UST A S CHOOL K EEP W ITH R ESPECT T O S TUDENT A BSENCES A ND W ITHDRAWALS ? A. S TUDENT A BSENCES A private school must keep the attendance of the pupils in the school in a “register.” 2122 It must clearly indicate every absence of a pupil from school for a half a day or more. 2123 B. W ITHDRAWAL O F S TUDENTS A private school is required to report to the county superintendent of schools the “severance” from school beyond 10 school days of every pupil subject to compulsory education. 2124 In addition, a private school must report to the county superintendent of schools the “denial of admission” of any student qualified as disabled under federal or state laws who is subject to compulsory education. 2125 The report must include the name, age, last known address, and exemption, transfer, or suspension of the student. 2126 I NTRODUCTION An effective, defensible approach to student discipline is essential. One of the major differences between private and public schools is the ability of a private school to create and enforce contractual standards of conduct that support the learning environment. While student discipline in private schools in California is not generally regulated by the California Education Code and other constitutional due process requirements, there are certain restrictions that apply. And although private schools have significantly greater discretion in regards to student discipline than public schools, they do not have carte blanche to impose discipline arbitrarily. The discussion that follows explains the general legal guidelines and issues that private schools face when imposing student discipline. C HAPTER 15 – S TUDENT D ISCIPLINE Section 1

An Administrator’s Guide to California Private School Law ©2019 Liebert Cassidy Whitmore 510