Effingham County Board of Education Policies

The Effingham County Board of Education has developed board policies which may address some of the subject matter in this Student & Parent Handbook. All board policies apply in addition to the content of this Student & Parent Handbook and should be reviewed by parents and students.

These board policies can be accessed at www.effinghamschools.com/eBoard.

 

Paper copies of these policies can be made available upon request at each school’s front office. Information concerning translated versions of these board policies can also be obtained at each school’s front office. For reference, the Board Policy Manual - Table of Contents is also set forth below.

Technology/Internet Acceptable Use Agreement (AUA)

 

The Effingham County School District is committed to providing staff and students with equitable access to a wide array of digital resources to enhance learning, research, collaboration, and professional development. All use of the District’s technology resources, including internet access, devices, and network systems, is governed by the Effingham County School District Acceptable Use Policy (AUP). This comprehensive policy outlines the terms and conditions for appropriate and responsible technology use, including specific guidelines regarding personal information, prohibited content, copyright, unauthorized access, software installation, data integrity, online conduct, email etiquette, social networking, and system security. All users are expected to familiarize themselves with and adhere to the AUP, as the use of District technology is a privilege, not a right, and violations may result in the revocation of access and/or disciplinary action as outlined in the AUP and other applicable District policies.

Please see Effingham County Board of Education Policy IFBG (Acceptable Use Policy) accessed via the link provided in the Appendix.

Administrative Procedures For Student Drug Abuse Prevention

Rationale: A top priority of the Effingham County School System is to provide a safe and secure environment for all students in order to protect the health and well-being of each individual. An appropriate learning climate must be maintained to ensure such an environment. Because alcohol and other drug use is illegal, hazardous to health, contagious, and interferes with effective learning and proper development of children and adolescents, the system has a legal and ethical obligation to prohibit drug possession or use and to maintain a safe and drug-free educational environment. Effingham County schools maintain a “zero-tolerance” policy in regard to alcohol, illegal drug use, and possession of illegal drugs or imitation illegal drugs.

Standards of Conduct: No student shall possess, sell, use, distribute, or be under the influence of any legal or illegal drug in any form whatsoever, including, but not limited to alcohol, narcotics, cocaine, marijuana, depressants, stimulants, inhalants, hallucinogens, amphetamines, ecstasy, barbiturates, anabolic steroids, any additive or controlled substances, and intoxicants of all kinds, or any substance represented to be or reasonably appearing to be any type of drug. Use of a drug authorized by a medical prescription from a licensed physician shall not be considered a violation of this rule provided it is handled properly through the school nurse office.

Procedures in Reporting Drug-Related Activity:

• Report the incident to the school principal or his/her designated representative. (Students are encouraged to use the district’s Tip411 App as a reporting tool).

• Notify student’s parents or guardians and request them to come to school.

• Notify police.

• Confer with parents or guardians to inform them of prescribed penalties.

• Inform parents or guardians of community resources offering treatment or other assistance for drug/alcohol related problems.

• Assist students who use drugs or abuse alcohol by providing school counseling and drug abuse education and work in cooperation with the county health department, and individual physicians in appropriate health education and health care, and by other appropriate means.

Requirement for Drug Curricula Teacher Training: The Effingham County School System offers students instructionally sound drug education units that are progressively reinforcing from kindergarten through twelfth grade.

Developmentally age-appropriate based grade level curricula is measured by the following criteria:

• Is well integrated into the traditional curricula;
• Builds awareness of the harmful effects of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, cocaine, and other mind-altering drugs;
• Contains a strong no-use message;
• Sets positive standards of behavior for youth;
• Contains current, accurate information, and scientifically researched based prevention strategies;
• Reveals health consequences from latest research;
• Provides multiple opportunities to build decision making, and peer refusal skills;
• Projects parents, teachers, and other authority figures as reasonable and supportive allies in the decision to remain drug free; and
• Teaches students that most people do not illegally use drugs.

All teachers responsible for instruction in the drug education curriculum shall be given in-service training to include essential information about drugs and their effects on physical growth, development, and emotional maturation; and hands-on work with
various exercises initially presented by a qualified resource person.

Search and Seizure: The school principal or his/her representative may institute a search if there are reasonable grounds to believe that the search will reveal evidence that the student is in violation of the law or the rules of the school.

Searches based upon reasonable grounds may proceed without hindrance or delay, but must be conducted in a manner that is
not excessively intrusive in light of the age and sex of the student. If the search of the student’s person, or of his/her possessions, locker, or vehicle reveals that the student is concealing a substance prohibited by federal, state, or local law, school officials may notify law enforcement authorities in order that they may take appropriate action.

Procedures for Handling Drug Abuse Violations: Any student who is under the influence of or has in his/her possession any legal or illegal drug in any form whatsoever, including, but not limited to alcohol, marijuana, or any other illegal drug, or imitation controlled substances on the school grounds before, during, and after school hours, and at any time when the school is being used by any school group; off the school grounds while attending a school activity, function, or any other school related event; off the school grounds and in any manner subject to the jurisdiction of school official; and, engaged in travel to and from school may be suspended from school for a minimum of five days and possibly referred to a Disciplinary Hearing.

The school administration shall conduct a complete investigation of the incident. Upon completion of the investigation, the school administration may report the incident to the Juvenile Court System.

The student shall be suspended from participating in any extra-curricular activities for one complete calendar year for drug related offenses. The student shall also be placed on probation for as long as he/she is a student in an Effingham County school.

Drug-Related Emergency: School administrators shall use their discretion to determine whether an event such as severe intoxication or drug overdose constitutes an emergency.

In the event the administrator determines there is an emergency, the school staff should follow these steps:

• Call for medical assistance immediately.
• Contact parents immediately.
• If parents cannot be reached, continue emergency medical assistance.
• Attempt to obtain information about the ingested drug from the student.
• Designate a faculty member to accompany the student to the medical facility.

Informing Faculty, Students, and Parents: All faculty members, students, and parents/guardians shall be informed of the contents of this administrative procedure through the receipt of the Student and Parent Handbook and the Employee Handbook and of their rights and responsibilities as set forth herein.

Administrative Procedures for Student Drug Testing

Purposes and Intents

The Effingham County Board of Education encourages students to participate in school-sponsored extracurricular activities but believes that the opportunity to participate is a privilege offered to eligible students on an equal opportunity basis. The use of alcohol or other drugs by students participating in school-sponsored extracurricular activities presents a hazard to the health, safety, and welfare of the student participant. The Board recognizes that the unlawful use of alcohol and drugs seriously impairs the health, safety, education, and future success of students engaged in that use.

The Board further recognizes that while the unlawful use of alcohol and drugs is a potential problem for all students, students engaged in school-sponsored extracurricular activities are confronted by special risks which make them particularly vulnerable to the harms presented by that use. Finally, the Board also recognizes that students engaged in school-sponsored extracurricular activities are often viewed by fellow students as holding or enjoying positions of notoriety, such that the unlawful use of alcohol and drugs by students engaged in school-sponsored extracurricular activities may impact or influence the attitudes and actions of other members of the student body.

Thus, the Board believes that testing student participants in school-sponsored extracurricular activities serves the important purpose of detecting and preventing illegal drug and alcohol use among all students in the system.

This policy is intended to support the comprehensive educational policies and programs of the Effingham County School District in educating students and their parents or legal guardians as to the dangers inherent in the unlawful use of alcohol and drugs.

The policy is further intended to provide incentives to high school students engaged in school-sponsored extracurricular activities to avoid such use and to strive for effective rehabilitation when such use has occurred. The results of any drug test administered under this policy will be used only to determine eligibility for participation in school-sponsored extracurricular activities.

The policy is not designed to be used in any manner, voluntarily or involuntarily, to provide a source of information for law enforcement agencies or for the prosecution of the student.

Applicability

This policy applies to all high school students (grades 9-12) who participate in a school-sponsored extracurricular activity within the Effingham County School District. To be eligible to participate in any school-sponsored extracurricular activity, these students must agree to participate in a drug-testing program that includes random drug testing during the school year.

A “school-sponsored extracurricular activity” means, without limitation, all interscholastic athletics, cheerleading, band, drill team, 66 APPENDIX academic clubs, special interest clubs, musical performances, dramatic productions, student government, Fine Arts organizations, industrial technology and agricultural organizations, and any other activity or group that participates in contests, competitions, or community service projects on behalf of or as a representative of the school system. “School-sponsored extracurricular activity” also specifically includes parking a vehicle on school property.

Consent

All students wishing to participate in a school-sponsored extracurricular activity and their parent or legal guardian shall sign
a consent form agreeing to participate in the drug-testing program established by this policy. If the student or his or her parent or guardian declines to sign the consent form, the student will not be permitted to participate in school-sponsored extracurricular activities. Consent forms are valid for the current school year only and must be renewed annually in order for the student to continue to participate in school-sponsored extracurricular activities.

Testing Program

Testing pursuant to this policy shall be accomplished by the analysis of urine specimens obtained from the student participant. Any student who refuses to be tested as required under this policy, who alters, falsifies, attempts to alter, or falsify a test, shall be removed from all school-sponsored extracurricular activities. Collections and testing procedures shall be established, maintained, and administered to ensure (a) randomness of selection procedures, (b) proper student identification, (c) that each specimen is identified with the appropriate student participant, (d) maintenance of the unadulterated integrity of the specimen, and (e) the integrity of the collection and test process as well as the confidentiality of test results.

The urine specimens of participating students shall be tested for all substances which are illegal to buy, possess, use, sell, or distribute under state or federal law, including the following substances:

(a) amphetamines, (b) marijuana (THC), (c) cocaine and its derivatives, (d) opiates, (e) phencyclidine (PCP), (f) benzodiazepine, (g) barbiturates, (h) Methadone, (i) methaqualone, (j) LSD, (k) alcohol, and (l) performance enhancing substances, including anabolic steroids.

Sanctions

Any participating student whose drug test administered pursuant to this policy renders a positive test result as indicated by the testing facility shall be subject to the following consequences:

First Positive Drug Test Result: The participating student and his or her parent or legal guardian will be required to attend a conference with a representative of the Effingham County School District designated by the Superintendent. The student and his or her parent or legal guardian shall be required to attend a program of counseling regarding substance abuse for a period of at least forty-five days. The expense of said program of counseling shall be the responsibility of the student. The student will be subject to recurring drug tests, not random, at times not to be previously disclosed to the student to deter him or her from committing a subsequent violation of the policy for one (1) calendar year.

Second Positive Drug Test Result: The participating student will be suspended from participating in any school-sponsored extracurricular activity for one calendar year. The student will be subject to recurring drug tests, not random, at times not to be previously disclosed to the student to deter him or her from committing a subsequent violation of the policy for one calendar year.

Third Positive Drug Test Result: The participating student will be prohibited from participating in any school-sponsored
extracurricular activities for the remainder of the student’s eligibility.

Drug Testing Procedures

Prior to giving a urine specimen, each student participant shall complete a medical history form (which shall include disclosure
of all prescription drugs currently taken). This form shall identify the student participant only by a confidential number and shall be placed in a sealed package, which shall be forwarded to the testing laboratory along with the urine specimen. All students participating in school-sponsored extracurricular activities shall be subject to random drug testing at any time during the school year. Students eligible for testing will be determined by a roster which compiles the names of all students who have completed the required consent form and notification of drug testing policy.

The participating student’s parent or legal guardian shall be notified on any day the student is selected for testing.

Collection procedures for urine specimens shall be developed, maintained, and administered by the testing laboratory in an effort to minimize any intrusion or embarrassment for each student, ensure the proper identification of student’s and the student’s specimen, minimize the likelihood of the adulteration of a urine specimen, and maintain complete confidentiality of test results.

To that end, the procedures must require:

• The presence of a representative of the Effingham County School District immediately prior to the collection process to ensure proper student identification;
• The presence of one or more representatives of the testing laboratory when the specimen is taken;
• The testing laboratory shall provide each student present for the collection process a receptacle for the collection of urine. The student shall be provided absolute privacy during the collection process;
• Immediately prior to entering the secured room used for the collection process, the student shall be required to leave all personal belongings (including jackets, purses, book bags, pocket contents, etc.) in the custody of the school representative present for student identification; and
• Prior to entering the secured room utilized for the collection process, the testing laboratory shall treat the water in the secured room with a coloring substance (frequently referred to by testing laboratories as “blueing the water”) to prevent a student from attempting to dilute or otherwise adulterate the urine specimen.

The professional testing laboratory shall conduct all scientific analyses of the collected specimens. Each specimen shall initially be tested by using a highly accurate immunoassay technique known as “EMIT.” Initial positive results must be confirmed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry “GC/MS.” If the initial presumptive positive result is not confirmed by the GC/MS technique, the test shall be deemed to be negative. Only after GC/MS confirmation shall a test result be reported as positive.

A portion of each urine specimen that tests positive for alcohol or drugs shall be preserved by the testing laboratory for at least six months.

Written confirmation of all test results shall be forwarded by the testing laboratory to a representative of the Effingham County School District designated by the Superintendent.

In the event that a participating student’s urine specimen produces a positive result, a representative of the Effingham County School District designated by the Superintendent shall meet with the student and the student’s parent or legal guardian to disclose and discuss the test results. At this meeting, the designated school representative shall advise the student and his or her parent or legal guardian of further rights under this policy.

Any student participant who has tested positive, or the student’s parent or legal guardian, may contest the test result by informing the representative of the Effingham County School District designated by the Superintendent of their wish to have a hearing within 72 hours of receipt of notice of the positive test result. The student participant and his or her parent or guardian shall be entitled to present any evidence they desire to defend the charge of violating this policy prior to the implementation of sanctions. The designated school representative before whom the hearing is conducted may require written documentation (such as a doctor’s statement) of any evidence the student or his or her parent or legal guardian may wish to present. Failure to present written documentation to support the student’s defense of the case shall result in the student being subject to the
sanctions provided in this policy for a positive test result. Any further laboratory analysis shall be conducted with the student’s remaining urine specimen preserved by the testing laboratory and shall be conducted at the student’s expense. A final decision of the designated school representative shall be made within five days of receiving notice to contest the test result.

If the student participant chooses to appeal the decision of the representative of the Effingham County School District designated by the Superintendent, the student may appeal it to the Effingham County Board of Education within three days after it is rendered. The Effingham County Board of Education shall issue a final decision on the appeal within five days after the next regularly scheduled meeting conducted after the notice of appeal is filed. The appealing student shall be ineligible to participate in school-sponsored extracurricular activities during the pendency of the appeal.

If a participating student is 18 years of age or turns 18 years of age during the school year, the student must agree to release all test results to the student’s parent or legal guardian.

One year after the participating student turns 18 years old or one year after the student’s graduation, whichever is later, all records in regard to this policy concerning each student shall be destroyed. At no time shall these results or records be placed in the student’s academic file or be voluntarily turned over to any law enforcement agency, or used for any purpose other than those stated herein.

Confidentiality

The results of any drug test conducted pursuant to this policy will be kept confidential and disclosed only to the student, his or her parents or legal guardians, and school officials designated by the Superintendent. Said results shall be kept in a file separate from the student’s other educational records and shall not be released to any person other than those described within this policy or as required by law or a lawfully issued subpoena or court order.

Notice

All students wishing to participate in a school-sponsored extracurricular activity and their parent or legal guardian shall also sign a statement indicating that the student and the student’s parent or legal guardian have received, read, and understand this policy. If the student or his or her parent or guardian declines to sign the notification form, the student will not be permitted to participate in school-sponsored extracurricular activities. Notification forms are valid for the current school year only and must be renewed annually in order for the student to continue to participate in school-sponsored extracurricular activities.

Voluntary Participation

Any student who does not participate in a school-sponsored extracurricular activity may participate in the drug-testing program
established by this policy on a purely voluntary basis. However, if such a student later seeks to participate in a school-sponsored extracurricular activity, these Voluntary Participation provisions will no longer apply.

Any student wishing to participate in the drug-testing program established by this policy on a purely voluntary basis and his or her parent or legal guardian shall sign a consent form agreeing to such participation. If the student or his or her parent or legal guardian declines to sign the consent form, the student will not be permitted to participate in the drug-testing program. These consent forms are valid for the current school year only and must be renewed annually in order for the student to continue to participate in the drug-testing program.

The Testing Program set forth herein shall be the same for students who participate in the drug-testing program established by this policy on a purely voluntary basis; however, any student participating in the drug-testing program on a purely voluntary basis who refuses to be tested, or who alters, falsifies, attempts to alter, or falsify a test, shall not be removed from any school-sponsored extracurricular activity or otherwise subjected to school discipline. The Sanctions for positive drug test results set forth herein shall not be applicable to a student participating in the drug-testing program on a purely voluntary basis, although the student and his or her parent or legal guardian will be notified of the positive test result. The Drug Testing Procedures set forth herein shall be the same for students who participate in the drug-testing program established by this policy on a purely voluntary basis; however, the provisions relating to contesting the test results or appealing the matter to the Effingham County Board of Education shall not be applicable. The Confidentiality provisions set forth herein apply equally to students who participate in the drug-testing program established by this policy on a purely voluntary basis.

Any student wishing to participate in the drug-testing program established by this policy on a purely voluntary basis, and his or her parent or legal guardian, shall also sign a statement indicating that the student and the student's parent or legal guardian have received, read, and understand this policy. If the student or his or her parent or legal guardian declines to sign the notification form, the student will not be permitted to participate in the drug-testing program. Notification forms are valid for the current school year and must be renewed annually in order for the student to continue to participate in the drug testing program.

Amendment

This policy may be amended at any time by the Effingham County Board of Education.

Non-Discrimination Notice

Under Georgia law, no student shall, on the basis of sex, be discriminated against in any interscholastic or intramural sport operated or sponsored by a local school system or public school. Students are hereby notified that neither the Effingham County School System nor any of its public schools discriminate on the basis of sex in its interscholastic or intramural sports programs in compliance with O.C.G.A. § 20-2-315 and any related laws, policies, rules, regulations, and procedures.

 

Inquiries or complaints concerning sports equity in the Effingham County School System may be submitted to the Sports Equity
Coordinator. See Board Policy IDFA: Gender Equity in Sports and Exhibit IDFA: Effingham County School System Gender Equity in Sports Grievance Form.

Grievance Procedures

Student Reporting Of Acts Of Sexual Abuse Or Sexual Misconduct

The following is the state-mandated process for students to follow in reporting instances of alleged inappropriate behavior by a teacher, administrator, or other school employee toward a student.

• Any student (or parent or friend of a student) who has been the victim of an act of sexual abuse or sexual misconduct by
  a teacher, administrator, or other school system employee is urged to make an oral report of the act to any teacher, counselor, or administrator at his/her school.
• Any teacher, counselor, or administrator receiving a report of sexual abuse or misconduct of a student by a teacher,
  administrator, or other employee shall make an oral report of the incident immediately by telephone or otherwise to
  the school principal or principal’s designee, and shall submit a written report of the incident to the school principal or
  principal’s designee within 24 hours. If the principal is the person accused of the sexual abuse or misconduct, the oral and
  written report should be made to the superintendent or the superintendent’s designee.
• Any school principal or principal’s designee receiving a report of sexual abuse as defined in O.C.G.A. 19-7-5 shall make an oral report immediately, but in no case later than 24 hours from the time there is reasonable cause to believe a child has been abused. The report should be made by telephone and followed by a written report, if requested, to a child welfare agency providing protective services, as designated by the Department of Human Resources, or, in the absence of such agency, to an appropriate police authority or district attorney.
• Reports of acts of sexual misconduct against a student by a teacher, administrator, or other employee not covered
  by O.C.G.A. 19-7-5 or 20-2-1184 shall be investigated immediately by school or system personnel.
• If the investigation of the allegation of sexual misconduct indicates a reasonable cause to believe that the report of sexual
  misconduct is valid, the school principal or principal’s designee shall make an immediate written report to the superintendent and the Professional Standards Commission Ethics Division.

“Sexual abuse”: means a person’s employing, using, persuading, inducing, enticing, or coercing any minor who is not that person’s spouse to engage in any sexual act as defined in O.C.G.A. 19-7-5.

“Sexual misconduct”: includes behavior by an educator that is directed at a student and intended to sexually arouse or titillate the educator or the child.

Sexual misconduct by an educator may include, but is not limited to, the following behavior:

1. Made sexual comments, jokes, or gestures.
2. Showed or displayed sexual pictures, photographs, illustrations, or messages.
3. Wrote sexual messages/graffiti on notes or the internet.
4. Spread sexual rumors (i.e., said a student was gay or a lesbian)
5. Spied on students as they dressed, showered, or used the restroom at school.
6. Flashed or “mooned” students.
7. Touched, excessively hugged, or grabbed students in a sexual way.
8. Forced a student to kiss him/her or do something else of a sexual nature.
9. Talked or asked about a student’s developing body, sexuality, dating habits, etc.
10. Talked repeatedly about sexual activities or sexual fantasies.
11. Made fun of body parts.
12. Called students sexual names.

Interrogations and Searches Of Students

Interrogations

The principal of each school in the Effingham County School System, or his/her authorized representative, possesses the authority to conduct reasonable interrogations of students in order to properly investigate and punish student misconduct.

Searches

The Effingham County School System endeavors to provide a safe and secure environment for all students. The Board authorizes reasonable searches of students directed to that end by authorized school officials. Searches based on reasonable suspicion may proceed without hindrance or delay, but they shall be conducted in a manner which ensures that students are not arbitrarily stripped of personal privacy.

The principal of each school in the Effingham County School System, or his/her authorized representative, possesses the authority to conduct inspection of students’ lockers or articles carried upon their persons. Such search shall be based on a reasonable suspicion of the presence of deleterious items. Examples of deleterious items shall include, but are not limited to, secreted noise-makers, water guns, contraband, drugs, handguns or other dangerous weapons.

Principals of each school where lockers are issued shall ensure that at the time lockers are made available to students, it is clearly specified in writing that lockers are subject to inspection and search by school officials. Each school shall maintain duplicate keys or records of all locker combinations, and avoid any practices which lead students to believe that lockers are under their exclusive control.

In the event a search of a student’s person, his/her personal possessions, or his/her locker reveals that the student is concealing material(s), the possession of which is prohibited by federal, state or local law, local law enforcement authorities shall be notified so that they may take appropriate action.