The Board of Education recognizes the need for students, teachers, administrators, and other school personnel to have a safe and supportive educational environment. The Board of Education believes further that public schools should undertake proactive, preventive approaches to ensure a positive school climate/culture that fosters learning and personal-social development. The Board will implement policies and administrative guidelines to create and support continuous school climate/culture improvement processes within all schools that will ensure an orderly and safe environment that is conducive to learning. The schools will create, encourage, and maintain a safe, drug-free, and fear-free school environment in the classroom, on the playground, and at school-sponsored activities. Assuring such an educational environment requires a comprehensive plan supported by everyone in the school organization, as well as parents/guardians and the community.

The regulations in the Manual for Expected Behavior in Safe and Supportive Schools set forth unacceptable behaviors that undermine a school’s efforts to create a positive school climate/culture. These unacceptable behaviors are prohibited on all school property and during any event that is sponsored by a school or the County. The County will respond quickly and consistently, in accordance with these regulations, when the individual has engaged in one of these prohibited behaviors. The response to such behavior will be in a manner that effectively deters future incidents and affirms respect for individuals.

The expectations outlined in the Manual for Expected Behavior in Safe and Supportive Schools apply in schools of this County during any education-sponsored event, whether in a classroom, elsewhere on school premises, on a school bus or other vehicle used for a school related event, or at a County or school-sponsored activity or event, whether or not it is held on school premises, in a building or other property used or operated by the Board, Regional Education Service Agency (RESA), WVDE, West Virginia Board of Education or in another facility or upon any other property being used by any of these agencies. These expectations apply to students, staff and public guests respectively as noted within the Manual for Expected Behavior in Safe and Supportive Schools. The consequences of violating these expectations are as follows:

In order to satisfy the requirements of West Virginia Board of Education policy 4373, Expected Behaviors in Safe and Supportive Schools, the Board adopts State Board policy 4373 and the West Virginia Procedures Manual for Expected Behavior in Safe and Supportive Schools (http://wvde.state.wv.us/policies/) and is incorporated by reference into this policy. However, the Board may adopt additional policies as authorized by State Board policy 4373 and, nothing herein shall be interpreted to be in conflict with State Board policy 4373 and the Procedures Manual for Expected Behavior in Safe and Supportive schools