Handbook and Code of Conduct

Compulsory Attendance State Statute: Statute 167.031.1, RSMo, states that any parent, guardian or 

other person having custody or control of a child between the ages of seven (7) and seventeen (17), must ensure that the child is enrolled in and regularly attends public, private, parochial school, home school or a combination of schools for the full term of the school year.

Absence:  A student is considered absent when they are not in attendance and the parent/guardian has not notified the school of the reason for the absence unless the student is an unaccompanied youth.

Attendance: A student is considered to be in attendance if the student is physically present in a class; participating in a District-sponsored or District-approved activity; participating in a class through alternative methods or media as allowed by Board policy; receiving homebound services; or receiving services at another location pursuant to law or by arrangement of the District. A student is considered ABSENT if they are not in attendance. 

Attendance Record: The official documentation kept by the District, as required by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), that tracks whether a student is present, absent, or tardy each day school is in session. Each record includes the date and the student’s attendance status and is used to ensure accurate reporting and meet state accountability requirements.

Documentation: Phone call or note (containing dates, times, reasons for absences, and parent signature) from parents, medical note (containing the office phone number and the date and time of treatment), funeral service program, court appearance verification, or college visit verification. 

Educational Neglect: Failure by the person responsible for the care, custody, and control of the child to provide an appropriate education and to promote school attendance as required for all children between the ages of 7 and 17 years. A student may be referred to the Department of Family Services for educational neglect.

Excessive Absenteeism: The accumulation of sixteen (16) or more absences in a school year will be considered excessive.  For the purposes of this policy, any student whose absence is due to an out-of-school suspension or a disability or medical condition under Section 504, IDEA or a Health Safety plan will not count towards excessive absenteeism.

Tardy: Students are considered tardy to class if they are not in the class by the time the late bell signals. Tardiness to first block/hour will result in the student being counted absent.

Truancy: A student is truant if the student is absent from school without the knowledge and consent of the parents and the administration. A student is also considered truant if the student leaves school without the consent of the building principal or nurse. A student may be referred to juvenile authorities after the 8th absence, or 16th verified absence.

Verified Absence: A student’s absence is verified either by phone contact with the school office or by a written note from the parent/guardian unless the student is an unaccompanied youth.

A ParentSquare message will be sent daily two hours after the start of school to the parents/guardians of students with an absence that has not been verified.

Step 1: Upon a student’s third (3) absence, a letter will be emailed to the family offering school support to increase student attendance.  

Step 2: Upon a student’s sixth (6) absence, a letter outlining the District’s attendance policy and the student’s attendance record will be emailed home. 

Step 3: Upon a student's ninth (9) absence, a letter will be mailed home outlining the District’s attendance policy and the student’s attendance record. 

Step 4: Upon a student’s thirteenth (13) absence, school staff will hold a conference with the student and/or family.  A letter will be mailed home outlining the District’s attendance policy, the student’s attendance record, and the possible next steps of referral to the Department of Family Services of the Juvenile Office.

*A student that has 20 absences in a row will be dropped from enrollment.

Early Dismissal/Leaving School Early

For students to leave school after they have arrived, written or verbal parental permission is required. Students who ride a school bus are considered to have arrived at school when they board their school bus. When the student is leaving early, they are to check out through the attendance office. 

• Students who fail to observe the above procedure when leaving school after they have arrived will be considered truant and will be subject to the consequences for such.
• Students who become ill at school must be checked out through the nurse’s office and must sign out through the attendance office prior to departure.

Arriving before school/leaving after school

The building opens 20 minutes prior to the start of school. Students should follow building expectations for where to report once they have entered the building. 

At the end of the day students are expected to leave campus promptly. Students not involved in extracurricular activities, receiving after-school tutoring, attending an assigned detention, or participating in other scheduled activities must leave the campus within 20 minutes of the dismissal bell. 

Doctor and Dentist Appointments

Students will receive a verified absence for medical or dental appointments occurring during the instructional day. It is expected that students return to school promptly following the completion of the appointment. A full-day absence is not automatically justified by the need for a medical or dental visit.

A note from the healthcare provider is recommended to verify the appointment and will ensure the absence is coded appropriately as a verified absence with documentation. Please note that verified or excused absences still count toward a student's overall attendance record.

Illness While at School

A licensed nurse services the R-III School District on a full time basis. Students who become ill at school may obtain a pass from their teacher or the office to see the nurse. The nurse will examine the student to determine whether or not the illness is serious enough to warrant going home. The nurse will contact the student’s parents to communicate that the student needs to go home due to illness. Prior to leaving, the student must check out through the attendance office. Students are not to contact their parents to make their own arrangements.

The Student Code of Conduct is designed to foster student responsibility, respect for the rights of others, and to ensure the safe and orderly operation of the Lincoln County R-III Schools. No code or policy can be expected to list each and every offense, which may result in the use of disciplinary action. However, it is the purpose of the code to list certain offenses which, if committed by a student, will result in the imposition of a certain disciplinary action. In addition, prior offenses and disciplinary action may be considered when determining disciplinary consequences. The Lincoln County R-III School District student discipline and conduct code follows the laws set out in the Missouri Safe Schools Act. 

Any conduct not included herein, or an aggravated circumstance of any offense or an action involving a combination of offenses may result in disciplinary consequences that extend beyond this code of conduct as determined by the Principal, Superintendent and/or Board of Education. 

DEFINITIONS:

Safe Seat/Think Station/Chill Zone- If a student is a behavioral concern in the classroom, the student is placed in an alternative seating location within the classroom. This allows the student to still receive instruction under teacher supervision while reflecting upon the behavioral struggles that occurred in the classroom.

Focus/Buddy Room-If a student is unsuccessful in the Safe Seat/Think Station/Chill Zone (disruptive or continues to have behavioral concerns), the student may be asked to report to a Focus/Buddy Room. The Focus/Buddy Room is another teacher’s classroom. While there, the student is afforded the opportunity to reflect upon his/her behavior.

Reteaching of Expectations -Teaching expectations again that students have failed to learn.

Continue with Identified Behavior Plan - Students with an identified behavior plan under Section 504 or IDEA may be referred back to the BIP (Behavior Improvement Plan) team for review and/or update of the plan.

Detention-The student will attend sessions outside of the regular school day for a specific amount of time on the dates he/she has been assigned.

Loss of Privilege/Loss of Recess- The student loses the privilege of attending regular recess, assemblies, special activities, or field trip/field days for a specific amount of time on the dates he/she has been assigned. Students will still have the opportunity for physical activity throughout the day. 

Quiet Lunch/Lunch Detention-The student will serve a period of time during his/her lunch period at an alternate location. Students will still have the opportunity to eat lunch, but they will have to sit in the area designated by the administrator.

In-School Suspension (ISS)- The student loses the privilege of attending regular classes and will report to the office or ISS room/location at the start of the day for a specific amount of time as determined by the offense committed. The student will be provided the opportunity to complete all coursework for full credit. Students assigned ISS will receive ISS guidelines from an administrator. Students are excluded from any school activities until the first calendar day after the assigned ISS time is successfully completed.

Restorative Practices – Students learn to process their choices and behavior, how to repair harm caused by themselves and others, and coping skills when faced with difficult situations.

Restitution - Payment of damages or replacement of damaged/stolen property.

Out-Of-School Suspension (OSS)- The student loses all the privileges of attending school, participating in classes, and participating in or attending any co-curricular, extracurricular activities or school sponsored functions, whether on campus or at another facility, for the length of the suspension.  The opportunity to make up work missed while on OSS will be extended upon the student's return to school for suspensions less than 10 days.  For suspensions of more than 10 days, arrangements will be made with the office to make up the work missed. 

Referral to the Superintendent - The Superintendent of Schools will review the discipline file and determine if additional action(s) are warranted, such as:

• 11-180 days of original OSS
• Professional counseling services
• Referral to the Board of Education for expulsion

Expulsion- Expulsion is the permanent removal of a student from the Troy R-III School District by action of the Board of Education. Only the Board of Education can expel a student from school.

Classroom (Minor) vs. Office Managed (Major) Behaviors 

Classroom (Minor) 

• Unprepared for class
• Disruption 
• Failure to work 
• Cheating (first time) 
• PDA (first time)
• Horseplay 
• Student-student disrespect 
• Teasing 
• Electronic misuse 
• General misuse of profanity 
• Dress Code 

Office Managed (Major) Behaviors 

• Bullying 
• Disrespect toward staff 
• Electronic Personal Communication Device Misuse 
• Persistent cheating 
• Excessive tardies 
• Theft
• Threats
• Fighting 
• Truancy 
• Harassment 
• Dangerous objects/weapons 
• *Other handbook concerns 

Pyramid of Interventions 

TIER 3 Behaviors: Any level two behavior that has not been corrected by repeated intervention – including but not limited to the following: arson, violence, assault, threats, and harassment. 

TIER 2 Behaviors: Any level one behavior that has not been corrected by repeated interventions- including but not limited to the following: bullying, defiance, disruptive behaviors, physical harm, vandalism, electronic device/cell phones, emergency equipment misuse, fireworks, theft, and threats. 

TIER 1 Behaviors: Including but not limited to the following: cafeteria, cheating, disruptive behaviors, disrespectful behaviors, defiance, dress code, electronic device/cellphones, lying, forgery, improper physical contact, inappropriate restroom behaviors, inappropriate playground behaviors. 

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY (DCHE)

Includes, but is not limited to, the following: 

• Obtaining and/or accepting a copy of tests or scoring devices. 
• Copying another student’s answers on homework or tests. 
• Representing as one’s own work the product of someone else’s creativity.
• Using notes or other material not allowed by the teacher. 
• Having someone other than that student prepare the student’s homework, project, laboratory report, or exam.
• Permitting another student to copy the homework, project, laboratory report, or exam, other than for a teacher-approved collaborative effort. 
• Any other actions to receive credit for work not one’s own
• Using artificial intelligence (AI) in any way that is not transparent and/or in alignment with the goals of the classwork, homework, or assessment. 

ELEMENTARY (PRE-K – GRADE 1)

• 1^st Offense  
  • Reteach Expectations
  • Conference with student
  • Re-completes the assignment 
• Subsequent Offense – 
  • Reteach Expectations 
  • Conference with student 
  • Re-completes the assignment 

ELEMENTARY (GRADES 2-5)

• 1^st Offense 
  • Conference with students
  • Student re-completes the assignment
• Subsequent Offense
  • Loss of privilege
  • Conference with student 
  • Student re-completes the assignment 

MIDDLE SCHOOL 

• 1^st Offense 
  • Zero points awarded on the assignment in question
  • Conference with administration and notification to parents 
  • Possible detention/ISS/OSS
• Subsequent Offense
  • Zero points awarded on the assignment in question
  • Detention
  • 1-3 days ISS
  • Possible OSS
  • Conference with administration
  • Notification to parents

HIGH SCHOOL

• 1^st Offense
  • ???????Student receives a zero on the assignment, test, quiz or project
  • Principal/studnt conference
  • Saturday detention 
  • ISS
  • OSS
  • Parent notification 
• Subsequent Offense
  • Student receives a zero on the assignment, test quiz or project
  • ISS
  • Possible OSS
  • Principal/student conference 
  • parent notification