Student Code of Conduct
Search Code of Conduct:
Code of Conduct Video Walk Through
Student Bill of Rights and Responsibilities
Students have the right to:
- access a relevant curriculum that is responsive to their immediate and future needs;
- voice their opinions in the development of their curriculum;
- pursue their education under competent instruction; and
- participate in instructional and extracurricular activities, pending eligibility.
Students have the responsibility to:
- attend all classes regularly and on time;
- contribute to a positive, safe classroom and school culture that is respectful and conducive to learning;
- demonstrate respect for the rights of others;
- follow district, school, classroom, and bus rules and procedures;
- meet the eligibility criteria for participation in instructional and extracurricular activities, when applicable.
Students have the right to:
- review grades with their teachers;
- be informed by the school of their academic progress;
- have periodic reviews of their instructional achievement by the school staff;
- earn grades that fairly and objectively represent their academic progress;
- be graded on their progress and class work; and
- appeal grades through the established grievance procedure to the Principal.
Students have the responsibility to:
- perform all tasks required for the successful completion of the course;
- complete assignments to the best of their ability;
- make up any assignments missed due to an absence;
- cite sources and use quotations when referencing someone else’s work and avoid any form of plagiarism and/or cheating.
Students have the right to:
- consultations with special services personnel (Social Worker, Counselor, School Psychologist, Student Success Coach) in the areas of vocational opportunities, personal and social development and educational planning;
- be informed of all special student support services available in their school; and
- be informed about the availability of community services to help them with their counseling needs.
Students have the responsibility to:
- take advantage of the special support services available to them and offer assistance in the continuous improvement of those services. Appointments are made in advance, unless the concern is one of an emergency nature; and
- along with parents or guardians, inquire about additional counseling services available in the community to assist students with special needs.
Students have the right to:
- have proper notice of the infraction, an opportunity to be heard, and a fair hearing.
Students have the responsibility to:
- understand and adhere to the Code of Student Conduct and the individual discipline plans of each school.
Students have the right to:
- privacy and shall be free from unreasonable search, as well as seizure of personal property. These rights shall prevail unless there is reason to believe that it is necessary to set them aside to protect the safety, health, and property of the school, students, and staff;
- privacy of their personal possessions unless there is reason on the part of the principal, or his or her designee, to believe that the student is concealing a weapon, illegal drugs, or other material that is inappropriate or dangerous to himself or herself, others, property, or in violation of existing HCPS policy that would bring rise to a search;
- be given prior notification of any searches except in case of emergency or exigent circumstances.
- to request the presence of their parent/guardian or a responsible adult/advocate during any criminal investigation.
Students have the responsibility to:
- not carry, possess or conceal any material that is prohibited by law; to accept the consequences for their actions in cases where unlawful materials are found in their possession or in their lockers.
Students have the right to:
- school bus transportation, if they live two (2) miles or more from school;
- transportation that may be provided for elementary students who live within two miles of the school if hazardous conditions as outlined by Florida Statute 1006.23 exist;
- transportation as determined by a student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP).
Students have the responsibility to:
- stand off the roadway while at bus stops;
- wait for the bus driver to signal them across the roadway;
- walk 10-12 feet in front of the bus while attempting to board the bus;
- keep valuables at home, as the school district nor the bus driver can be held responsible for personal property brought on school buses;
- follow safety procedures and wear seatbelts when available;
- ride only the designated bus, and enter and exit the bus safely at designated stop;
- not carry onto the bus any glass items, balloons, weapons, skateboards, live animals, plants or sharp instruments. Personal belongings must be held on a student’s lap;
- remain seated in seat assigned to them by the driver;
- sit all the way down and back, facing forward, with arms and head inside the bus at all times;
- keep aisles clear;
- obey rules and be courteous;
- refrain from using profanity, causing disruption, fighting, or destroying property;
- be silent at all railroad crossings and when requested by driver;
- not throw objects on the bus or out the windows;
- not eat, drink, or smoke on the bus;
- use the bus stop assigned based on the address of record.
Parents have the responsibility to:
- ensure the student is at the bus stop and ready to board the bus at least 10 minutes prior to the scheduled bus arrival time;
- wait for a bus that may be late due to traffic and other conditions;
- walk with their children to and from bus stops;
- ensure their children’s safety, well-being and conduct on the way to and from the bus stops and while at bus stops;
- ensure that their students walk on the shoulder of the road (on sidewalks, where available) away from traffic and facing the traffic;
- ensure the conduct of their children is appropriate while riding the bus;
- cooperate with school personnel regarding the effective and safe transport of their children;
- contact the school or the Transportation Department when they observe unsafe conditions;
- refrain from boarding school buses or attempting to conference with the bus 45 driver at school bus stops.
Bus drivers have the responsibility to:
- transport students to and from school safely to the best of their ability;
- assign seats to riders;
- fairly and consistently enforce transportation discipline;
- communicate bus issues to school administration.
Eligible students have the right to:
- inspect, review, and challenge the information contained in the records;
- appeal any disagreement of records to the principal.
Students have the right to:
- be protected by legal provisions prohibiting the release of personal information to other than legally-authorized persons without the consent of the parent, guardian, or student.
Eligible students have the responsibility to:
- provide the school with any information that could be useful in making appropriate educational decisions;
- authorize release of information to those individuals or agencies who are working for the benefit of the student;
- follow School Board policies for release of student information through the school;
- make an appointment with the school when they wish to review a record.
Students have the right to:
- join school organizations and lawfully assemble in such a manner so as not to disrupt the orderly process of the school’s program;
- lawfully assemble;
- organize associations within the school for social, athletic and other proper and lawful purposes, providing that no such group denies membership to any student because of race, sex, religion or for any reasons other than those related to the purpose of the organization.
Students have the responsibility to:
- exercise the right to assembly so that the assembly does not disrupt the school program nor the orderly conduct of the school;
- know and observe qualifications for membership in student activities and to refrain from activities that interfere with school discipline;
- conduct themselves in a manner that is representative of the school and the organization of which they are members.
Students have the right to:
- study, examine, discuss, criticize or support religious ideas and institutions for their literary and historic qualities when presented objectively as part of a program of education;
- release time from school to observe religious holidays, which is an excused absence with written parental permission;
- practice their religion.
Students have the responsibility to:
- not endanger the physical health or safety of themselves or others or disrupt the educational process;
- develop tolerance and respect for the beliefs of others;
- inform school officials through their parents about any religious practices or beliefs that may be in conflict with school rules or regulations;
- decide for themselves whether or not they wish to take part in any religious activity.
The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, “I Pledge Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all,” shall be rendered by students standing with the right hand over the heart. The pledge of allegiance to the flag shall be recited at the beginning of the day in each public elementary, middle and high school in the state.
Students have the right to:
- show love for their country and allegiance to its flag;
- recite and display their feeling of patriotism;
- participate in, or refrain from, activities involving loyalty oaths, saying a pledge, singing an anthem, saluting a flag, or taking part in a patriotic ceremony;
- refrain from reciting the Pledge of Allegiance upon written request by their parent and to remain seated/stand quietly while the pledge is recited by others.
Students have the responsibility to:
- not interrupt the educational rights of others;
- not interfere with the rights of other students to express or refrain from expressing patriotism;
- remove any headdress when the national anthem is played, except when such headdress is worn for religious purposes;
- stand at attention, when possible.
Students have the right to:
- a competent interpreter to assist him/her if the student has difficulty speaking/understanding English
