Section 193:13 Suspension and Expulsion of Pupils.
I. (a) The superintendent or chief administering officer, or a representative designated in writing by the superintendent, is authorized to suspend pupils from school for a period not to exceed 10 school days for gross misconduct or for neglect or refusal to conform to the reasonable rules of the school.
(b) The school board or a representative designated in writing of the school board is authorized, following a hearing, to continue the suspension of a pupil for a period in excess of 10 school days. The school board's designee may be the superintendent or any other individual, but may not be the individual who suspended the pupil for the first 10 days under subparagraph (a). Any suspension shall be valid throughout the school districts of the state, subject to modification by the superintendent of the school district in which the pupil seeks to enroll.
(c) Any suspension in excess of 10 school days imposed under subparagraph (b) by any person other than the school board is appealable to the school board, provided that the superintendent received such appeal in writing within 10 days after the issuance of the decision being appealed. The school board shall hold a hearing on the appeal, but shall have discretion to hear evidence or to rely upon the record of a hearing conducted under subparagraph (b). The suspension under subparagraph (b) shall be enforced while that appeal is pending, unless the school board stays the suspension while the appeal is pending.
II. Any pupil may be expelled from school by the local school board for gross misconduct, or for neglect or refusal to conform to the reasonable rules of the school, or for an act of theft, destruction, or violence as defined in RSA 193-D:1, or for possession of a pellet or BB gun, rifle, or paint ball gun, and the pupil shall not attend school until restored by the local board. Any expulsion shall be subject to review if requested prior to the start of each school year and further, any parent or guardian has the right to appeal any such expulsion by the local board to the state board of education. Any expulsion shall be valid throughout the school districts of the state.
III. Any pupil who brings or possesses a firearm as defined in section 921 of Title 18 of the United States Code in a safe school zone as defined in RSA 193-D:1 without written authorization from the superintendent or designee shall be expelled from school by the local school board for a period of not less than 12 months.
IV. The local school board shall adopt a policy which allows the superintendent or chief administering officer to modify the expulsion requirements set forth in paragraphs II and III on a case by case basis.
V. Any pupil expelled by a local school board under the provisions of the Gun-Free Schools Act of 1994 shall not be eligible to enroll in another school district in New Hampshire for the period of such expulsion. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the local school district that expelled the student from providing educational services to such students in an alternative setting.
VI. A pupil expelled from school in another state under the provisions of the Gun-Free Schools Act of 1994 shall not be eligible to enroll in a school district in New Hampshire for the period of such expulsion.
VII. For purposes of paragraphs I, II, and III, school board may be either the school board or a subcommittee of the board duly authorized by the school board.
Source. RS 73:4. CS 77:4. GS 83:3. GL 91:3. PS 93:3. 1921, 85, III:10. PL 118:12. RL 137:12. RSA 193:13. 1969, 356:5. 1971, 371:6. 1994, 355:2. 1995, 231:1. 1996, 168:1, 2. 1999, 44:2, eff. Jan. 1, 2000.