Weapons Policy:

The USD 413 Board of Education strictly prohibits the possession, conveyance, use or storage of weapons or look-alikes at school, on any school property or at any school-sponsored event.

The USD 413 administration retains the final authority in determining what constitutes a weapon, especially when evaluating potential danger. The term “weapon” means any device, instrument, material or substance, animate or inanimate, that is used for, or is readily capable of causing death or bodily injury, and any facsimile thereof, including, but not limited to, the following:

a) Any firearm or ammunition for any firearm;
b) Any weapon which will or is designed to or may readily be converted to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive;
c) The frame or receiver of any weapon described in the preceding examples;
d) Any weapon which will, or which may be readily converted to, expel a projectile by the action of an explosive or other propellant such as air or gas;
e) Any firearm muffler or firearm silencer;
f) Any explosive, incendiary or poison gas bomb, grenade, rocket having a propellant charge of more than four ounces, missile having an explosive or incendiary charge of more than ¼ ounce, mine or similar device;
g) Any combination of parts either designed or intended for use in converting any device into a device described above, and from which such a device may be readily assembled;
h) Any class C common fireworks or other small explosive/noise making type device not classified under subsection (f) above;
i) Any bludgeon, nunchaku sticks, sand club, metal knuckles or throwing star;
j) Straight blade razor or knife, regardless of the blade length and including a pocket knife;
k) Laser pointers, mace, pepper spray, acid, shockers, and stun guns; and
l) Any other device or instrument, which a student uses or threatens to use in a fight or altercation and which is capable of causing death or bodily injury.

Any student who possesses, conveys, uses or stores any weapon described in (a) through (g) and (l) above, and any student who uses or, while in possession of the same, threatens to use any weapon described in items (h) through (k) above, at school, on school property or at a school-sponsored event will be expelled from school for a period of 186 school days. The Superintendent may recommend that the expulsion be modified on a case-by-case basis.

Any student who possesses, conveys or stores any weapon described in items (h) through (k) above at school, on school property or at a school-sponsored event will be suspended from school for a period of not less than 5 and not more than 90 days, at the discretion of the Superintendent.

If a suspension or expulsion is for a term exceeding the number of school days remaining in the school year, any remaining part of the term of the suspension or expulsion may, at the option of the Superintendent, be applied to the succeeding school year.

Any student found to be in violation of this policy will be reported to the appropriate law enforcement agency and, if a juvenile, to the SRS or Commissioner of Juvenile Justice.

All weapons discovered at school, on school property or at a school-sponsored event will be confiscated and, if not surrendered to law enforcement or needed for use as evidence in any proceeding, shall be destroyed at the discretion of the Superintendent.

The burden shall be on the student to prove to the satisfaction of the Superintendent that an exception to the policy applies. This policy shall not apply to the following items, which would otherwise be considered a ‘weapon’:

a) Any tools, cutting instruments, look-alikes or props used for instructional purposes (i.e., shop class, art class, drama class, etc.) while the same are being used in the classroom for this purpose;
b) Any device, tool or cutting instrument possessed, conveyed, stored or used in performing construction, maintenance or repair work on school property; and
c) Any device, although originally designed for use as a weapon, which is redesigned for use as a signaling, pyrotechnic, line throwing, safety or similar device.

Any student who has reasonable grounds to suspect a violation of the weapons policy is required to report such suspicion immediately to the building principal or other administrator.

Any student who inadvertently brings a pocket knife to school may self-report such violation to the building principal or other administrator and surrender the pocket knife, and the building principal/Superintendent may take this into consideration in determining whether to impose a suspension or other punishment. The parent or legal guardian of the student may, within 2 weeks after the pocket knife is surrendered, request that the pocket knife be released to such parent/guardian.