Larry Blaskey/The Daily Dispatch

A new discipline policy approved by the board provides guidelines for administration and staff.

The discipline procedures are designed to be used by schools at all levels, and split into four different levels. The levels are divided by the severity of the action and by who determines that discipline.

Level One discipline is handled by the instructor while Level Two, Three and Four is handled by administrators.

Level One infractions would include such items as use of profanity; insubordination; improperly using a hall pass; tardiness; detention; out of class without permission; not prepared for school work; disrupting class; horseplay; dress code violations; bulling and cheating. Possible punishment would include contacting the parent immediately on first offense, meeting with parents and meeting with students. The only difference is for cheating which would necessitate the loss of grade or credit.

Level Two infractions include defiance; forgery; failure to serve detention; bullying/harassment; leaving class without permission; tardies (10 total); truancy/leaving campus without authority; use of intercom system improperly; and games of chance for legal tender. Possible discipline for these infractions would include In-House suspension, principal action, detention, community service, time outs and one-day suspension - out of school.

Other infractions and its discipline in Level Two are Bus Referral - first offense, one week; second, one month, third, removal from the bus service for the remainder of the year; and cheating, loss of grade or credit.

Level Three infractions include fighting; attempting or inciting a fight; theft; vandalism; extortion; fraud; failure to serve Saturday detention; verbal abuse of a school employee or volunteer; threatening/intimating the health, welfare or safety of peers; use of possession of fireworks; activation of fire alarm; and smoking/possession of tobacco. Possible discipline for any of these infractions could include Saturday detention or out of school detention for three, five or nine days. Repeated and escalated threatening/harassment would result in an automatic three-day out of school suspension.

Level Four infractions would include possession of a weapon; endangerment of aggravated assault; physical assault of a school employee; arson/explosive devices/bomb threat; returning to school during off campus suspension/trespassing; possession/under the influence of alcohol/drugs/inhalants. Possible discipline would include long term suspension, alternative to suspension, expulsion and possible notification of police for infractions. Repeated and escalated threatening /harassment would result in automatic three-day suspension.

Teachers and administrators were supportive of the new policy because it does provide guidelines to follow.

Board President Danny Ortega was happy with the policy because it took favoritism or unevenness of discipline out of the mix. He said one of the biggest concerns he hears from parents concerns drastically different discipline for the same offense.

The district board approved the policy with few additions, including adding an electronic component and translating it into Spanish.

The board also approved the hiring of new IT Director, Javier Baca, at a annual rate of $59,335.

Baca is current interim director of Technology for Roosevelt School District. He has worked for Roosevelt for the last six years and has also served as data systems and network administrator and computer technician.

In other action, the board:

* Approved a donation of $5,000 from proceeds from the Richard Vamosy Memorial Golf Tournament.

* Approved Huber Middle School Student Council trip to Magic Mountain.

* Approved intergovernmental agreement with Cochise College Superintendent of Schools Office and Northern Arizona University for participation in the Alternative Secondary Professional Preparation Program.

* Approved and intergovernmental agreement with Cochise County for highway and public works projects.

* Approved a second reading on revisions to the Public Information and Communications, and Distribution/Posting of Promotional Materials policies.

* Approved food service pay changes and modifications, and allowed the changes to take effect at the next available payroll.

* Approved pay schedule for therapists.

* Approved parent volunteer Jennifer Beck.

* Approved Joe Carlson PTSO fundraising events.

* Approved certified contract for the 2005-06 school year.

* Accepted the resignation of Maria Guadalupe Arvizu, teachers aide at Clawson School.