Review Agenda Item
Meeting Date: 7/25/2019 - 6:30 PM
Category: Regular Items of Business
Type: Action
Subject: 3. Action on a Request for Adoption of a Resolution, under Section 119.25 of the Wisconsin Statutes, to Delegate the Board’s Expulsion Authority to Independent Hearing Officers
Strategic Plan Compatibility Statement:
Goal 3
Effective and Efficient Operations
Policy: Admin Policy 8.33 - Student Expulsion: Independent Hearing Officer
Attachments 1. Expulsion Summary Data
2. Expulsion Statistics
File Attachment:
Expulsion Summary Data (2018-2019).pdf
Expulsion Statistics (2018-2019).pdf
Background: Section 119.25 of the Wisconsin Statutes allows the Board to adopt a resolution authorizing the use of either an Independent Hearing Panel or Hearing Officers appointed by the Board to hear and decide student expulsion cases. The resolution is effective for the school year for which it is adopted.
At its meeting on August 28, 2008, the Board approved revisions to Administrative Policies 8.32 and 8.33 to authorize the use of Independent Hearing Officers to hear and decide student expulsion cases.
For the 2018-19 school year, the Board adopted a resolution authorizing the use of Independent Hearing Officers who are non-district employees (as suggested by the City Attorney) to hear and decide expulsion cases.
For the 2019-20 school year, the Administration is recommending the continued use of Independent Hearing Officers to hear and decide student expulsion cases. The Department of Student Services will continue to provide training for the Independent Hearing Officers to ensure that all Independent Hearing Officers understand their role, responsibilities, and options.
Fiscal Impact Statement: Approval of this item does not authorize expenditures. The primary
cost of processing student expulsion cases is the transcription
services and the cost of the Independent Hearing Officers. These
costs were previously approved in the FY 2020 budget for the
Department of Student Services.
Implementation and Assessment Plan
Recommendation: The Administration recommends that the Board adopt the following
resolution:
RESOLVED, That for the 2019-20 school year, student expulsions
from the Milwaukee Public Schools shall be ordered by an
Independent Hearing Officer; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Administration implement the
behavior reassignment option, whenever possible; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, That the same due process procedures as were
used in 2018-19 be followed when hearing all cases of student
expulsions; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Independent Hearing Officer may
impose one or more early reinstatement conditions under which a
student who is expelled from school may be reinstated to school
before the end of his or her expulsion. The reinstatement condition
may be a condition a student is required to meet before he or she
may be granted reinstatement, or a condition that the pupil is
required to meet after his or her early reinstatement. The early
reinstatement conditions must be related to the reasons for the
student’s expulsion and be stated in the expulsion order; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Independent Hearing Officer in all
expulsion cases provide educational services to expelled students at
an MPS alternative/partnership school or online academic support;
and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, That the expelled students shall be reinstated
to the Milwaukee Public Schools through the Department of Student
Services in the manner described herein.
Approvals:
Recommended By:
Signed By:
Matthew Boswell - Senior Director
Signed By:
Katrice Cotton, Ed.D. - Chief School Administration Officer
Signed By:
Keith Posley, Ed.D. - Superintendent