Student Handbook - Harford County Public Schools

as glue and solvents) which may cause a loss of self-control or
inebriaon.
• Material Evidence – CDS, alcohol, inhalants or other intoxicants,
substances misrepresented to be drugs or alcohol, medicine not
registered with the school nurse, and/or paraphernalia used in
taking controlled dangerous substances.
• Paraphernalia – items which are commonly used for the purpose
of the ingeson of drugs. Typical paraphernalia would include
but are not limited to pipes for the smoking of marijuana,
manufactured paper, homemade clips or wire-formed devices
used for holding marijuana “roaches,” gelan capsules,
measuring spoons, scales, strainers, and other items as defined
by law.
• Substance Misrepresented - a substance which a student leads
others to believe is a controlled dangerous substance, or thinks
to be a controlled dangerous substance, implies is a controlled
dangerous substance or will produce the effects of a controlled
dangerous substance.
• Transference - to pass to another person or to make reasonably
available to another person a controlled dangerous substance
or medicine or alcohol or paraphernalia or a substance
misrepresented.
B. Over - the - Counter and Prescripon Medicaons
Students are not permied to possess or use prescribed or overthe-counter
medicaon on school buses or on school property.
All medicaon must be properly registered, stored with, and
administered by designated school personnel. Excepons to this
arcle, with supporng documentaon from the student’s physician,
may be granted by the director of student services or his/her
designee. Violaon of this rule will result in disciplinary acon to the
student, with a parent conference available immediately to clarify this
policy.
A second violaon will result in a 10 school-day suspension of the
student by the principal and a referral to the superintendent of
schools with a recommendaon for further disciplinary acon.
C. Suspected impairment
Students who are suspected to be under the influence of a
prescripon or over the counter drug, controlled dangerous
substance, alcohol, or an inhalant or other intoxicant will be referred
to the principal of the school. If the invesgaon of the maer yields
no material evidence, but if the principal has reasonable cause to
suspect that the student is impaired the principal will contact the
student’s parents/guardians and a mandatory conference will be
held. The superintendent of schools will be advised in wring of the
incident and of the results of the parent conference.
VI. Offenses subject to referral
Students shall receive a ten day suspension and referral to the
superintendent of schools with the recommendaon for further
disciplinary acon for certain offenses/violaons including but not
limited to the following:
A. Possession of, using, or under the influence of a controlled
dangerous substance, alcohol, an inhalant or other intoxicant, or to
be in possession of paraphernalia or a substance misrepresented to
be a controlled dangerous substance or alcohol.
If the parent(s)/guardian(s) and the student agree to parcipate in
a substance abuse evaluaon at the Harford County Mental Health
and Addicons/Adolescent Addicon Services and agree to follow
the recommendaons for treatment made as part of that evaluaon,
at no cost to the Harford County Public Schools, the superintendent
of schools will reduce the length of the suspension which would
otherwise be imposed. This opon is for a first offense only and will
not be offered for transference or a second offense of the CDS and
alcohol policies. Further, this opon is conngent upon the connuing
availability of funding to the Harford County Mental Health and
Addicons/Adolescent Addicon Services to enable that agency to
provide this service.
B. Transference of a controlled dangerous substance, medicine,
alcohol, an inhalant or other intoxicant, or paraphernalia, or
substance misrepresented to be a controlled dangerous substance,
medicine, alcohol, an inhalant or other intoxicant or paraphernalia.
C. Verbal or Physical Threat and/or Physical Aack on Staff
D. Dangerous Weapons
Possession or using an object which reasonably could cause
physical harm or injury to a person, or an object which is
represented to be and a reasonable person would conclude was
a dangerous weapon, and for which there is no reasonable or
legimate cause for the student to possess or use on the property
of Harford County Public Schools or at a school-sponsored acvity.
Further, in compliance with the Gun-Free Schools Act of 1994 and
Secon 7-305 of the Annotated Code of Maryland, a student who
has been determined by the superintendent of schools to have
brought a firearm onto school property may be expelled for a
minimum of 365 consecuve days. The Superintendent of Schools
may specify, on a case-by-case basis, a shorter period of expulsion
for a student who has brought a firearm onto school property. Any
student expelled under the provisions of the Gun-free Schools Act
of 1994 will not be permied to enroll in the Alternave Educaon
Program. Students served under an IEP or 504 plan may not be
subject to this provision.
E. Arson/Fire
Aempng to, aiding in, or seng fire to a building or other school
property.
STUDENTPARENT SURVEY TO IDENTIFY FEDERALLY
CONNECTED STUDENTS
Each year, Harford County Public Schools seeks informaon from
parents which is important to the system in its long-range planning
and its applicaon for federal financial assistance. This informaon is
requested on a form known as the student-parent survey form.
What kind of informaon is needed?
The survey form, which your student brings home in October of
each year, includes quesons about the locaon of your residence,
the number of children of school age in your home, your place of
employment, the name of your employer, and your work locaon.
Why is this informaon needed?
This informaon enables the school system to predict student yields
from the various types of residences in the county. These data are
important for planning future school building needs. Also, the place
of your employment and work locaon are needed to determine how
many persons are connected with the federal government. Each year
the school system is entled to an appropriaon of funds based on the
number of federally-connected children in the school system. These
funds are made available through Public Law 874, “Impact Aid.”
What is Impact Aid?
The presence of federal installaons in Harford County brings addional
children to the community for which the public schools must provide
educaonal programs. Since federal properes are exempt from local
property taxaon, the federal government provides funds which
parally pay for the educaon of these addional students. The
amount of funds received is based on the results of the survey and the
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