In January 2025, the Worcester School Committee approved a series of edits to the WPS Student Handbook effective immediately.

This web page contains all of the edits to the handbooks. The printed documents will be updated for the 2025-26 school year.

• Page 14: Code of Conduct

• Page 16: Alternative Remedies

• Page 32: Educational Services and Academic Progress

• Pages 26, 50-51: Bullying Intervention and Prevention

• Page 56: Students with Disabilities

• Gender Identity

Old Wording:

The Code of Conduct is based on a system of progressive discipline with a goal of limiting the use of long-term suspension as a consequence for student misconduct until other consequences have been considered, as appropriate. The administrator will exercise discretion in determining disciplinary consequences.

New Wording:

In every case of student misconduct for which suspension may be imposed the principal shall first consider ways to re-engage the student in learning and shall not use suspension from school as a consequence until alternative remedies have been tried and documented, except as follows: (1) where said decision-maker documents specific reasons why alternative remedies are unsuitable or counterproductive; or (2) where the student's continued presence in school would pose a specific, documentable concern about the infliction of serious bodily injury or other serious harm to another person while in school. 

Old Wording:

Other Discipline: Detentions may be imposed for infractions of these rules at the school level. Alternative consequences may be used, as appropriate, and include the use of evidence-based strategies and programs such as mediation, conflict resolution, restorative justice, and positive behavioral interventions and supports.

New Wording:

Alternative Remedies: No suspension or expulsion shall occur until all alternative remedies are attempted.  Reengagement strategies such as mediation, conflict resolution, restorative practice, PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention & Support), caregiver meetings, collaborative problem solving, social skills groups, Wellness Room consultation, safety plans, trauma-sensitive learning, and other evidence-based strategies may be used as appropriate. Detentions may be imposed for infractions of these rules at the school level. School-wide or district-wide models shall not be considered a direct response to a specific incident.

Participation in clubs and activities at Worcester Public Schools and attending school-sponsored, school-related events is a privilege afforded to students who remain in good standing. To participate in school activities, events, and clubs, students are expected to maintain good attendance and demonstrate good behavior and citizenship during school and at school-sponsored events. Eligibility for participation in activities, events, clubs, awards, scholarships, and honorary positions at Worcester Public Schools is limited to students who are currently enrolled in and attending Worcester Public Schools in good standing. Students not meeting these expectations may be excluded at the discretion of the principal or their designee. If a student is suspended from an extracurricular activity, at the determination of the principal, the student may be excluded from that specific type of event involving the student’s school of enrollment for the remainder of the school year. A student’s removal from extracurricular activities and attendance at school-sponsored events is not subject to the procedural requirements of MGL c. 71 §37H ¾ (Principal’s Hearing). The removal is not a suspension for the purpose of counting the school days that a student is suspended. Caregivers will be notified when a student is removed or excluded from extracurricular activities. 

The district shall not suspend or expel a student until re-engagement in learning has been employed and their use and results documented.  In cases where procedures for reengaging students before suspension or expulsion through alternative remedies is not suitable the principal will document specific reasons why these alternative remedies are unsuitable or counterproductive.  If the student's continued presence in school would pose a specific, documentable concern about the infliction of serious bodily injury or other serious harm to another person while in school this will be documented.  

School discipline shall not include the right to inflict corporal punishment. However, reasonable force may be used as necessary to protect other students or other persons from assault or the imminent threat of bodily injury. 

School Officials may legally search a student and confiscate property provided: 

1. There are reasonable grounds to suspect a search will turn up evidence tending to show that the student has violated or is violating the law or the school’s rules; and

2. The search as conducted is reasonably related in scope to the circumstances that justified the search in the first place.

Old Wording:

Section IV: Educational Services and Academic Progress Under MGL c. 71 §§37H, 37H½ and 37H¾: 

Any student who is serving an in-school suspension, short-term suspension, long term suspension, or expulsion shall have the opportunity to earn credits, as applicable, make up assignments, tests, papers, and other school work as needed to make academic progress during the period of their removal from the classroom or school. The principal or their designee shall inform the student and caregiver of this opportunity in writing when such suspension or expulsion is imposed. Any student who is expelled or suspended from school for more than ten (10) consecutive days, whether in school or out of school, shall have an opportunity to receive educational services and make academic progress toward meeting state and local requirements, through the school-wide education service plan.

New Wording:

Section IV: Educational Services and Academic Progress Under MGL c. 71 §§37H, 37H½ and 37H¾: 

Any student who is serving an in-school suspension, short-term suspension, long-term suspension, or expulsion shall have the opportunity to earn credits, as applicable, make up assignments, tests, papers, and other school work as needed to make academic progress during the period of their removal from the classroom or school. The principal or their designee shall inform the student and caregiver of this opportunity in writing when such suspension or expulsion is imposed. 

Any student who is expelled or suspended from school for more than ten (10) consecutive days, whether in school or out of school, shall have an opportunity to receive educational services and make academic progress toward meeting state and local requirements, through the school-wide education service plan.  Any student receiving special education services, 504, or in the process of a special education evaluation, the student and their parent will receive a copy of the parent procedural safeguards. Within 10 school days of any decision to change the placement of a child with a disability because of a violation of a code of student conduct, the LEA, the parent, and relevant members of the child’s IEP Team (as determined by the parent and the LEA) must review all relevant information in the student’s file, including the child’s IEP, any teacher observations, and any relevant information provided by the parents to determine manifestation of the nexus of the disability .  On the date on which the decision is made to make a removal that constitutes a change of placement of a child with a disability because of a violation of a code of student conduct, the LEA must notify the parents of that decision, and provide the parents the procedural safeguards notice described in §300.504.

Old Wording:

Bullying Intervention and Prevention Plan and other School Policies and State and Federal Law

The Worcester Public Schools is committed to providing a safe, positive and productive educational environment where students can achieve the highest academic standards. No student shall be subjected to harassment, intimidation, bullying or cyber-bullying. The school will investigate and respond to claims of bullying or harassment in accordance with the district’s Bullying Intervention Plan and other school policies and state and federal law.

Bullying is the repeated use by one or more students or school staff members of a written, verbal or electronic expression, or a physical act or gesture, or any combination thereof, directed at a target which:

• Causes physical or emotional harm to the target or damage to the target’s property; • Places the target in reasonable fear of harm to them self, or of damage to their property;

• Creates a hostile environment at school for the target;
  

• Infringes on the rights of the target at school; or
  

• Materially and substantially disrupts the education process or the orderly operation of a school.
  “Cyber-bullying” means bullying through the use of technology or any electronic communication, which shall include, but shall not be limited to any transfer of signs, signals, writing, images, sounds, data or intelligence of any nature transmitted in whole or in part by a:
  
  • Wire
  • Radio
  • Electromagnetic
  • Photo-electronic or photo-optical system, including but not limited to electronic mail, internet communications, instant messages or facsimile communications
  
  

•  Cyber-bullying shall also include the creation of a web page or blog in which the creator assumes the identity of another person or knowingly impersonates an- other person as author of posted content or messages, if the creation or imper- sonation creates any of the conditions enumerated in the definition of bullying.
  
  Cyber-bullying shall also include the distribution by electronic means of a communication to more than one person or the posting of material on an electronic medium that may be accessed by one or more persons, if the distribution or posting creates any of the conditions enumerated in the definition of bullying.
  
  Bullying and cyber-bullying may occur in and out of school, during and after school hours, at home and in locations outside of the home. When bullying and cyber-bullying are alleged, the full cooperation and assistance of caregivers and families are expected.
  
  For the purpose of this policy, whenever the term bullying is used it is to denote either bullying or cyber-bulling. Bullying is prohibited:
  
  • On school grounds;
  • On property immediately adjacent to school grounds;
  • At school-sponsored or school-related activities;
  • At functions or programs whether on or off school grounds;
  • At school bus stops
  • On school buses or other vehicles owned, leased or used by the school district; or
  • Through the use of technology or an electronic device owned, leased or used by the school district.
  Bullying and cyber-bulling are prohibited at a location, activity, function or program that is not school-related or through the use of technology or an elec- tronic device that is not owned, leased or used by the school district if the act or acts in question:
  
  • Create a hostile environment at school for the target
  • Infringe on the rights of the target at school; and/or
  • Materially and substantially disrupt the education process or the orderly operation of a school
  
  Acts of bullying can result in any one, or combination of, the following legal charges:

• Assault (GL c. 265, §13A). The act or an instance of unlawfully threatening or attempting to injure another

• Assault & Battery (GL c. 265, §13A). An assault upon a victim that is carried  out by striking the victim, knocking the victim down, or otherwise doing violence to the victim.

• Criminal Harassment (GL c. 265, §43A). Whoever willfully and maliciously engages in a knowing pattern of conduct or series of acts over a period of time directed at a specific person, which seriously alarms that person and would cause a reasonable person to suffer substantial emotional distress.
  

• Harassing/Annoying Phone Calls. (GL c. 269, §43A). Whoever telephones an- other person, or causes any person to be telephoned, repeatedly, for the sole purpose of harassing, annoying or molesting such person or their family, whether or not conversation ensues, or whoever telephones a person repeatedly, and uses indecent or obscene language to such a person.
  

• Threats (GL c. 275, §4) (GL c. 209A, §7). An expression of intention and an ability in circumstances that would justify apprehension on the part of the recipient.
  

• Disruption of School Assembly (GL c. 272, §40). Whoever willfully interrupts or disturbs a school or other assembly of people met for a lawful purpose.
  

• Civil Rights Violation (GL c. 265, §§37, 38). No person, whether or not acting under color of law, shall by force or threat of force, willfully injure, intimidate or interfere with, or attempt to injure, intimidate or interfere with, or oppress or threaten any other person in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to them by the constitution or laws of the Commonwealth or by the constitution or laws of the United States.

• Malicious Destruction of Property (GL c. 266, §127). Whoever destroys or injures the personal property, dwelling house or building of another. 

New Wording:

• Please review the updated Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan.

Old Wording:

For special education students, the principal or their designee will notify the Evaluation Team Chair of the suspendable offense of a student with a disability and a record will be kept in the Student Information System. For 504 students, the principal or their designee will notify the 504 Coordinator of the suspendable offense of the student and a record will be kept in the Student Information System. 

New Wording:

For special education students and those students being evaluated for special education services who have been determined to have a suspected disability or who the school district knows or has reason to know might be eligible for such services: The principal or their designee will notify the Evaluation Team Chair (ETC) of the suspendable offense of a student with a disability and a record will be kept in the Student Information System. For 504 students, the principal or their designee will notify the 504 Coordinator of the suspendable offense of the student and a record will be kept in the Student Information System. Students who have been found to have a disability that substantially limits a major life activity, as defined under 504 of the Rehabilitation Act are generally also entitled to increased procedural protections.

Old Wording:

• Any student with a disability may be suspended for up to ten (10) school days during a school year unless there is a pattern of suspensions that constitute a change in placement. Disciplinary decisions are the same as for students without disabilities and in accordance with the due process procedures in this handbook.

The school provides additional safeguards for students with disabilities prior to any suspension beyond 10 consecutive days or more than 10 cumulative days (if there is a pattern of suspension) in any school year. 

New Wording:

• Any student with a disability may be suspended for up to ten (10) school days during a school year unless there is a pattern of suspensions that constitute a change in placement. Disciplinary decisions are the same as for students without disabilities and per the due process procedures in this handbook.

•The school provides additional safeguards for students with disabilities before any suspension beyond 10 consecutive days or more than 10 cumulative days (if there is a pattern of suspension) in any school year. Parents are provided with The Parents Notice of Procedural Safeguards as described in §300.504.

Old Wording:

 • If your child is suspended for more than 10 school days in a school year, or if there is a pattern of suspension, this removal is considered a “change of placement”. A change of placement because of a disciplinary removal occurs if your child with a disability is removed from their current educational placement for more than 10 consecutive school days, or the child is subjected to a series of removals that constitutes a pattern because: (1) the removals 55 total more than 10 school days in a school year; (2) your child’s behavior is substantially similar to previous incidents that resulted in the series of removals; and (3) additional factors such as the length of each removal, the total amount of time the child has been removed, and the proximity of the removals to one another constitute a pattern.

• A change of placement invokes certain procedural protections under federal special education law and Section 504.

• Prior to any removal that constitutes a change of placement, the school may convene a team meeting to develop a plan for conducting a functional behavioral assessment (FBA) that will be used as the basis for developing specific strategies to address your child’s problematic behavior.

• Prior to any removal that constitutes a change of placement, the school must inform you that the law requires the school district to consider whether or not the behavior that forms the basis of the disciplinary action has a direct nexus to your child’s disability. This consideration is called a “manifestation determination”, parents/caregivers have a right to participate in this team process. All relevant information will be considered including the IEP or Section 504 Plan, teacher observations, evaluation reports and any information provided by parents/caregivers.

• At a manifestation determination meeting, the team will consider:  Did the student’s disability cause or have a direct and substantial relationship to the conduct in question?  Was the conduct a direct result of the district’s failure to implement the IEP?

• If the team’s manifestation determination decision is that the disciplinary action was related to your child’s disability, then your child may not be removed from the current educational placement (unless the behavior falls under the special circumstances described below or the parents/caregivers agree that a change in placement is appropriate. The team will review the IEP or Section 504 Plan and any behavioral intervention plans and may amend those plans as appropriate. The team will complete a functional behavior assessment and behavior intervention plan if it has not already done so.

• If the manifestation determination decision is that the disciplinary action was not related to your child’s disability, then the school may suspend or otherwise discipline your child according to the school’s code of conduct. The team may, as appropriate, complete a functional behavioral assessment and behavioral intervention services and modification, to address the behavior so that it does not recur. For students with IEPs, during the period of time of removal from school that exceeds 10 school days, the school district must provide educational services that allow your child to continue to make educational progress. For students with Section 504 Plans, there is no automatic right to receive educational services beyond the 10th school day of suspension under federal law, however, state law does provide all students with the rights to receive educational services during periods of suspension lasting longer than ten days. 

New Wording:

If your child is suspended for more than 10 school days in a school year, or if there is a pattern of suspension, this removal is considered a “change of placement”.  On the date which the decision is made to make a removal that constitutes a change of placement of a child with a disability because of a violation of a code of student conduct, the Local Education Agency (LEA) must notify the parents of that decision, and provide The Parents Notice of Procedural Safeguards as described in §300.504.

A change of placement because of a disciplinary removal occurs if your child with a disability is removed from their current educational placement for more than 10 consecutive school days, or the child is subjected to a series of removals that constitutes a pattern because: (1) the removals total more than 10 school days in a school year; (2) your child’s behavior is substantially similar to previous incidents that resulted in the series of removals; and (3) additional factors such as the length of each removal, the total amount of time the child has been removed, and the proximity of the removals to one another constitute a pattern. 

A change of placement invokes certain procedural protections under federal special education law and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Within 10 school days of any decision to change the placement of a child with a disability, or for students who are in process and have a suspected disability but have not yet been determined eligible, because of a violation of a code of student conduct, the LEA, the parent, and relevant members of the child’s IEP Team (as determined by the parent and the LEA) must review all relevant information in the student’s file, including the child’s IEP, any teacher observations, and any relevant information provided by the parents to determine if the disciplinary action was related to the disability.  

Before any removal constitutes a change of placement, the school must inform you that the law requires the school district to consider whether or not the behavior that forms the basis of the disciplinary action has a direct nexus to your child’s disability. This consideration is called a “manifestation determination”, parents/caregivers have a right to participate in this team process. All relevant information will be considered including the IEP or Section 504 Plan, teacher observations, evaluation reports, and any information provided by parents/caregivers. At a manifestation determination meeting, the team will consider:  Did the student’s disability cause or have a direct and substantial relationship to the conduct in question?  Was the conduct a direct result of the district’s failure to failure to implement the IEP and provide Free and Appropriate Education (FAPE)?

•  If the team’s manifestation determination decision is that the disciplinary action was related to your child’s disability, then your child may not be removed from the current educational placement (unless the behavior falls under the special circumstances described below or the parents/caregivers agree that a change in placement is appropriate). The team will review the IEP or Section 504 Plan and any behavioral intervention plans and may amend those plans as appropriate. The team must complete and update a functional behavior assessment and behavior intervention plan.
  

•  If the manifestation determination decision is that the disciplinary action was not related to your child’s disability, then the school may suspend or otherwise discipline your child according to the school’s code of conduct. The team may, as appropriate, complete a functional behavioral assessment and behavioral intervention services and modification, to address the behavior so that it does not recur. 

For students with IEPs, during the period of removal from school that exceeds 10 school days, the IEP team will identify the services necessary to provide Free and Appropriate Education  (FAPE)  which include services that allow your child to continue to make educational progress during the period of exclusion. For students with Section 504 Plans, there is no automatic right to receive educational services beyond the 10th school day of suspension under federal law, however, state law does provide all students with the right to receive educational services during periods of suspension lasting longer than ten days. 

Old Wording:

Special circumstances exist if your child: possesses, uses, sells or solicits illegal drugs on school grounds or at a school-sponsored event; carries a weapon to school or a school-sponsored event; or inflicts serious bodily harm upon another person at school or a school-sponsored event.

Under these circumstances, the principal may place your child in an interim alternative educational setting (IAES) for up to 45 school days. Your child may remain in this IAES for a period of time not to exceed 45 school days. Thereafter, your child will return to the previously agreed-upon placement unless a hearings officer has ordered another placement, or you and the school agree to another placement.

For students with Section 504 Plans, there is no automatic right to receive educational services beyond the 10th day of school suspension under federal law, however, state law does provide all students with the rights to receive educational services during periods of suspensions lasting longer than ten days. School personnel will provide caregiver’s Notice of Procedural Safeguards (Special Education) or Notice of Caregiver and Student Rights Under Section 504 for students with disabilities prior to any suspension exceeding 10 school days in one school year or a removal which results in a change in placement. These notices will provide an explanation of the process should there be disagreement regarding the manifestation determination or any placement decision. The caregiver and/or student may petition the Bureau of Special Education Appeals for a hearing and may have other rights as outlined in the Notice of Procedural Safeguards. 

New Wording:

Special circumstances exist if your child: possesses, uses, sells, or solicits illegal drugs on school grounds or at a school-sponsored event; carries a weapon to school or a school-sponsored event; or inflicts serious bodily harm upon another person at school or a school-sponsored event. Under these circumstances, the principal may place your child in an Interim Alternate Educational Setting (IAES) for up to 45 school days.  Your child may remain in this IAES for a time not to exceed 45 school days. Thereafter, your child will return to the previously agreed-upon placement unless a hearings officer has ordered another placement, or the parent/caregiver and the school agree to another placement.

For students with Section 504 Plans, there is no automatic right to receive educational services beyond the 10th day of school suspension under federal law, however, state law does provide all students with the right to receive educational services during periods of suspensions lasting longer than ten days. School personnel will provide you a parent’s /caregiver’s Notice of Procedural Safeguards from the Special Education Department or Notice of Caregiver and Student Rights Under Section 504 for students with disabilities before any suspension exceeding 10 school days in one school year or removal that results in a change in placement. These notices will explain the process should there be disagreement regarding the manifestation determination or any placement decision. The caregiver and/or student may petition the Bureau of Special Education Appeals (BSEA) for a hearing and may have additional rights as outlined in the Notice of Procedural Safeguards. 

Gender Identity will be added to all WPS non-discrimination statements on the website and all other written communication.

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