Section 4 - Essential Information

Bullying and Harassment

The Marion County School District is committed to providing all students and staff—including volunteers—with a safe, secure, and respectful educational environment, free from bullying and harassment of any kind.

Bullying (including cyberbullying) is defined as repeated, unwanted verbal, physical, or written behavior—such as teasing, threats, humiliation, physical harm, or social exclusion—that causes harm or interferes with school performance or participation. Cyberbullying involves using technology (e.g., email, social media, texts) to harass or impersonate someone in a way that causes harm or distress.

Harassment includes any conduct—verbal, written, or physical—that threatens, insults, or demeans a student or employee and substantially disrupts the school environment. Retaliation against anyone who reports or alleges such behavior. Sexual cyber-harassment, which is the online sharing of sexually explicit images with identifying information without consent.

This policy applies to behavior occurring on or off campus, when it affects the school community. Violations will be addressed according to district procedures. Fla. Stat.§1006.147

Diversion

Drugs/Alcohol & Supportive Enforcement

The student shall not knowingly possess, use, transmit or be under the influence of any narcotic drug, hallucinogenic drug, amphetamine, barbiturate, marijuana, any other controlled or counterfeit substance defined in § 893.03, Fla. Stat., or substitute for such, alcoholic beverage, inhalant or intoxicant, or over the counter drugs (excluding headache medication) of any kind, on the school grounds either before, during or after school hours or off the school grounds at a school activity, function, or event. Also, a student shall not possess, have under his/her control, sell or deliver any device, or contrivance, instrument or paraphernalia containing the substance or substances described in this paragraph or any residue of such substance or devices intended for use or used in injecting, inhaling/inhalant/huffing, smoking, administering, or using any of the foregoing prescribed drugs, narcotics or stimulants. Use of a drug authorized by a medical prescription from a registered physician for a specific student shall not be considered a violation of this rule.

On a student’s first violation, or when determined to be under the influence of an illegal substance, the student will be offered the opportunity to participate in an online substance abuse supportive enforcement education program in addition to suspension for ten (10) days or will receive an alternative placement. Offenses eligible for supportive enforcement include alcohol, illegal drugs, and Schedule I-V controlled substances, including THC oil, THC byproducts, Delta 8, and any other variants of THC Synthetic or Natural. The Coordinator of Student Discipline, or his/her designee, must confirm that the student to the parent and school designee the successfully completion of the program within the allocated period of time. Schools will remind students on a regular basis that providing alcohol or drugs to another student on campus or at any school sponsored activity will result in a recommendation for expulsion from school. Subsequent violations could result in an expulsion.

Refer to Drug/Alcohol Consequences chart on page 35

THE USE OF ILLICIT DRUGS AND THE UNLAWFUL POSSESSION AND USE OF ALCOHOL IS WRONG AND HARMFUL. INFORMATION ABOUT DRUG AND ALCOHOL COUNSELING IS AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS THROUGH THE SCHOOL COUNSELORS AT EACH SCHOOL. STUDENTS SUSPECTED OF BEING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL OR DRUGS MAY BE TESTED. A TEST REFUSAL, OR FAILURE TO COMPLETE THE TEST, WITHIN 24 HOURS, IS CONSIDERED A POSITIVE TEST RESULT AND WILL RESULT IN DISCIPLINARY CONSEQUENCES FOR BEING UNDER THE INFLUENCE. ALTERING THE TEST SAMPLE IN ANY WAY COULD RESULT IN FORGOING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR SUPPORTIVE ENFORCEMENT AND WILL RESULT IN AN ALTERNATIVE PLACEMENT OR EXPULSION.

Substance Abuse Screenings are completed at:

MCPS District Office
1614 E Fort King Street
Ocala, FL 34471

Substance Abuse Consequences

Dress Code

The Board believes that proper etiquette, social customs, and good grooming are a definite part of the educational process. To this end, it is expected that students wear neat, clean, appropriate clothing to school or school functions (as listed below) that meets the standards of this educational environment. Any extreme in clothing, cosmetics, jewelry, or appearance that may disrupt the normal operation of the school will not be acceptable. It is recommended that students wear closed toe/closed heel shoes to school. It is not the intention of these guidelines to usurp the authority of parents in determining what appropriate dress and grooming is for their children in accordance with the age and grade of those youngsters. The school will work with parents in encouraging our young people to assume this responsibility and to execute it sensibly as they mature. The purpose of the home and school, working together should be to help students accept and cooperate with the guidelines. In view of this statement, the following rules will be in effect in all schools:

General:

•  Students must not wear clothing and accessories that are harmful, disruptive, or hazardous to health or safety.
• Jewelry and accessories shall be worn in a way that does not present a safety or health hazard or cause a disruption to the education process.
• Undergarments should not be visible at any time.

Shirts:

•  Shirts must have sleeves and cover the body from shoulder to shoulder. A sleeve is defined as the
  part of a garment that wholly or partly covers a person’s arm.
• Must be long enough to overlap the belt line or stay tucked in during the course of normal
  movement throughout the day. Shirts falling below mid-thigh length will be tucked in. Shirts cannot
  be longer than the shorts/skirts.
• No bare-midriff shirts/blouses, muscle shirts, or tank tops will be worn.
• Students are not to wear T-shirts or other garments or other items with pictures, logos, phrases,
  decals, patches, emblems, or words printed on them that are obscene, suggestive, or disruptive in
  the judgment of the school administration. This will include, but not be limited to: nude/semi-nude
  figures; figures in sexually suggestive postures; or logos of alcoholic beverages, tobacco products,
  or prohibited substances; including racial, ethnic, or sexist slurs, or gang identification. A tattoo
  that is obscene or disruptive in the judgment of the school administration needs to be covered.

Pants, shorts, skirts:

• All Garments will be secured at the waist so that no undergarments will be exposed
• Shorts and skirts are permitted at all grade levels and will be mid-thigh, or longer.
• Rips, holes, or tears in clothing must be below mid-thigh or fingertip length.

Headgear:

• Students (male and female) are not to wear hats of any kind unless approved by the school
  administration for special occasions and specific locations.
• "Hats" should be interpreted literally as "hats" or head-coverings and will include bandanas, berets,
  beanies, knitted caps, hoods (such as attached to sweatshirts), caps, sweatbands, visors, and
  similar hat-like apparel.

Shoes:

•  Students shall wear shoes for foot protection and for hygienic reasons while on school grounds
  and/or school transportation.
• Bedroom slippers are not permitted.
• For safety reasons, shoes with wheels and/or skates may not be worn on the school campus/bus.
• Elementary school students are required to wear closed-toe/closed-heel shoes to school unless
  permission is otherwise granted by the administration.

Regulations in reference to grooming and dress for special activities such as athletics, fine arts and drill team will be governed by the immediate person in charge of these activities under the direction of the principal.

Appropriateness and moderation in all things, concern for the health and safety of the students, and the avoidance of distractions to the educational process are the guiding principles of the student dress code. Styles and fads are constantly changing and cannot possibly be covered by specific rules and regulations. The task of evaluating what is proper in the way of dress and grooming is highly controversial, and opinion among people varies. Individual schools will assume responsibility for ruling on specific items of clothing and general appearance for reasons of safety and health or for the order, well-being, and general welfare of students.

The Board authorizes school administrators to employ appropriate disciplinary procedures to carry out and enforce this policy. These are the minimum standards that will be enforced at each school. Schools have the right to set higher standards based on administrative procedures. School uniforms may be adopted at individual schools.

Any student who violates the dress code policy is subject to the following disciplinary actions;

• First Offense: A student shall be given a verbal warning, and the school principal shall call the student’s
  parent or guardian.
• Second Offense: the student is ineligible to participate in any extracurricular activities for a period of
  time not to exceed 5 days and the school principal shall meet with the student’s parent or guardian.
• Third offense and subsequent offenses: a student shall receive an in-school suspension pursuant to
  Fla. Stat.§1003.01 for a period not to exceed 3 days, the student is ineligible to participate in any
  extracurricular activity for a period not to exceed 30 days, and the school principal shall call the
  student’s parent or guardian and send the parent or guardian a written letter regarding the student’s in
  school suspension and ineligibility to participate in extracurricular activities.