The McDuffie County School Board voted to beef up the Student Drug and Alcohol Policy, clarifying some phrases that may have been open to interpretation.
In an effort to send a strong message that drug and alcohol violations will not be tolerated, the board changed some of the language in the policy.
The new policy states that for a second offense, students shall be suspended for not less than 10 days, referred to a disciplinary tribunal and shall be recommended for expulsion for one school year. The former policy did not include referral to a disciplinary tribunal and recommended expulsion for the remainder of the school year instead of one full school year.
The Board changed the word "may" to "shall" in several phrases. This clarified the policy that states students shall be expelled for a minimum of one full semester after a first offense.
In addition, the policy states that police shall conduct an investigation at their discretion for a first offense and shall conduct an investigation for a second offense.
