SENATE BILL No. 644

 

 

October 24, 2013, Introduced by Senator HILDENBRAND and referred to the Committee on Education.

 

 

 

     A bill to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled

 

"The revised school code,"

 

by amending section 1311g (MCL 380.1311g), as amended by 2008 PA 1.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 1311g. (1) A strict discipline academy may be located in

 

all or part of an existing public school building. Except for a

 

strict discipline academy that includes pupils who are the

 

responsibility of a county juvenile agency, a strict discipline

 

academy shall not operate at a site other than the single site

 

requested for the configuration of grades that will use the site,

 

as specified in the application required under section 1311d and in

 

the contract.

 

     (2) A strict discipline academy shall not charge tuition.


 

Except as otherwise provided in subsection (5), (6), a strict

 

discipline academy shall not discriminate in its pupil admissions

 

policies or practices on the basis of intellectual or athletic

 

ability, measures of achievement or aptitude, status as a student

 

with a disability, or any other basis that would be illegal if used

 

by a school district. However, a strict discipline academy may

 

limit admission to pupils who are within a particular range of age

 

or grade level or on any other basis that would be legal if used by

 

a school district.

 

     (3) A strict discipline academy shall be established under

 

sections 1311b to 1311l 1311m specifically for enrolling 1 or more

 

of the following types of pupils:

 

     (a) Pupils placed in the strict discipline academy by a court

 

or by the department of human services or a county juvenile agency

 

under the direction of a court.

 

     (b) Pupils who have been expelled under section 1311(2).

 

     (c) Pupils who have been expelled under section 1311a or

 

another provision of this act.

 

     (d) Other pupils who have been expelled from school, or pupils

 

who have been suspended from school for a suspension that is for a

 

period in excess of 10 school days, and who are referred to the

 

strict discipline academy by that pupil's school and placed in the

 

strict discipline academy by the pupil's parent or legal guardian.

 

However, a suspended pupil shall be allowed to attend the strict

 

discipline academy only for the duration of the suspension.

 

     (4) In addition to the types of pupils specified in subsection

 

(3), a strict discipline public school academy shall be open for


 

enrollment of a special education pupil who does not meet the

 

requirements of subsection (3) if the special education pupil's

 

individualized education program team recommends that the special

 

education pupil be placed in the strict discipline public school

 

academy. As used in this subsection, "individualized education

 

program team" means that term as defined in section 614 of part B

 

of title VI of the individuals with disabilities education act, 20

 

USC 1414.

 

     (5) In addition to the types of pupils specified in

 

subsections (3) and (4), a strict discipline academy may enroll a

 

pupil who is placed in a high-security or medium-security juvenile

 

facility, mental health facility, or child caring institution that

 

is operated by a private agency.

 

     (6) (5) A strict discipline academy shall enroll only 1 or

 

more of the types of pupils described in subsection (3) or (4).

 

subsections (3) to (5). A strict discipline academy is not required

 

to keep any group of pupils described in subsection (3) or (4)

 

subsections (3) to (5) physically separated from another group of

 

those pupils, as might otherwise be required under section 1311,

 

section 1311a, or another provision of this act.

 

     (7) (6) Strict discipline academies are not intended to enroll

 

or otherwise be used to educate individuals who are committed to a

 

high-security or medium-security juvenile facility operated by the

 

department of human services or another state department or agency.

 

Further, if the department of corrections or another state

 

department or agency other than the department of human services

 

has custody of or jurisdiction over a child, that state department


 

or agency has the financial responsibility for educating the child.

 

     (8) (7) Except for a foreign exchange student who is not a

 

United States citizen, a strict discipline academy shall not enroll

 

a pupil who is not a resident of this state. Enrollment in the

 

strict discipline academy may be open to all individuals who reside

 

in this state who meet the admission policy under subsections (3)

 

and (4) to (5) and shall be open to all pupils who reside within

 

the geographic boundaries, if any, of the authorizing body as

 

described in section 1311d who meet the admission policy under

 

subsections (3) and (4), to (5), except that admission to a strict

 

discipline academy authorized by the board of a community college

 

to operate, or operated by the board of a community college, on the

 

grounds of a federal military installation, as described in section

 

1311d, shall be open to all pupils who reside in the county in

 

which the federal military installation is located who meet the

 

admission policy under subsections (3) and (4). to (5). For a

 

strict discipline academy authorized by a state public university,

 

enrollment shall be open to all pupils who reside in this state who

 

meet the admission policy under subsections (3) and (4). to (5). If

 

there are more applications to enroll in the strict discipline

 

academy than there are spaces available, pupils shall be selected

 

to attend using a random selection process. However, a strict

 

discipline academy may give enrollment priority to a sibling of a

 

pupil enrolled in the strict discipline academy. Except for a

 

suspended pupil who is attending the strict discipline academy for

 

the duration of the suspension, a strict discipline academy shall

 

allow any pupil who was enrolled in the strict discipline academy


 

in the immediately preceding school year to enroll in the strict

 

discipline academy in the appropriate grade unless the appropriate

 

grade is not offered at that strict discipline academy.

 

     (9) (8) A strict discipline academy may include any grade up

 

to grade 12 or any configuration of those grades, including

 

kindergarten and early childhood education, as specified in its

 

contract. The authorizing body may approve amendment of a contract

 

with respect to ages of pupils or grades offered.