The Department of Education shall be authorized to approve and provide financial support for programs to provide alternative educational and related services to disruptive students in the public schools. This component will serve students, in schools enrolling pupils in grades K through 12, who are causing repeated disruptions in the regular classes to which they are assigned. Services may be delivered in a variety of modes with students assigned to the specific programs for short- or long-term assistance. Programs authorized under this section could also serve as a transition for youngsters returning from programs operated under the provisions of § 1604 of this title. The Department of Education shall provide rules and regulations for the conduct of programs authorized under this section subject to the following limitations:
(1) School districts shall be permitted to use personnel authorized by any of the provisions of this title to establish alternative educational and related service programs for disruptive students. Such personnel shall continue to be paid in accordance with salary schedules specified in Chapter 13 of this title.
(2) In the event that a school district uses personnel authorized under various sections of this title to establish and operate a program for disruptive students, the district may elect to employ 2 service paraprofessionals or 2 instructional paraprofessionals, paid in accordance with § 1324 of this title, in lieu of 1 staff member paid in accordance with § 1305 of this title.
(3) Any school which either enrolls pupils in at least 2 of the grades 3 through 12 or enrolls pupils solely in 1 or more of grades K through 3, and which establishes a program for disruptive students in accordance with the provisions of this section and the rules and regulations of the Department of Education may make application to the Department for an incentive grant to help defray the cost of operating such program. No school may qualify for more than 1 incentive grant per fiscal year, and all applications for such grants must have the prior approval of the board of education of the school district in which the applicant school is located. The maximum dollar value of an incentive grant shall be specified in the annual budget appropriation bill. Funds available to the Department of Education shall be allocated on a competitive basis if in any fiscal year more schools are eligible for funding than there are funds appropriated for the incentive grants.
(4) Funds provided to a school under an incentive grant provided under paragraph (3) of this section may be used for any purpose that Division I or II funds may be used, provided, however, that such funds shall not be used to pay salaries to employees beyond the state-supported salaries specified in Chapter 13 of this title.
(5) To achieve the most cost-effective impact from the incentive funds authorized by this section and to increase the coordination of services by schools and other governmental and nongovernmental social service agencies consistent with § 1607 of this title, schools and school districts shall consider contracting for educational or related goods and services with the State Departments of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families and Health and Social Services, and other governmental and nongovernmental social service agencies using funds authorized by this section. Each school filing a report pursuant to paragraph (6) of this section shall include information regarding the provisions of this paragraph (5).
(6) All schools receiving an incentive grant pursuant to paragraph (3) of this section shall submit an annual evaluation report on the effectiveness of the program to the Department of Education. The report shall be in a format and shall include the data and information specified by the Department.
(7) To receive a supplemental grant greater than the dollar amount for base grants funded in support of programs defined in this section by the annual budget act, schools shall establish a site-based committee in the school to govern discipline matters and shall meet the criteria set forth in this subdivision. Supplemental grants shall be available for grades 7, 8, 9 and 10 only. The annual budget act shall establish the dollar amount of such supplemental grants. Before issuing funding pursuant to this paragraph, the Department shall determine that the school’s application meets the following criteria:
a. The grant application must certify that the majority of the members of the school level committee are members of the school professional staff, of which a majority shall be instructional staff; that the committee contains representatives of the support staff, student body (for schools enrolling students, grades 7 through 12), parents and the community; that representatives of the employee groups are chosen by members of each respective group and representatives of the nonemployee groups are appointed by the local board of education; and that the committee operates on the 1-person, 1-vote principle for reaching all decisions.
b. The grant application must certify that the committee has the authority, within established local district budgetary guidelines and at its sole discretion, to:
1. Establish a school code of conduct which defines the roles and responsibilities of all members of the school community (administrators, teachers, support staff, contracted service personnel, students, families and child/family advocates) and which is consistent with the established state and federal laws, state and federal regulations, local board policies, local district codes of conduct and local district budgetary guidelines, unless relevant waivers have been granted.
2. Hear concerns from a staff member dissatisfied with the disposition of any disciplinary matter by the school administration;
3. Refer students to programs defined in § 1604 of this title; provided, however, that any child with disabilities be referred to such programs through the child’s Individualized Education Plan;
4. Design, approve and oversee the implementation of programs established in the school as defined in this chapter;
5. Establish and enforce the school’s attendance policy, including mandating attendance in programs established in paragraph (7)b.7. of this section;
6. Establish extended day, week or year programs, for students with discipline or attendance problems, or at risk of academic failure, that provide for the assessment of penalties for violations of school discipline or attendance policies and for academic acceleration and tutoring, mentoring and counseling services for such students and their families as an integral program component;
7. Establish staff development programs for conflict resolution for all school staff, and establish programs in classroom and behavioral management for schools staff identified as needing improvement;
8. Design student mentoring, conflict resolution and/or peer counseling programs for all students, especially for those who are identified as having chronic discipline, academic or attendance problems.
