FOUNTAIN VALLEY : Schools Revise Policy Against Weapons

The Fountain Valley School District Board of Trustees made it clear this week that there will be no tolerance for students who bring weapons to school. Those who do will be expelled.

Trustees tentatively approved a revised anti-weapons policy, which reaffirms the district’s zero-tolerance policy on weapons to ensure the safety of the students.

“We’ve always had rigorous standards,” said Fern Zahlen Williams, the district’s director of student services, adding that the revisions primarily reflect new state legislation regarding the discipline of students.

Williams said the revisions strengthen existing policy. “It gives clearer direction on how to implement the suspension and expulsion policy,” she said.

A final vote on the revised policy will be held at a future board meeting.

According to district officials, a student was expelled this spring for bringing a gun and a clip with live rounds to school. Officials said there have been instances of students bringing knives or other weapons to school. In each case, disciplinary action was taken, either suspension or a transfer out of the school.

Trustees decided to add language in the policy that describes in more detail what constitutes a weapon. Also, a new procedure was approved to require that trustees be notified if a decision is made not to expel a student, Williams said. Under the policy, principals make the recommendation whether to expel a student. However, the superintendent also has the authority to recommend expulsion.

“This is good, because board members represent the parents in the community, and if they are kept uninformed, then the parents are kept uninformed,” said Sue Walsh, who has two children at Fred Moiola Elementary. “Now that the principal has to disclose it, it’s one big plus. It means the principals can’t ignore a serious situation without having to account for it.”

Walsh recalled her stint at Moiola as a noon duty aide when a student threatened to bring a gun to school and shoot her. She said she is concerned that bringing a pocketknife to school, for example, may not be considered serious enough by a principal.

“Under the guidelines that the principals follow, we would like to see the definition of a weapon to include any knife--not just switchblades,” Walsh said.

Williams said school officials don’t take knives lightly. “We consider any knife a weapon, if it is used to threaten anyone,” she said. “And, yes, we would recommend expulsion unless the particular circumstances for expulsion would be inappropriate.”