HUNTINGTON BEACH : Trustees Oppose 2 New Expulsion Bills

The Huntington Beach City School District Board of Trustees has unanimously voted to oppose pending state legislation that would make it harder to expel unruly handicapped students.

The trustees voted 5 to 0 at their meeting last week for a resolution that opposes any new law “which requires school districts to provide educational services to handicapped children after they are expelled, even when it is determined that the conduct was not a manifestation of the child’s handicap.”

In a memo to the school board, district Supt. Duane Dishno said that the state Department of Education is sponsoring two Assembly bills that would weaken school districts’ ability to expel handicapped students. The bills would require schools to educate handicapped students expelled for reasons not related to their handicap.

Dishno said federal courts have ruled that “a school district may withhold educational services from a handicapped student when it is determined that the conduct (causing expulsion) was not a manifestation of the child’s handicap.” The pending state legislation would change that situation, Dishno told the school board.

He said the federal courts have so far ruled “that there is simply no justification” for exempting handicapped students from the expulsion rules that apply to non-handicapped children.