Grasslands Public Schools Policy Handbook Grasslands Public Schools
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Administrative Procedure

AP-906 — Weapons in Schools

Section Nine: Students
Effective Date: May 30, 2016 Last Reviewed: October 4, 2021

Background

The safety and well-being of students, staff and the general public in Grasslands schools is paramount. Accordingly, no students, or other individuals not legally permitted to carry weapons in the performance of their duties, are permitted to bring weapons into schools, onto school grounds, onto school busses or to school-sponsored activities. This applies to having in their possession in any of these places, weapons or objects which may be used to inflict injury or harm to others, either by intent or accident.

Guidelines

  1. Definition - A weapon is defined as any object which is either designed, intended, or used to intimidate, to threaten or to inflict bodily harm on a person or oneself and includes an object which imitates a weapon.

  2. The principal may authorize competent persons to bring weapons into the school for instructional purposes.

  3. For any student conduct situation involving weapons, violence, or threat-making behavior, school-based Violence Threat Risk Assessment (VTRA) teams will be convened prior to a student being suspended or expelled from the building. VTRA protocols will be followed to ensure the risk of further violence or self-harm have been identified and minimized. Where a weapon has been removed from an individual or where it has been necessary to inform the police regarding the possession of a weapon under this policy, the parents shall be informed in writing.

Procedures

  1. In instances where unauthorized individuals are found to have weapons in their possession, division staff shall take action to ensure the safety of themselves and others.
  2. Staff members are authorized to confiscate weapons.
  3. Division staff members, in attempting to remove weapons from an individual's possession shall exercise due care for the safety of themselves, students and others.
  4. Where a serious threat to safety exists, the police shall be called to deal with the situation.
  5. Weapons taken from students or others shall be disposed of forthwith as follows:
    1. Weapons taken from students or other individuals shall be immediately turned over to the principal.
    2. The principal is advised to contact the police with respect to disposition of seized knives and guns.
  6. Possession of a weapon may be grounds for suspension and/or expulsion. The principal will treat seriously any infraction of this policy and, unless unusual circumstances warrant otherwise, will consider a suspension and may recommend an expulsion.