H. B. 4465
(By Delegates Riggs, Leggett, Pino and Warner)
[Introduced February 9, 2000; referred to the
Committee on Education.]
A BILL to amend article two, chapter eighteen of the code of West
Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended,
by adding thereto a new section, designated section
thirty-four, relating to decorum for students addressing
teachers and service personnel in public schools.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That article two, chapter eighteen of the code of West
Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be
amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section
thirty-four, to read as follows:
ARTICLE 2. STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
§18-2-34. Decorum for students addressing teachers and service
personnel.
(a) The Legislature hereby finds and determines that proper
courtesy and decorum exhibited by students in public schools
toward teachers and service personnel promotes and educates
students of proper social skills and decorum and promotes
appropriate self-discipline by students.
(b) For the school year beginning the first day of July,
two-thousand, and thereafter, the county boards of education
shall require all students in kindergarten through the fifth
grade to exhibit proper decorum as required in this section:
Provided, That for the school year beginning the first day of
July, two thousand-one, the requirements of this section shall
also apply to all students in the sixth grade and extend to
students in the next grade above each year thereafter, to include
all secondary school students beginning in the school year
beginning the first day of July, two thousand-eight. The state
board may provide for exemptions from the requirements of this
section for students with disabilities as determined by the state
board to be in the best interests of such students, according to
the type of disability, or on a case by case basis.
(c) When any student is speaking with or addressing any
teacher or service personnel at a public school or while a student is under the supervision of a teacher or service
personnel, such student shall address and respond to such teacher
or service personnel by using the respectful terms "Sir", or
"Ma'am", "Yes, Ma'am" and "No Ma'am" or "Yes Sir" and "No, Sir",
as appropriate, or "Yes, Mister, Miss, or Ms. (Surname) and "No,
Mister, Miss or Ms., (Surname), as appropriate, each such title
to be followed by the appropriate surname.
(d) Each county board shall incorporate the requirements of
this section into any existing discipline policy or code of
student conduct of each county board.
(e) The state board shall promulgate rules in accordance
with article three-b, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code to
implement the requirements of this section, which shall include
and be subject to the following:
(1) Provide for appropriate action necessary to discipline
students who fail to comply with the requirements of this
section: Provided, That no student shall be suspended or
expelled from school for failure to comply with the provisions of
this section;
(2) Provide for appropriate instruction of students of the
requirements of this section and of the provisions of the rules promulgated herein prior to the enforcement of the provisions of
this section;
(3) Provide for informing the parents and legal guardians of
students of the decorum required of students pursuant to
provisions of this section and of the rules promulgated
hereunder.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require a certain
decorum for students in public schools when addressing or
speaking to teachers and service personnel; provides for
promulgation of rules; provides for the phase-in of provisions
beginning with the school year beginning July 1, 2000, for grades
kindergarten to fifth grade, to be increased each year
thereafter, one grade above the fifth, until the school year
2008, for all secondary school students.
Section 18-2-34 is new; therefore, strike-throughs and
underscoring have been omitted.