1. Except as otherwise provided in this section, any pupil who commits a battery which results in the bodily injury of an employee of the school or who sells or distributes any controlled substance while on the premises of any public school, at an activity sponsored by a public school or on any school bus and who is at least 11 years of age shall meet with the school and his or her parent or legal guardian. The school shall provide a plan of action based on restorative justice to the parent or legal guardian of the pupil. The pupil may be expelled from the school, in which case the pupil shall:

(a) Enroll in a private school pursuant to chapter 394 of NRS or be homeschooled; or

(b) Enroll in a program of independent study provided pursuant to NRS 389.155 for pupils who have been suspended or expelled from public school or a program of distance education provided pursuant to NRS 388.820 to 388.874, inclusive, if the pupil qualifies for enrollment and is accepted for enrollment in accordance with the requirements of the applicable program.

2. An employee who is a victim of a battery which results in the bodily injury of an employee of the school may appeal to the school the plan of action provided pursuant to subsection 1 if:

(a) The employee feels any actions taken pursuant to such plan are inappropriate; and

(b) For a pupil who committed the battery and is participating in a program of special education pursuant to NRS 388.419, the board of trustees of the school district has reviewed the circumstances and determined that such an appeal is in compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1400 et seq.

3. Except as otherwise provided in this section, any pupil who is found in possession of a firearm or a dangerous weapon while on the premises of any public school, at an activity sponsored by a public school or on any school bus must, for the first occurrence, be expelled from the school for a period of not less than 1 year, although the pupil may be placed in another kind of school for a period not to exceed the period of the expulsion. For a second occurrence, the pupil must be permanently expelled from the school and:

(a) Enroll in a private school pursuant to chapter 394 of NRS or be homeschooled; or

(b) Enroll in a program of independent study provided pursuant to NRS 389.155 for pupils who have been suspended or expelled from public school or a program of distance education provided pursuant to NRS 388.820 to 388.874, inclusive, if the pupil qualifies for enrollment and is accepted for enrollment in accordance with the requirements of the applicable program.

4. If a school is unable to retain a pupil in the school pursuant to subsection 1 for the safety of any person or because doing so would not be in the best interest of the pupil, the pupil may be suspended, expelled or placed in another school. If a pupil is placed in another school, the current school of the pupil shall explain what services will be provided to the pupil at the new school that the current school is unable to provide to address the specific needs and behaviors of the pupil. The school district of the current school of the pupil shall coordinate with the new school or the board of trustees of the school district of the new school to create a plan of action based on restorative justice for the pupil and to ensure that any resources required to execute the plan of action based on restorative justice are available at the new school.

5. Except as otherwise provided in this section, if a pupil is deemed a habitual disciplinary problem pursuant to NRS 392.4655, the pupil is at least 11 years of age and the school has made a reasonable effort to complete a plan of action based on restorative justice with the pupil, the pupil may be:

(a) Suspended from the school for a period not to exceed one school semester as determined by the seriousness of the acts which were the basis for the discipline; or

(b) Expelled from the school under extraordinary circumstances as determined by the principal of the school.

6. If the pupil is expelled, or the period of the pupil’s suspension is for one school semester, the pupil must:

(a) Enroll in a private school pursuant to chapter 394 of NRS or be homeschooled; or

(b) Enroll in a program of independent study provided pursuant to NRS 389.155 for pupils who have been suspended or expelled from public school or a program of distance education provided pursuant to NRS 388.820 to 388.874, inclusive, if the pupil qualifies for enrollment and is accepted for enrollment in accordance with the requirements of the applicable program.

7. The superintendent of schools of a school district may, for good cause shown in a particular case in that school district, allow a modification to a suspension or expulsion pursuant to subsections 1 to 5, inclusive, if such modification is set forth in writing. The superintendent shall allow such a modification if the superintendent determines that a plan of action based on restorative justice may be used successfully.

8. This section does not prohibit a pupil from having in his or her possession a knife or firearm with the approval of the principal of the school. A principal may grant such approval only in accordance with the policies or regulations adopted by the board of trustees of the school district.

9. Except as otherwise provided in this section, a pupil who is not more than 10 years of age must not be permanently expelled from school. In extraordinary circumstances, a school may request an exception to this subsection from the board of trustees of the school district. A pupil who is at least 11 years of age may be suspended from school or permanently expelled from school pursuant to this section only after the board of trustees of the school district has reviewed the circumstances and approved this action in accordance with the procedural policy adopted by the board for such issues.

10. A pupil who is at least 11 years of age and who is participating in a program of special education pursuant to NRS 388.419 may, in accordance with the procedural policy adopted by the board of trustees of the school district for such matters and only after the board of trustees of the school district has reviewed the circumstances and determined that the action is in compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1400 et seq., be:

(a) Suspended from school pursuant to this section for not more than 5 days. Such a suspension may be imposed pursuant to this paragraph for each occurrence of conduct proscribed by subsection 1.

(b) Permanently expelled from school pursuant to this section.

11. As used in this section:

(a) “Battery” has the meaning ascribed to it in paragraph (a) of subsection 1 of NRS 200.481.

(b) “Dangerous weapon” includes, without limitation, a blackjack, slungshot, billy, sand-club, sandbag, metal knuckles, dirk or dagger, a nunchaku or trefoil, as defined in NRS 202.350, a butterfly knife or any other knife described in NRS 202.350, a switchblade knife as defined in NRS 202.265, or any other object which is used, or threatened to be used, in such a manner and under such circumstances as to pose a threat of, or cause, bodily injury to a person.

(c) “Firearm” includes, without limitation, any pistol, revolver, shotgun, explosive substance or device, and any other item included within the definition of a “firearm” in 18 U.S.C. § 921, as that section existed on July 1, 1995.

(d) “Restorative justice” has the meaning ascribed to it in subsection 6 of NRS 392.472.

12. The provisions of this section do not prohibit a pupil who is suspended or expelled from enrolling in a charter school that is designed exclusively for the enrollment of pupils with disciplinary problems if the pupil is accepted for enrollment by the charter school pursuant to NRS 388A.453 or 388A.456. Upon request, the governing body of a charter school must be provided with access to the records of the pupil relating to the pupil’s suspension or expulsion in accordance with applicable federal and state law before the governing body makes a decision concerning the enrollment of the pupil.

(Added to NRS by 1985, 1648; A 1987, 1550; 1989, 429; 1991, 628, 1364; 1993, 2161; 1995, 2710; 1997, 2489; 1999, 2113, 3317; 2001, 1022; 2003, 19th Special Session, 81; 2005, 1539; 2007, 1997, 3038; 2009, 756; 2015, 426, 1589, 1846, 2037; 2019, 3291, 3575)