Arizona Middle and Elementary Education Issues
The families of school-aged children understand just how important the years from kindergarten to middle school graduation are. School performance can impact not just a child's future, but also their self-esteem and social development. All students—including Arizona students—can face serious disruption if they run into challenges during their early school years. They may have to change schools, seek alternate schooling or even drop out. These choices can have serious ripple effects and determine that child's path well into the future. If you care for a child who is accused of wrongdoing, lack of academic progress, or conflict with other students or their school, it's important that you take that seriously. It's critical, in these years, to keep your child on a trajectory of success.
Arizona Middle and Elementary School Academic Misconduct Charges
Students of all ages run the risk of being charged with academic misconduct at Arizona schools. Middle schools and even elementary schools have rules against cheating, truancy, and plagiarism. These offenses, while not behavioral, can be very serious and may even result in suspension, according to the Arizona School Discipline Laws and Regulations.
The rules on truancy, for example, can be very strict. Arizona law states that “a child who is habitually truant or who has excessive absences may be adjudicated an incorrigible child as defined in section 8-201.” The definition of “habitually truant,” however, is truant for at least five school days within a school year.
The punishment for such offenses can include suspension—something that can derail a child's academic progress. And if academic misconduct of this nature is combined with any form of behavioral misconduct, the student may face serious disciplinary action.
Arizona Middle and Elementary School Behavioral Misconduct Charges
Arizona middle and elementary school students may also face behavioral misconduct charges, according to the Title 13 Criminal Code. These laws prohibit the possession, use, or sale of drugs. According to Arizona law, these drugs include prescription drugs, narcotics, and peyote.
The code also applies to arms possession. Arizona's Title 13 makes unlawful the carrying or possession of firearms for elementary or middle school students, with important exceptions for older middle school students in rural communities. There, a person who is fourteen or fifteen is allowed to use firearms for hunting or shooting events like marksmanship practice. They can also transport firearms for lawful hunting or farming.
Arizona requires school districts to establish programs that offer alternatives to suspension. These should be created in consultation with local law enforcement or school resource officers.
Arizona Middle and Elementary Charter Schools
Many Arizona families have children in the state's more than 500 charter schools. According to state statute 15-186, discipline at these schools is overseen by a governing body that reviews the school's policies annually. It is this governing body that considers student behavioral cases—including the use or sale of illegal substances—and metes out punishment, including suspension or expulsion.
Arizona Middle and Elementary School Disability Issues
Elementary and middle school students in Arizona have the right to accommodations for disabilities as established in federal and state law. The state requires all schools to provide free public education as dictated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Schools must also offer an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for students with disabilities.
According to the Arizona Department of Education, the school must develop an IEP within 30 days of a determination that a student is eligible. Those IEPs must be in effect at the start of each school year.
Arizona Education Attorney Advisor Services
Attorney-advisor Joseph D. Lento and the Education Law Team at the Lento Law Firm can help your elementary or middle school student facing accusations and challenges, whether these are behavioral or academic, to be sure they're treated fairly under state law and school procedure, and advocate for the best possible outcome.
The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team will review the charges against your student and determine their procedural rights. Our team of attorneys can assist you in answering the school's communications and charges, and raise appropriate defenses with exonerating and mitigating evidence. We know the federal and state laws and regulations, and will step in to negotiate on your behalf with members of the school and district oversight committee.
Where the Lento Law Firm Can Help
The Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team defends elementary and middle school students nationwide—including in Arizona. The expert attorney-advisors on the Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team can represent your Arizona elementary or middle school student at any of these locations.
Student Defense in Phoenix School Districts
The Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team is available in Arizona's biggest city, serving the greater Phoenix area, including the Deer Valley Unified School District, the Phoenix Elementary School District, and the Paradise Valley Unified School District, as well as other middle and elementary schools in the area.
Student Defense in Tucson School Districts
The Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team is available in the Tucson area, including the Tucson Unified School District, the Sunnyside Unified School District, and middle and elementary schools in the suburbs and exurbs of the state's second-largest city.
Student Defense in Suburban Arizona
The Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team serves the smaller cities and suburbs of Arizona, including the Mesa Public Schools, Chandler Unified School District, the Scottsdale Unified School District, the Tempe Elementary School District, and many others across the state.
Premier Arizona Education Attorney Advisors
No matter your location in Arizona, retain the Lento Law Firm's premier Education Law Team and national education attorney-advisor Joseph D. Lento to help your middle or elementary school student with their school challenges. The Lento Law Firm's years of nationwide experience set them apart. Call 888.535.3686 or go online now for skilled and experienced attorney-advisor defense in Arizona.
