If you're a parent in Friendswood and just found out your child is being moved into a Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP), you're probably feeling a rush of concern—and rightly so. DAEP placements are not a routine disciplinary step. They interrupt your child's learning, cut them off from classmates, and can leave a permanent dent in their educational record.
Friendswood ISD—and other districts that serve this area—maintain firm disciplinary policies. However, how those rules are enforced can differ sharply from school to school. It's not unusual for a DAEP referral to stem from unclear situations, rushed administrative judgment, or even misunderstandings that weren't fully addressed before action was taken.
Whether your student attends school right here in Friendswood or in a nearby district like Clear Creek or Pearland, responding quickly to a DAEP notice is absolutely vital. Each district has its own process, but all of them must adhere to the Texas Education Code. When families act early, they're often in a stronger position to push back and protect their child's future.
The Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team supports families across the greater Friendswood area. From our Houston office—the closest to Friendswood—we work with parents to challenge DAEP placements and pursue better outcomes. Call 888-535-3686 or reach out online to take the first step toward defending your child's education.
Understanding DAEP in Friendswood
A DAEP placement means a student is removed from their usual campus and sent to an alternate setting for disciplinary reasons. Though districts describe these programs as a space for students to "regroup" or "refocus," families often find the reality to be far more disruptive than supportive. The structure, instruction, and environment can feel punitive and isolating.
In Friendswood ISD, students who are assigned to a Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP) may be referred to a district-managed facility such as the Administrative Annex located at 402 Laurel Dr., Friendswood, TX 77546. This site houses the Therapeutic Education Center (TEC), which serves students with behavioral and emotional needs. While the district has not publicly designated a single DAEP campus, placements are typically handled through district-level decisions based on the student's specific situation and grade level.
Students attending elementary, middle, and high schools across Friendswood ISD—including Friendswood High School, Friendswood Junior High, Bales Intermediate, Windsong Intermediate, and both Cline and Westwood Elementary— can be referred to a district-managed alternative education setting if a code of conduct violation meets DAEP criteria. Friendswood ISD handles these assignments based on policy and individual circumstances.
But just because the DAEP is within the district doesn't mean it mirrors the regular school experience.
There are critical differences:
- Limited mobility throughout the day. Students often move under strict supervision, with tightly scheduled transitions between rooms and activities.
- Different academic structures. Instruction may focus more on behavioral compliance than on academic growth, especially in core areas.
- Shared spaces with mixed age groups. Younger students may end up in environments with older peers, creating discomfort or distractions.
- No extracurricular access. Students in DAEP usually can't participate in school sports, clubs, or enrichment activities until their placement ends.
For families in Friendswood, this kind of disruption isn't just about academics—it's a break in routine, in relationships, and in support systems. Students pulled from their school community often face emotional setbacks that linger even after they return.
How DAEP Placement Affects Students in Friendswood
Being sent to a DAEP setting isn't just a change of location—it disrupts everything about a student's learning environment. These placements are meant to correct behavior, but in many cases, the damage done extends well beyond the time spent at the alternative placement.
For students in Friendswood ISD, a DAEP referral can bring:
- Academic Disruption: Instruction at district-assigned alternative placements may differ from the pace or rigor of the student's regular classroom. As a result, students can miss key lessons, fall out of step with their grade-level peers, and struggle to catch up once they return to their regular school.
- Social Isolation: Being pulled from familiar teachers, classmates, and daily routines can have a lasting emotional effect. Motivation may drop, and students often feel disconnected both during their placement and after returning to campus.
- Lasting Labels: Having DAEP on a student's record can shape how they're viewed by school staff. Some educators may begin treating them as a disciplinary problem, even after the original issue is resolved.
- Limited Activities: DAEP placement typically cuts students off from extracurricular involvement, including sports, clubs, and student leadership roles. These missed opportunities can weaken college applications and rob students of valuable experiences.
- Closer Scrutiny After Return: When students come back from DAEP, they're often watched more closely than before. Minor issues that might once have been overlooked can now trigger new disciplinary measures.
For students who have IEPs or receive support through Section 504, the effects can be even harder to manage. Accommodations don't always carry over to the DAEP setting, leaving students without the services they're supposed to receive under federal protections.
What starts as a temporary placement can become a long-term burden. The academic setbacks, emotional strain, and social consequences can follow a student through the rest of their education unless the placement is challenged early.
Schools Affected by DAEP Placement in the Friendswood Area
While Friendswood ISD and Clear Creek ISD are the two districts serving students in the Friendswood area, it's important for parents to understand which campuses may refer a student to the district's DAEP programs:
Friendswood ISD
- Admin Office: 302 Laurel Drive, Friendswood, TX 77546
Students from the following campuses may be referred to alternative education programming for DAEP placement, depending on the district's decision-making process:
High School:
- Friendswood High School
Junior High:
- Friendswood Junior High School
Intermediate Schools:
- Zue S. Bales Intermediate School
- Windsong Intermediate School
Elementary Schools:
- C.W. Cline Elementary School
- Westwood Elementary School
Clear Creek ISD
- Admin Office: 2425 E Main Street, League City, TX 77573
- DAEP Campus: Clear Path Alternative School, 1001 Magnolia Avenue, Webster, TX 77598
- Clear Creek ISD outlines its disciplinary procedures and student behavior expectations in its Student Code of Conduct, which serves as a key resource for understanding the district's approach to student discipline.
Students from the following CCISD campuses in the Friendswood area may be referred to Clear Path:
High Schools:
- Clear Brook High School
- Clear Springs High School
Intermediate Schools:
- Brookside Intermediate School
- Westbrook Intermediate School
Elementary Schools:
- Wedgewood Elementary School
- Landolt Elementary School
Even students at the elementary level can be assigned to DAEP if certain code of conduct violations occur, although most placements come from middle or high school campuses.
Friendswood families should be aware of how their local zoning affects which DAEP program their child might be sent to. Knowing the options—and understanding each district's disciplinary policies—is essential when responding to a DAEP referral.
Common Reasons for DAEP Placement in Friendswood
Most parents assume a DAEP assignment only happens after something serious, something violent. However, in Friendswood ISD and Clear Creek ISD, students can be sent to an alternative campus for reasons that feel minor, unclear, or completely misinterpreted.
Below are some of the most frequent causes for DAEP placement in the Friendswood area:
- Fighting or Physical Conflict: Whether it's a one-sided incident or a mutual altercation, physical confrontations—regardless of severity—can lead to automatic referral. Even acts of self-defense are sometimes treated the same under zero-tolerance policies. Administrators don't always take the full story into account.
- Banned Items on School Grounds: Things like e-cigarettes, tobacco, alcohol, or prescription meds without documentation are common triggers. Simply having one in a backpack—even unused—can be enough to prompt removal, especially for repeat behavior.
- Ongoing Behavior Problems: When a student racks up referrals for things like skipping class, disrupting lessons, or refusing to follow directions, schools may cite a pattern of misconduct as justification for DAEP, even if no single incident is severe on its own.
- Cheating and Rule Defiance: Academic integrity violations—including copying, using unauthorized aids, or simply refusing to comply with schoolwork or staff—can build up over time and land a student in DAEP when lesser interventions are overlooked or deemed ineffective.
- Zero-Tolerance Missteps: Bringing a toy weapon, multitool, or other object that looks suspicious—or could be interpreted as disruptive—can result in immediate placement, even when there's no harmful intent. Schools don't always stop to consider the student's age, history, or context. Younger students, especially, may not understand the consequences.
- Multiple Minor Offenses: When students are repeatedly written up for breaking the dress code, talking back, or using phones in class, the cumulative effect may lead to DAEP, especially when previous warnings are on file. What might have started as a handful of small issues can escalate quickly.
The truth is, a lot of DAEP placements are made at the discretion of administrators. One principal might choose to suspend a student, while another pushes straight for an alternative school. That inconsistency makes it risky for families to accept a placement at face value.
For students who receive special education services under an IEP or 504 Plan, the risk of wrongful placement is even higher. If staff don't understand how a disability affects behavior, they might interpret certain actions as willful misconduct and refer the student to DAEP in violation of federal protections.
Fighting a DAEP decision doesn't mean denying wrongdoing. It means asking whether the district followed the rules, looked at the full picture, and treated your child fairly under the law.
The DAEP Placement Process in Friendswood
When a student in the Friendswood area is being considered for placement in a Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP), the decision must follow the rules outlined in Chapter 37 of the Texas Education Code.
Still, how each district implements these steps can vary, and families are often left unclear about what to expect or what rights they actually have.
Here's a general breakdown of how the process typically unfolds in Friendswood-area schools:
- Referral & Internal Review: A disciplinary incident is reported by a staff member and submitted to administrators. These initial reports are sometimes vague or missing critical details that could shift how the situation is viewed.
- Notification of DAEP Intent: Once the school decides to move forward, the student's parents are informed. That notice might come by phone, email, or formal letter—but it often lacks full information about what options the family has to appeal or challenge the outcome.
- Appeal Window: Both Friendswood ISD and Clear Creek ISD give families a limited time to contest the decision. In most cases, the appeal window ranges from three to five school days. If families don't act fast, they may lose the chance to prevent the placement.
- Assignment to DAEP: Once the appeal is denied—or if it's never submitted— the student begins their DAEP term either through a Friendswood ISD-assigned program or at Clear Path Alternative School, depending on district and zoning. Some students stay for a few weeks, while others may be assigned for most of the semester.
- Reintegration & Oversight: After the DAEP term ends, students return to their regular school but are often under heightened observation. Without proper support, it's not uncommon for students to fall into a cycle of repeat referrals.
Even after a student starts serving their time in DAEP, it's still possible to request a shortened term or negotiate different interventions, especially when an attorney helps guide the conversation with district staff.
Parents also need to remember that students who receive special education services under an IEP or 504 Plan are legally entitled to extra layers of protection. If those safeguards are skipped or ignored, the DAEP placement may violate federal requirements and could be reversed.
In Friendswood, knowing how the process works can make all the difference. Being proactive—and informed—can stop an unnecessary placement before it creates long-term consequences for your child.
How the Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team Helps Friendswood Families
A DAEP referral can be a jarring experience, but families in Friendswood don't have to navigate it alone. The Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team understands that these placements affect more than just academics—they ripple into a student's confidence, motivation, and future opportunities.
Unlike general practice firms, the Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team focuses specifically on school-related issues—helping families navigate complex discipline systems and get results that protect long-term goals.
Here's how we support families throughout Friendswood ISD and Clear Creek ISD:
- Spotting Violations in Procedure: We examine whether your child's district followed proper protocols when recommending DAEP. If anything was missed—deadlines, required notices, steps in the process—we use that to challenge the placement decision.
- Filling in the Blanks: DAEP referrals are often based on partial stories. Reports may lack important context or misrepresent what actually happened. We work with families to gather the full picture and make sure your child's voice is part of the record.
- Appealing and Negotiating: Our team handles the appeals process and communicates with school officials to pursue less severe outcomes. Sometimes that means in-school suspension, counseling, or other options that keep students in their home campus setting.
- Defending Special Education Rights: If your student has a 504 Plan or IEP, they're entitled to specific protections. We make sure those rights aren't pushed aside when disciplinary action is being considered or carried out.
- Helping with Reintegration: For students already placed in DAEP, we assist in creating a smoother return. That includes academic support, coordination with teachers, and making sure post-return monitoring doesn't become a new problem.
A DAEP assignment isn't just about discipline—it's about whether the school followed its own rules and gave your child a fair process. And if they didn't, families have every right to push back.
If your student is facing DAEP placement—whether they go to Friendswood High School, Clear Brook High School, or any campus in either district—early action can make a major difference.
Call the Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team today at 888-535-3686 or contact us online. The sooner you reach out, the more we can do to protect your child's path forward.
