The North East Independent School District (NEISD) is home to many of San Antonio's largest and most recognized schools, such as Churchill High School and Johnson High School, as well as middle schools like Bradley, Eisenhower, and Garner. As a parent, you likely already understand the academic and extracurricular opportunities your student will be able to take advantage of in the NEISD. However, it's important to remember that students must continuously adhere to behavioral standards in NEISD's Student Code of Conduct to remain at their school and maintain educational success. Students who run afoul of school and district policies potentially face placement in the district's Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP) due to their behavior.
While DAEP in the North East Independent School District aims to correct student behavior and help them continue their education, students in the program consistently face challenges until they gain the ability to reenter their school. It's also extremely common for NEISD students in DAEP to feel ostracized by their local community, unable to freely engage with school programs, and forced to adhere to unique, intense standards of conduct.
If your child attends an NEISD middle or high school and faces potential placement in NEAC, don't delay contacting the Lento Law Firm. With nearby offices in Austin and Houston, our Student Defense Team has extensive direct experience representing NEISD students and guiding their families through all kinds of school disciplinary cases, including DAEP referrals. Call the Lento Law Firm today at 888.535.3686 or provide information to our Student Defense Team through our website to get started.
Overview of the North East Independent School District and DAEP
The North East Independent School District serves as one of the largest and most diverse districts in Texas and the second largest district serving parts of the San Antonio metro area. NEISD educates roughly 60,000 students across more than 70 campuses, including:
High Schools:
- Churchill High School
- Johnson High School
- MacArthur High School
- Madison High School
- Reagan High School
- Roosevelt High School
- Legacy of Educational Excellence High School, formerly Robert E. Lee High School
Middle Schools:
- Bradley Middle School
- Eisenhower Middle School
- White Middle School
- Nimitz Middle School
- Hill Middle School
- Garner Middle School
- Bush Middle School
- Tejeda Middle School
In addition to these traditional middle and high schools, NEISD also contains magnet programs like the North East School of the Arts (NESA) and Automotive Technology Academy, catering to specialized student interests and talents. The NEISD provides students across Bexar County—from Hollywood Park, Windcrest, and Castile Hills to large portions of San Antonio—schools where they can learn and grow.
NEISD's Disciplinary Alternative Education Program
Despite these opportunities, it's also possible for NEISD students to run into issues and end up at the North East Alternative Center, NEISD's designated DAEP facility. NEAC accommodates students in grades 6 through 12 across the district as part of NEISD's approach to discipline. Like other DAEP programs throughout Texas, NEAC assists students assigned to NEISD's behavioral program with the ultimate goal of returning them to their home school successfully. NEAC achieves this by relatively strict rules and student expectations, including:
- Attendance and Participation Requirements: Students must attend school daily—only missing class for explained reasons—and meet behavioral expectations to progress through the program.
- Prohibition of Personal Electronics: Like many DAEPs across Texas, NEAC restricts devices like phones to minimize distractions during the school day.
- Parental Involvement: NEAC engages and includes parents and guardians through enrollment conferences to foster a spirit of accountability and collaboration.
NEAC educates and guides over one thousand students yearly from every middle and high school in the school district. To make sure that your child doesn't get lost in the shuffle and suffer as a result, it's important to work with experienced Student Defense Attorneys who know the local community and understand what's at stake. With a nearby office in Austin and another office to the east in Houston, the Lento Law Firm has direct experience representing and advocating for NEISD students caught up in the DAEP system. Call today to learn how we can help protect your student's future in the North East Independent School District.
How Do North East Independent School District Students End Up at NEAC?
NEISD places students in the district's DAEP system for a range of offenses, both on and off campus. The most significant factor is whether the decision is mandatory or discretionary. Offenses and violations that result in mandatory DAEP placement are harder to defend against, but the Lento Law Firm can assist during conferences and hearings with the district to protect your student's future at their school.
Offenses that warrant mandatory DAEP placement are typically those considered more severe or dangerous to the overall campus community. These offenses include:
- Making extremely dangerous or terroristic threats
- Engaging in felony criminal conduct
- Retaliation against staff or teachers
- Possession or sale of controlled substances like drugs or alcohol
- Assault
- Public lewdness
However, DAEP placement is still possible for lesser offenses. NEISD administrators may use their discretion to assign DAEP placement, either due to the history of the student or their perceived danger to the school. Common reasons for discretionary placement include:
- Bullying and harassment
- Vandalism and destruction of school property
- Repeated behavioral violations
- Obscene gestures or language
- General low-level criminal mischief
- Flagrant insubordination
- Verbal abuse
- Gambling
- Hazing
- Possession or distribution of sexual materials
NEISD's Student Code of Conduct follows Texas law that requires administrators to consider several mitigating factors before assigning DAEP placement:
- Self-defense: Did the student act to protect themselves or others?
- Intent: Was the misconduct accidental or deliberate?
- Disciplinary History: Does the student have a pattern of past violations?
- Homeless or Conservatorship Status: Are outside factors related to the student's family and home situation influencing their actions?
- General Mitigating Factors: How do the seriousness of the offense and the student's age/grade affect the situation?
As you might expect, several of these mitigating factors can make or break a DAEP decision. For example, a serious case of assault might actually be a clear-cut case of self-defense if your student was consistently bullied and attacked by other students. If you prove their actions were not aggressive and necessary to protect themselves, the likelihood of placement at NEAC plummets.
In some instances, school officials might believe that a student is an imminent threat to others or causes significant, routine disruptions to school operations. If so, they can take temporary measures and issue an emergency removal, although this requires prompt follow-up hearings to verify their necessity.
If your student faces potential DAEP placement at the North East Alternative Center, the Lento Law Firm can help. Our local attorneys are intimately familiar with NEISD and Texas DAEP policies and laws. Your student should not face removal from their school without good reason, and the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team can help protect their enrollment by:
- Comprehensively reviewing the case to highlight mitigating factors.
- Ensuring fairness during disciplinary hearings and procedures.
- Exploring alternative solutions to DAEP placement with school officials.
Initial DAEP placement for many offenses cannot exceed 90 days. Still, NEISD officials can extend placement due to the seriousness of the offense and any repeat offenses occurring during a student's time at NEAC. At all costs, you want to help prevent your student from DAEP placement and keep them firmly in their current school. Call the Lento Law Firm today to learn how our attorneys can assist with this goal.
The DAEP Placement Process in NEISD
With a better understanding of what NAEC is and what can result in NAEC placement in the North East Independent School District, it's time to look closer at the process that can result in your student being removed from their current school. Simple accusations aren't enough to immediately result in DAEP placement, and you can protect your student's future along with the Lento Law Firm during the following disciplinary process:
- Incident Evaluation and Notification: The campus behavior coordinator (CBC) or designated administrator evaluates the misconduct. As mentioned, the severity of the behavior determines if mandatory or discretionary placement in DAEP applies as a result. Parents and guardians receive prompt notification of the incident to provide ample time to contact attorneys like the Lento Law Firm and prepare for hearings or conferences.
- Enrollment Conference: Within three school days of the inciting incident, the CBC schedules a conference between the student, parent, and relevant school staff. The conference outlines the basis for the DAEP/NAEC placement recommendation, reviews evidence, and allows the student and parent to present their perspective.
- Evidentiary Hearing: If the recommendation for DAEP placement is upheld, an evidentiary hearing is conducted. NEISD's hearing officer reviews the case and evidence during an evidentiary hearing if the initial DAEP placement recommendation is upheld. They decide the final placement decision based on the facts of the case.
- Placement Order: After the hearing, NEISD issues a formal placement order and provides details to the student and their guardian. This document details the initial duration of the DAEP placement, student expectations during their new enrollment, and criteria for reintegration to their home campus.
- Appeals: Students and their families cannot appeal the final DAEP decisions of NEISD officials. However, families may be able to challenge issues during earlier stages of the process, such as procedural errors or mitigating circumstances. Students and their families may also be able to appeal the conclusion of fact-finding investigations into certain offenses.
Once assigned to DEAP, NEISD students must quickly adapt to the unique educational environment of the North East Alternative Center. The rules are stricter, and students are also prohibited from attending their home campuses or participating in school-sponsored activities, which can further isolate them from their peers and familiar support systems. Even though students go to NEAC to fix their behavior, the sudden disruption to their lives often causes complications and further behavioral issues.
Whenever possible, you should hope to avoid DAEP placement in the North East Independent School District and aim for alternative punishments that keep them enrolled in their school. The Lento Law Firm, with a local office in nearby Austin, is prepared to assist families at every stage of the process, from challenging the initial placement recommendation to ensuring fair treatment throughout all hearings and conferences. Our Student Defense Team will do the hard work necessary to identify errors in your student's case and prevent NEISD from removing them from their comfortable and familiar school life.
Appeals might not always be attainable, but the Lento Law Firm assists throughout the entire DAEP process by negotiating alternative disciplinary measures or shorter DAEP placement terms. DAEP placement can have long-term consequences; avoid NEAC placement when possible. Call the Lento Law Firm today to schedule a consultation and secure the support your family needs.
DAEP Defense in North East Independent School District
Students in NEISD attending schools like Reagan High School, MacArthur High School, or Tejeda Middle School have a lot at stake when facing DAEP placement at the North East Alternative Center. A referral to NEAC immediately disrupts your child's education and negatively impacts their self-esteem, academic progress, and future opportunities. NEAC focuses on corrective discipline, but it often lacks the individual focus and resources of your child's home campus. Regardless of how well NEAC can provide for your student, keeping them enrolled in their home school is the better alternative.
The Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team has successfully helped students across Texas, including those in San Antonio and NEISD, challenge DAEP placements and other severe school disciplinary actions. With two conveniently located offices in Austin and Houston, the Lento Law Firm offers unmatched support and knowledge to students and their families fighting against DAEP placements in NEISD. Our attorneys are local to the area and understand the importance of keeping your child in a friendly, comfortable environment to foster continued growth and improvement.
Don't let a DAEP placement jeopardize your child's future in the North East Independent School District. Call the Lento Law Firm today at 888.535.3686 or contact us online to get started.
