Alaska — school discipline
- The lines the state draws
- Alaska's statutes state grounds rather than day counts. A student "may be suspended from or denied admission to the public school that the child is otherwise entitled to attend only for the following causes:", among them "continued wilful disobedience or open and persistent defiance of reasonable school authority;" and "behavior that is inimicable to the welfare, safety, or morals of other pupils or a person employed or volunteering at the school;". (AS 14.30.045) The one place the state itself sets a length is the weapons section, where a district "shall" act: "expel for at least one year a student who violates AS 11.61.210(a)(8) while possessing a firearm, as that term is defined under 18 U.S.C. 921;" and "suspend for at least 30 days, or expel for the school year or permanently, a student who violates AS 11.61.210(a)(8) while possessing a deadly weapon, other than a firearm as that term is defined under 18 U.S.C. 921." (AS 14.03.160(a)) That mandate is expressly modifiable: "The administrative officer of a school district may on a case-by-case basis reduce or otherwise modify the expulsion or suspension of a student under (a) of this section." (AS 14.03.160(b)) No short-term or long-term suspension threshold, and no general emergency-removal provision, appears in the sources reviewed; the distinction the reader is likely looking for is assigned to district policy by the quoted regulation below.
- Offices and appeal bodies in these sources
- The procedures themselves are assigned to each district: "Each school district shall develop and adopt policies regarding student rights and responsibilities. These policies must address both substantive and procedural matters relating to standards of student behavior, treatment, and discipline. A uniform discipline policy must be in effect throughout the district for the purpose of establishing standards and procedures in matters relating to student discipline." Those procedures "at a minimum, must address the following:" — "routine discipline case procedure; and" "chronic or serious discipline case procedure." (4 AAC 07.010(a)) The regulation also states an outer limit: "All district policies must be consistent with the federal and state constitutions, state statutes and regulations as written or construed by courts of competent jurisdiction." (4 AAC 07.010(b))
No state-level hearing officer, appeal forum, office, phone number, or email for parents appears in the sources; that absence is the finding. - Sources last checked
- Oct 6, 2026
Reproduced from the state's own statutes and regulations quoted below: potentially relevant official sources, not a determination of which one governs any situation.
This page assembles what Alaska publishes in statute and regulation about K-12 school discipline: the grounds on which a student may be suspended or denied admission, the one place the state itself sets a removal length, the written disciplinary and safety program the legislature requires every governing body to adopt, and the discipline procedures a State Board regulation assigns to every district. Alaska is a state where the notice, the hearing, and the appeal a parent will actually meet are written by the district rather than by the legislature, and the state's own text says so: "Each governing body shall adopt a written school disciplinary and safety program. The program required under this subsection must be made available to students, parents, legal guardians, and the public and include written" standards, among them "standards relating to when a teacher is authorized to remove a student from the classroom for" "failure to follow student behavior and safety standards; or" "behavior described under AS 14.30.045(1) or (2);". (AS 14.33.120(a)) The state requires that the district's policies reach parents: "Each district shall make available to students, parents, and all staff persons who deal with students, up-to-date copies of the adopted district student rights and responsibilities policies at the start of each school year." (4 AAC 07.030) One thing the state does decide outright: "The use of corporal punishment in Alaska public schools is prohibited." (4 AAC 07.010(c)) District policies and programs add the operative detail this page does not carry; the delegation map below points at exactly those questions. For a student with an IEP or Section 504 plan, the disability layer lives on this site's Alaska special education page; the disciplinary and safety program must itself include "policies necessary to comply with provisions of state and federal law, including 20 U.S.C. 1400 — 1482 (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act);". (AS 14.33.120(a)(5)) Confirm applicability with the district and the agencies. All dates on this page are quoted from the sources, not a deadline calculation performed for you.
The framework, as the state writes it
Grounds for suspension or denial of admission (AS 14.30.045). The statute states grounds rather than day counts: "A school age child may be suspended from or denied admission to the public school that the child is otherwise entitled to attend only for the following causes:" five are listed, among them "continued wilful disobedience or open and persistent defiance of reasonable school authority;" and "behavior that is inimicable to the welfare, safety, or morals of other pupils or a person employed or volunteering at the school;" along with two medical-condition grounds and a felony-conviction ground the district's governing body may apply.
Readmission when the cause no longer exists (AS 14.30.047). For the two medical-condition grounds, "A child who has been suspended from or denied admittance to a school under AS 14.30.045(3) or (4) shall be permitted to attend school when the child is obviously recovered or presents to the governing body a statement in writing from a competent medical authority" that the condition no longer applies. For any other listed cause, "A child who has been suspended from or denied admittance to a school for any other cause provided by AS 14.30.045 shall be permitted to attend school when it reasonably appears that the cause has been remedied."
Weapons and firearms possession (AS 14.03.160). This is the one place the state sets a removal length itself, and it is mandatory rather than discretionary: "Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a school district shall" "expel for at least one year a student who violates AS 11.61.210(a)(8) while possessing a firearm, as that term is defined under 18 U.S.C. 921;" or "suspend for at least 30 days, or expel for the school year or permanently, a student who violates AS 11.61.210(a)(8) while possessing a deadly weapon, other than a firearm as that term is defined under 18 U.S.C. 921." A prior criminal adjudication is not a precondition: "A prior conviction, or adjudication of delinquency or child in need of aid, for violation of AS 11.61.210(a)(8) is not necessary for a school board to suspend or expel a student under this section." Districts must also report: "Annually on a date set by the department, each school district shall report to the department the number of students expelled under this section and the types of weapons involved."
The written school disciplinary and safety program (AS 14.33.110, .120). The legislature states the program's purpose — to "implement and maintain community-based standards of school behavior that are developed by students, parents, teachers, school administrators, and the community" among other goals — and then requires every governing body to adopt one: "Each governing body shall adopt a written school disciplinary and safety program", made available to students, parents, legal guardians, and the public, and covering nine listed categories of standards and policies, from teacher removal authority to IDEA compliance to restraint-and-seclusion policy. Where a student is restrained or secluded, the statute itself states a notice requirement: "A school shall, on the same day as the incident, provide to the parent or legal guardian of an affected student information relating to an incident involving disruptive or violent behavior by the student that resulted in restraint or seclusion of the student by school personnel." (AS 14.33.120(b))
Student rights and responsibilities, and discipline procedure (4 AAC 07.010). The State Board's regulation is where the general notice-and-hearing procedure a parent would expect is assigned, not stated: "Each school district shall develop and adopt policies regarding student rights and responsibilities. These policies must address both substantive and procedural matters relating to standards of student behavior, treatment, and discipline. A uniform discipline policy must be in effect throughout the district for the purpose of establishing standards and procedures in matters relating to student discipline." Those procedures "at a minimum, must address the following:" "routine discipline case procedure; and" "chronic or serious discipline case procedure." The regulation states one substantive rule directly rather than delegating it: "The use of corporal punishment in Alaska public schools is prohibited."
The published process
- Notice and hearing before exclusion
- Not stated at the state level for suspension or denial of admission under AS 14.30.045 — the statute lists grounds but states no notice or hearing procedure. The procedure a family will actually meet is a district's own "routine discipline case procedure" or "chronic or serious discipline case procedure", which every district must adopt by regulation. (4 AAC 07.010(a)) The weapons statute states no separate notice or hearing step of its own.
- Services during exclusion
- Not stated in the sources reviewed. AS 14.30.045, AS 14.30.047, AS 14.03.160, AS 14.33.110, AS 14.33.120, and 4 AAC 07.010–.060 were searched; none states whether or how a student continues to receive instruction during a suspension, denial of admission, or expulsion.
- The record made, and the appeal route
- Not stated at the state level. No hearing officer, review body, or appeal forum appears in AS 14.30.045, AS 14.30.047, AS 14.03.160, AS 14.33.110, or AS 14.33.120. The procedures that would create a record and an appeal are among the "substantive and procedural matters relating to standards of student behavior, treatment, and discipline" each district's uniform discipline policy must address. (4 AAC 07.010(a)) That absence of a named state-level appeal body is itself the finding.
- If the student has an IEP or Section 504 plan
- The disability layer lives on this site's Alaska special education page. The written disciplinary and safety program must itself include "policies necessary to comply with provisions of state and federal law, including 20 U.S.C. 1400 — 1482 (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act);". (AS 14.33.120(a)(5))
The four rows above answer the questions an experienced adviser raises first, from the state's own statutes and regulations, or record that a question is not answered in them.
Timelines, as stated in the sources
All quoted; none calculated. From Alaska Statutes and 4 AAC 07 as retrieved Oct 6, 2026.
On the firearm expulsion floor: a student "shall" be expelled "for at least one year" for a firearm violation. (AS 14.03.160(a)(1))
On the deadly-weapon suspension or expulsion floor: "suspend for at least 30 days, or expel for the school year or permanently" for a non-firearm deadly-weapon violation. (AS 14.03.160(a)(2))
On notice after restraint or seclusion: "on the same day as the incident," the school must provide the parent or legal guardian information about the incident. (AS 14.33.120(b))
On review of district student rights and responsibilities policies: "District reviews shall be accomplished at least once every three years." (4 AAC 07.050)
No general suspension length, expulsion length, or hearing deadline for a suspension or denial of admission under AS 14.30.045 is stated in the sources reviewed. What any of this means for a particular situation is for the agency and its processes to determine.
Assigned to district policy by the quoted provision
The statutes and the regulation write the frame and expressly hand the operative detail to each governing body or district. Each entry below is a question a district's own policies or program answer, with the delegating text quoted. No district's policy or program is captured or quoted here.
The discipline procedures themselves. "Each school district shall develop and adopt policies regarding student rights and responsibilities", including "routine discipline case procedure; and" "chronic or serious discipline case procedure." (4 AAC 07.010(a))
The content of the written disciplinary and safety program. "Each governing body shall adopt a written school disciplinary and safety program", covering, among other things, teacher removal standards, force standards, restraint-and-seclusion policy, and a conflict-resolution strategy. (AS 14.33.120(a))
Referral and early-reinstatement procedures for weapons violations. "Each school district shall adopt a policy providing for the" "referral to law enforcement authorities of students who violate AS 11.61.210(a)(8);" and "identification of procedures and conditions for early reinstatement of students suspended or expelled under this section." (AS 14.03.160(d))
Whether, and how far, a weapons expulsion or suspension is reduced. "The administrative officer of a school district may on a case-by-case basis reduce or otherwise modify the expulsion or suspension of a student under (a) of this section." (AS 14.03.160(b))
Records access, as stated in the sources
The administrative code states what a student's cumulative record must contain, naming each category the district "shall maintain": among them "subjects student has taken;" "grades earned and an explanation of the grading system used;" "attendance records;" and "records of required immunizations and physical examinations and other health-related matters required by state law or district policy or bylaws". (4 AAC 07.060(a)) It also states an outer limit: "All district policies and practices with respect to student records must conform to current and appropriate state and federal laws and regulations." (4 AAC 07.060(b)) Inspection or expungement of discipline records specifically is not stated in the sources reviewed; AS 14.30.045, AS 14.03.160, AS 14.33.110, AS 14.33.120, and 4 AAC 07 were searched. Federal records rights under FERPA are not restated here.
Source map
| Document | Location | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| AS 14.30.045, AS 14.30.047 (grounds for suspension or denial of admission; readmission) | akleg.gov | viewer heads the text "Alaska Statutes 2025"; retrieved Oct 6, 2026 |
| AS 14.03.160 (suspension or expulsion for possessing weapons) | akleg.gov | viewer heads the text "Alaska Statutes 2025"; retrieved Oct 6, 2026 |
| AS 14.33.110, AS 14.33.120 (required school disciplinary and safety program) | akleg.gov | viewer heads the text "Alaska Statutes 2025"; retrieved Oct 6, 2026 |
| 4 AAC 07.010, .030, .040, .050, .060 (student rights and responsibilities; student records) | akleg.gov | no publication or effective date stated on the chapter view; retrieved Oct 6, 2026 |
| AS 14.33.125 (restraint and seclusion), AS 14.33.130 – 14.33.140 | cited in AS 14.33.120 | capture pending |
| Alaska Department of Education and Early Development guidance on student discipline | — | not located in this review; capture pending |
| District student rights and responsibilities policies and disciplinary and safety programs | each district, per 4 AAC 07.010 and AS 14.33.120 | never captured; the full page's delegation map will point at them |
Change log
Oct 6, 2026 · Full-depth build (discipline-layer deepening pass). Recaptured first-party under recipe tools/recipes/alaska-discipline.json; akleg.gov still serves the statutes and administrative code from a client-rendered viewer that returns a bare fetch's shell with no chapter text, so all four sources were read through a session browser at the recipe's own fragment addresses and supplied to the capture recipe, as at baseline. The recapture reproduced the baseline's text exactly (confirmed, same wording throughout); this is the first retention pass for this slug, so it is the first entry in tools/packets/history/alaska-discipline/. Built out sections 01–02 (framework route by route, four hoisted process rows, timelines, district delegation map, records access) from the same four sources already in the baseline packet — no new source fetch was required. Findings recorded: (1) no notice, hearing, or appeal procedure for a suspension or denial of admission under AS 14.30.045 is stated at the state level; it is assigned to each district's own "routine discipline case procedure" and "chronic or serious discipline case procedure", adopted under 4 AAC 07.010(a); (2) services during any exclusion are not stated anywhere in the sources reviewed — AS 14.30.045, 14.30.047, 14.03.160, 14.33.110, 14.33.120, and 4 AAC 07.010–.060 were all searched; (3) the delegation map now carries four districted questions: the discipline procedures themselves, the content of the written disciplinary and safety program, referral and early-reinstatement procedures for weapons violations, and whether a weapons suspension or expulsion is reduced case by case; (4) records access findings come from 4 AAC 07.060, which states what a cumulative student record must contain and that district record practices must conform to state and federal law, but states no inspection or expungement rule for discipline records specifically — that absence is recorded; (5) AS 14.33.125 (restraint and seclusion, cited by AS 14.33.120(a)(9)) and the Department of Education and Early Development's own discipline guidance remain uncaptured, as at baseline — recipe-backfill candidates, not blockers to this page's full depth. Capture pending, as at baseline: AS 14.33.125 and AS 14.33.130–.140, and Department guidance on student discipline. Internet Archive captures: to be added. Reviewer: Carrie Schluter (review confirmed 2026-10-06). Corrections on the record in this log: hello@fieldassembly.net.
Aug 30, 2026 · Baseline page created (discipline-layer breadth sprint). Captured first-party under recipe tools/recipes/alaska-discipline.json: AS 14.30.045 and 14.30.047, AS 14.03.160, and AS 14.33.110 and 14.33.120 from the Legislature's statute viewer, and 4 AAC 07 from the same site's administrative-code viewer. Findings recorded: (1) Alaska states grounds for suspension rather than day thresholds, and the sources reviewed contain no short-term versus long-term line and no general emergency-removal provision; that is recorded as not stated; (2) the notice, hearing, and appeal procedures are assigned to each district by regulation, which requires a uniform district discipline policy addressing "routine discipline case procedure" and "chronic or serious discipline case procedure" — a delegation, not an absence, and the entry that will anchor the full page's delegation map; (3) the only state-set removal lengths are in the weapons section, where a one-year expulsion and a 30-day suspension are mandated and then made expressly modifiable case by case by the district's administrative officer; (4) corporal punishment is prohibited outright by regulation; (5) no state-level appeal forum, office, or parent contact appears in the sources; (6) the statute viewer heads its text "Alaska Statutes 2025" and the administrative-code view states no date at all, so the two sources are dated differently and the regulation's undated publication is recorded as a finding rather than reconciled. Capture note: akleg.gov serves both the statutes and the administrative code from a client-rendered viewer keyed on the address fragment, and a bare fetch of either address returns the shell without the text, so all four sources were read through a session browser at the site's own fragment addresses and supplied to the capture recipe. Not yet built, pending the deepening pass: sections 01–02 (framework, hoisted rows, timelines), the district delegation map, and records access. Internet Archive captures: to be added. Reviewer: Carrie Schluter, reviewed 2026-08-30. Corrections on the record in this log: hello@fieldassembly.net.