Massachusetts — school discipline
- The lines the state draws
- Ten consecutive school days divides short from long, and the regulation's definitions state it directly: "Short-term Suspension means the removal of a student from the school premises and regular classroom activities for ten consecutive school days or less." "Long-term Suspension means the removal of a student from the school premises and regular classroom activities for more than ten consecutive school days, or for more than ten school days cumulatively for multiple disciplinary offenses in any school year." (603 CMR 53.02) The same definition adds an outer limit: "Except for students who are charged with a disciplinary offense set forth in M.G.L. c. 71, § 37H(a) or (b), or M.G.L. c. 71, § 37H ½ no student may be placed on long-term suspension for one or more disciplinary offenses for more than 90 school days in a school year beginning with the first day that the student is removed from school. No long-term suspension shall extend beyond the end of the school year in which such suspension is imposed." (603 CMR 53.02) The § 37H¾ statute states the same outer limit for its own route directly: "No student shall be suspended or expelled from a school or school district for a time period that exceeds 90 school days, beginning the first day the student is removed from an assigned school building." (§ 37H¾(f))
A duty runs before any of those lines is reached: a decision-maker "shall consider ways to re-engage the student in the learning process; and shall not suspend or expel a student until alternative remedies have been employed and their use and results documented, following and in direct response to a specific incident or incidents, unless specific reasons are documented as to why such alternative remedies are unsuitable or counter-productive" — the strongest pre-exclusion requirement in this layer. (§ 37H¾(b)) At ten days two things attach. The right to appeal must be told to the parent: "If a student has been suspended or expelled for more than 10 school days for a single infraction or for more than 10 school days cumulatively for multiple infractions in any school year, the student and the parent or guardian of the student shall also receive, at the time of the suspension or expulsion decision, written notification of a right to appeal and the process for appeal". (§ 37H¾(d)) And services attach: "Any student who is expelled or suspended from school for more than ten consecutive days, whether in school or out of school, shall have an opportunity to receive education services and to make academic progress toward meeting state and local requirements, through the school-wide education service plan." (603 CMR 53.13(2)) For the youngest students the regulation adds a check rather than a cap: "If the student is in a preschool program or in grades K through 3, the principal shall send a copy of the written determination to the superintendent and explain the reasons for imposing an out-of-school suspension, before the short-term suspension takes effect." (603 CMR 53.08(2)(d))
On emergency removal, the regulation permits a principal to act "when a student is charged with a disciplinary offense and the continued presence of the student poses a danger to persons or property, or materially and substantially disrupts the order of the school, and, in the principal's judgment, there is no alternative available to alleviate the danger or disruption. The temporary removal shall not exceed two school days following the day of the emergency removal". (603 CMR 53.07(1)) - Offices and appeal bodies in these sources
- The principal decides; the superintendent hears the appeal; the district is the end of the road, across all three routes. For the residual § 37H¾ route: "A student who is placed on long-term suspension following a hearing with the principal shall have the right to appeal the principal's decision to the superintendent." (603 CMR 53.09(1)) The clocks are stated on both sides: "The superintendent shall hold the hearing within three school days of the student's request, unless the student or parent requests an extension of up to seven additional calendar days, in which case the superintendent shall grant the extension", and "The superintendent shall issue a written decision within five calendar days of the hearing". (603 CMR 53.09(3), (7)) Two protections sit in that same subsection. The appeal cannot make things worse: if the superintendent finds the offence committed, the superintendent "may impose the same or a lesser consequence than the principal, but shall not impose a suspension greater than that imposed by the principal's decision." And the proceeding is recorded: "The superintendent shall arrange for an audio recording of the hearing, a copy of which shall be provided to the student or parent upon request." (603 CMR 53.09(7), (5)) Where it stops is stated too: "The decision of the superintendent shall be the final decision of the school district, charter school, or virtual school, with regard to the suspension." (603 CMR 53.09(8)) The two older statutes route to the same forum and use the same "final" language: under § 37H½, the superintendent's decision on appeal "shall be the final decision of the city, town or regional school district with regard to the suspension" and, for expulsion, "with regard to the expulsion." (§ 37H½(1), (2)) The forum-by-forum detail for all three routes, including their different notice windows, is quoted in Section 02 below.
No state office, phone number, or email for parents appears in the sources reviewed. That absence is the finding. - Sources last checked
- Oct 17, 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 Massachusetts publishes in statute and regulation about K-12 school discipline: the three routes distinguished by what a student is accused of, the notice and hearing each requires, what continues during removal, where the appeal runs, and, because the regulation expressly leaves some of the detail to district policy, a map of the questions a district's own code answers. The fullest single statement, for the residual and largest category, is 603 CMR 53.00 (Student Discipline), which the Department publishes with its own currency line, "Most Recently Amended by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education: September 19, 2023"; the three governing statutes carry no publication or amendment date of their own, so the statutory dates on this page are retrieval dates. Massachusetts's own vocabulary appears throughout: the principal's hearing, the superintendent's hearing, the school-wide education service plan, and each district's own code of discipline and student handbook, which the statute requires be filed with the Department "for informational purposes only" and which this page never captures or quotes. District discipline codes and student handbooks add procedural detail this page doesn't 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 Massachusetts special education page. 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
§ 37H — weapons, controlled substances, and assault on staff (the handbook route). "Any student who is found on school premises or at school-sponsored or school-related events, including athletic games, in possession of a dangerous weapon, including, but not limited to, a gun or a knife; or a controlled substance as defined in chapter ninety-four C, including, but not limited to, marijuana, cocaine, and heroin, may be subject to expulsion from the school or school district by the principal." (§ 37H(a)) "Any student who assaults a principal, assistant principal, teacher, teacher's aide or other educational staff on school premises or at school-sponsored or school-related events, including athletic games, may be subject to expulsion from the school or school district by the principal." (§ 37H(b)) A hearing right attaches to both: "Any student who is charged with a violation of either paragraph (a) or (b) shall be notified in writing of an opportunity for a hearing; provided, however, that the student may have representation, along with the opportunity to present evidence and witnesses at said hearing before the principal." (§ 37H(c)) The principal is not bound to expel even after finding the violation: "After said hearing, a principal may, in his discretion, decide to suspend rather than expel a student who has been determined by the principal to have violated either paragraph (a) or (b)."
§ 37H½ — felony complaint or conviction. Two separate triggers, each with its own standard. On a pending complaint: "Upon the issuance of a criminal complaint charging a student with a felony or upon the issuance of a felony delinquency complaint against a student, the principal or headmaster of a school in which the student is enrolled may suspend such student for a period of time determined appropriate by said principal or headmaster if said principal or headmaster determines that the student's continued presence in school would have a substantial detrimental effect on the general welfare of the school." (§ 37H½(1)) On conviction, adjudication, or admission: "Upon a student being convicted of a felony or upon an adjudication or admission in court of guilt with respect to such a felony or felony delinquency, the principal or headmaster of a school in which the student is enrolled may expel said student if such principal or headmaster determines that the student's continued presence in school would have a substantial detrimental effect on the general welfare of the school." (§ 37H½(2)) Both prongs require written notice of the charges and reasons before the action takes effect, and both state that the suspension or expulsion "shall remain in effect prior to any appeal hearing conducted by the superintendent." (§ 37H½(1), (2))
§ 37H¾ — the residual route, and the one 603 CMR 53.00 is written around. This is the general category: "This section shall govern the suspension and expulsion of students enrolled in a public school in the commonwealth who are not charged with a violation of subsections (a) or (b) of section 37H or with a felony under section 37H1/2." (§ 37H¾(a)) The alternative-remedies duty and the appeal and cap provisions are quoted in the docket above.
What 603 CMR 53.00 covers, and what it hands to districts instead. The regulation states its own scope directly, and the scope is narrower than "all discipline": its minimum procedural requirements — investigation, alternatives to suspension, notice and hearing, emergency removal, the principal's and superintendent's hearings, in-school suspension — apply "for those discipline offenses subject to M.G.L. 71, § 37H¾" and cover "the suspension of a student for a disciplinary offense other than: possession of a dangerous weapon; possession of a controlled substance; assault on a member of the educational staff; or a felony charge or felony delinquency complaint or conviction, or adjudication or admission of guilt with respect to such felony, if a principal determines that the student's continued presence in school would have a substantial detrimental effect on the general welfare of the school, as provided in M.G.L. c. 71, § 37H or 37H½". (603 CMR 53.01(2)(a)) For those two older statutes' offenses, the regulation delegates the due-process detail rather than supplying it: "School districts shall adopt disciplinary policies and procedures applicable to a student who is accused of a disciplinary offense under M.G.L. c. 71, § 37H or 37H½. Such policies and procedures shall be consistent with the applicable statute and provide due process of law." (603 CMR 53.12(1)) That delegation clause is carried in full in the district delegation map below; it means the detailed hearing procedures quoted in Section 02 below (notice content, representation, cross-examination, recording) are stated by regulation only for the § 37H¾ route, while the § 37H and § 37H½ routes run on the statutory text quoted above plus whatever a district's own policy adds.
Emergency removal (603 CMR 53.07). Quoted in the docket. During the removal, which may not exceed two school days, the principal must make immediate efforts at oral notice and provide written notice, then "Provide the student an opportunity for a hearing with the principal that complies with 603 CMR 53.08(2) or (3), as applicable, and the parent an opportunity to attend the hearing, before the expiration of the two (2) school days, unless an extension of time for hearing is otherwise agreed to by the principal, student, and parent." (603 CMR 53.07(1)(c)) The decision follows fast: "Render a decision orally on the same day as the hearing, and in writing no later than the following school day, which meets the requirements of 603 CMR 53.08(2)(c) and (d) or (3)(c) and (d), as applicable." (603 CMR 53.07(1)(d)) A principal "may not remove a student from school on an emergency basis for a disciplinary offense until adequate provisions have been made for the student's safety and transportation." (603 CMR 53.07(2))
In-school suspension (603 CMR 53.10). "The principal may use in-school suspension as an alternative to short-term suspension for disciplinary offenses." (603 CMR 53.10(1)) The length is capped at the same ten-day line: if the principal determines the student committed the offense, "the principal shall inform the student of the length of the student's in-school suspension, which shall not exceed ten days, cumulatively or consecutively, in a school year." (603 CMR 53.10(3)) The regulation's own definitions state what happens past that line: "If a student is placed in in-school suspension for more than ten days, consecutively or cumulatively during a school year, such suspension shall be deemed a long-term suspension for due process, appeal, and reporting purposes." (603 CMR 53.02)
Exclusion from extracurricular activities and school-sponsored events (603 CMR 53.11). Stated as outside this framework entirely: "The principal may remove a student from privileges, such as extracurricular activities and attendance at school-sponsored events, based on the student's misconduct. Such a removal is not subject to the procedures in M.G.L. c. 71, § 37H¾ or 603 CMR 53.00." That is a stated carve-out, not an absence: the state has addressed the question and answered that none of this page's notice-and-hearing apparatus applies to it.
The published process
- Notice of charges and the hearing right before long-term exclusion
- The regulation states what the notice must contain. Except in an emergency or an in-school suspension, "a principal may not impose a suspension as a consequence for a disciplinary offense without first providing the student and the parent oral and written notice, and providing the student an opportunity for a hearing on the charge and the parent an opportunity to participate in such hearing." (603 CMR 53.06(1)) The notice, in English and the family's home language or "other means of communication where appropriate," must set forth in plain language: "the disciplinary offense;" "the basis for the charge;" "the potential consequences, including the potential length of the student's suspension;" the hearing opportunity; "the date, time, and location of the hearing;" interpreter-service rights; and, where long-term suspension is possible, the added rights and the right to appeal to the superintendent. (603 CMR 53.06(2)) What is afforded at the hearing itself rises with the stakes: "The principal shall determine the extent of the rights to be afforded the student at a disciplinary hearing based on the anticipated consequences for the disciplinary offense. If the consequence may be long-term suspension from school, the principal shall afford the student, at a minimum, all the rights set forth in 603 CMR 53.08(3) in addition to those rights afforded to students who may face a short-term suspension from school." (603 CMR 53.08(1)) Those added rights are listed: "In advance of the hearing, the opportunity to review the student's record and the documents upon which the principal may rely in making a determination to suspend the student or not;" "the right to be represented by counsel or a lay person of the student's choice, at the student's/parent's expense;" "the right to produce witnesses on his or her behalf and to present the student's explanation of the alleged incident, but the student may not be compelled to do so; and" "the right to cross-examine witnesses presented by the school district; and" "the right to request that the hearing be recorded by the principal, and to receive a copy of the audio recording provided to the student or parent upon request." (603 CMR 53.08(3)(b)) Even at a short-term hearing: "The principal shall provide the parent, if present, an opportunity to discuss the student's conduct and offer information, including mitigating circumstances, that the principal should consider in determining consequences for the student." (603 CMR 53.08(2)(a)) Under § 37H, the hearing right for the weapons, controlled-substance, and assault offenses is stated separately: "the student may have representation, along with the opportunity to present evidence and witnesses at said hearing before the principal." (§ 37H(c))
- Services during exclusion
- Make-up work is an entitlement at every length: "Any student who is serving an in-school suspension, short-term suspension, long-term suspension, or expulsion shall have the opportunity to earn credits, as applicable, make up assignments, tests, papers, and other school work as needed to make academic progress during the period of his or her removal from the classroom or school. The principal shall inform the student and parent of this opportunity in writing when such suspension or expulsion is imposed." (603 CMR 53.13(1)) Above ten consecutive days, education services attach through a named instrument: "Any student who is expelled or suspended from school for more than ten consecutive days, whether in school or out of school, shall have an opportunity to receive education services and to make academic progress toward meeting state and local requirements, through the school-wide education service plan." (603 CMR 53.13(2)) Notice of that opportunity is required at the moment of the decision: "The principal shall notify the parent and student of the opportunity to receive education services at the time the student is expelled or placed on long-term suspension." The same subsection requires specifics: "The notice shall include a list of the specific education services that are available to the student and contact information for a school district staff member who can provide more detailed information." (603 CMR 53.13(4)(a)) The two older statutes state the same continuing-services duty in their own words: "Any school district that suspends or expels a student under this section shall continue to provide educational services to the student during the period of suspension or expulsion, under section 21 of chapter 76. If the student moves to another district during the period of suspension or expulsion, the new district of residence shall either admit the student to its schools or provide educational services to the student in an education service plan, under section 21 of chapter 76." (§ 37H(e); substantially the same text appears at § 37H½, final paragraph)
- The record made, and the appeal route, forum by forum
- The three routes carry three different notice-of-appeal windows to the same office. Under § 37H¾, the superintendent's hearing and decision windows are quoted in the docket; the notice of appeal itself is due "not later than 5 calendar days following the effective date of the suspension or expulsion; provided, that a student and a parent or guardian of the student may request, and if so requested, shall be granted an extension of up to 7 calendar days." (§ 37H¾(e)) Under § 37H, the window is longer: "The expelled student shall have ten days from the date of the expulsion in which to notify the superintendent of his appeal. The student has the right to counsel at a hearing before the superintendent. The subject matter of the appeal shall not be limited solely to a factual determination of whether the student has violated any provisions of this section." (§ 37H(d)) Under § 37H½, the window is shorter and the clocks run tighter: "The student shall notify the superintendent in writing of his request for an appeal no later than five calendar days following the effective date of the suspension" (or, for expulsion, "no later than five calendar days following the effective date of the expulsion"). The hearing follows fast — "The superintendent shall hold a hearing with the student and the student's parent or guardian within three calendar days of the student's request for an appeal" (or, for expulsion, "within three calendar days of the expulsion") — and "the student shall have the right to present oral and written testimony on his behalf, and shall have the right to counsel." "The superintendent shall render a decision on the appeal within five calendar days of the hearing." (§ 37H½(1), (2)) Under § 37H¾, the superintendent's hearing happens "within three school days of the student's request," and at that hearing "the student shall have the right to present oral and written testimony, cross-examine witnesses and shall have the right to counsel." (§ 37H¾(e)) Every route ends at the same place: the superintendent's decision is the district's final decision, quoted in the docket and in Section 01 above.
- If the student has an IEP or Section 504 plan
- The disability layer — evaluations, the IEP Team, manifestation determination, services during removal, and the dispute routes — lives on this site's Massachusetts special education page. None of the four sources reviewed for this page states a separate discipline standard for students with an IEP or Section 504 plan; where the statutes and regulation are silent on disability status, that silence is the finding, and federal IDEA discipline protections govern independently of this state layer.
The four rows above answer the questions an experienced adviser raises first, from the state's own statutes and regulation, or record that a question is not answered in them.
Timelines, as stated in the sources
All quoted; none calculated. From 603 CMR 53.00 and M.G.L. c. 71 §§ 37H, 37H½ and 37H¾ as retrieved Sep 2, 2026.
On emergency removal: "The temporary removal shall not exceed two school days following the day of the emergency removal". (603 CMR 53.07(1))
On in-school suspension: capped at "ten days, cumulatively or consecutively, in a school year." (603 CMR 53.10(3))
On the § 37H¾ appeal, notice of appeal: "not later than 5 calendar days following the effective date of the suspension or expulsion", extendable "up to 7 calendar days" on request. (§ 37H¾(e))
On the § 37H¾ appeal, the superintendent's hearing: "within three school days of the student's request, unless the student or parent requests an extension of up to seven additional calendar days, in which case the superintendent shall grant the extension." (603 CMR 53.09(3))
On the § 37H¾ appeal, the superintendent's decision: "within five calendar days of the hearing." (603 CMR 53.09(7))
On the § 37H appeal: "ten days from the date of the expulsion in which to notify the superintendent of his appeal." (§ 37H(d))
On the § 37H½ appeal, notice of appeal: "no later than five calendar days following the effective date of the suspension" or of the expulsion. (§ 37H½(1), (2))
On the § 37H½ appeal, the superintendent's hearing: "within three calendar days of the student's request for an appeal" (for the suspension prong) or "within three calendar days of the expulsion" (for the expulsion prong). (§ 37H½(1), (2))
On the § 37H½ appeal, the superintendent's decision: "within five calendar days of the hearing." (§ 37H½(1), (2))
On the outer limit on suspension or expulsion: "No student shall be suspended or expelled from a school or school district for a time period that exceeds 90 school days, beginning the first day the student is removed from an assigned school building." (§ 37H¾(f); the regulation states the same 90-school-day figure for long-term suspension generally at 603 CMR 53.02, quoted in the docket)
What any of this means for a particular situation is for the agency and its processes to determine.
District delegation map
Every entry below is a question the state's text expressly hands to a district, board of trustees, principal, or superintendent rather than answering itself. No district's code of discipline or student handbook is captured or quoted here.
Due process for the two older statutes' offenses. The regulation's own detailed hearing procedure (notice content, added long-term-suspension rights, recording) applies only to § 37H¾ offenses; for weapons, controlled substances, assault on staff, and felony matters, the regulation assigns the procedure to the district: "School districts shall adopt disciplinary policies and procedures applicable to a student who is accused of a disciplinary offense under M.G.L. c. 71, § 37H or 37H½. Such policies and procedures shall be consistent with the applicable statute and provide due process of law." (603 CMR 53.12(1))
Baseline compliance policies. Each district must have its own written policies at least as protective as the state floor: "Each school committee and board of trustees shall ensure that policies and procedures are in place in public preschool, elementary, and secondary schools and programs under its jurisdiction that meet, at a minimum, the requirements of M.G.L. c.71, §37H¾, M.G.L. c. 76, § 21, and 603 CMR 53.00." (603 CMR 53.03)
The code of discipline and the student handbook. "The superintendent of every school district shall publish the district's policies pertaining to the conduct of teachers and students." Those policies must include: "disciplinary proceedings, including procedures assuring due process; standards and procedures for suspension and expulsion of students; procedures pertaining to discipline of students with special needs; standards and procedures to assure school building security and safety of students and school personnel; and the disciplinary measures to be taken in cases involving the possession or use of illegal substances or weapons, the use of force, vandalism, or violation of a student's civil rights." (§ 37H, first and second paragraphs) In grades nine through twelve, "the principal, in consultation with the school council, shall prepare and distribute to each student a student handbook setting forth the rules pertaining to the conduct of students." The handbook is reviewed each spring "to consider changes in disciplinary policy to take effect in September of the following school year, but may consider policy changes at any time." (§ 37H, third paragraph) The codes and the process used to write them are filed with the Department: "Codes of discipline, as well as procedures used to develop such codes shall be filed with the department of education for informational purposes only." (§ 37H, second paragraph) Filing for informational purposes only is not the same as state approval.
Who serves as principal or superintendent at a charter or virtual school. The regulation leaves the identity of the decision-maker to the school's own governance document: "The board of trustees of a charter school or virtual school shall designate in the school discipline code who will serve as the principal for purposes of 603 CMR 53.00." The parallel definition states the same for the other decision-maker: "The board of trustees of a charter school or virtual school shall designate in the school's discipline code who will serve as the superintendent for the purposes of 603 CMR 53.00." (603 CMR 53.02)
The school-wide education service plan itself. The document that carries the entitlement to services above ten consecutive days is a district-level instrument the principal writes: "The principal shall develop a school-wide education service plan describing the education services that the school district will make available to students who are expelled or suspended from school for more than ten consecutive days. The plan shall include the process for notifying such students and their parents of the services and arranging such services." (603 CMR 53.13(3))
Records access, as stated in the sources
Not stated in the sources reviewed: 603 CMR 53.00 and M.G.L. c. 71 §§ 37H, 37H½ and 37H¾ were searched for a parent's right to inspect, amend, or expunge a discipline record, and none of the four states one. What these sources state instead is district and state reporting of discipline data — "Districts shall report to the department of elementary and secondary education the specific reasons for all suspensions and expulsions, regardless of duration or type" (§ 37H(f)) and the Department's own de-identified public analysis (603 CMR 53.14(3)) — which is a transparency obligation running to the state and the public, not an individual parent's access right to their own child's record. Massachusetts's general student-records regulation, 603 CMR 23.00, is the more likely source for an individual inspection or expungement right and is not part of the sources this recipe captures; it is listed as capture pending in the source map below. Federal records rights under FERPA are federal and not restated here.
Source map
| Document | Location | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| 603 CMR 53.00 (Student Discipline), all sections | doe.mass.edu | the page states most recently amended by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education September 19, 2023; retrieved Sep 2, 2026 |
| M.G.L. c. 71, § 37H (student handbooks; weapons, controlled substances, assault on staff) | malegislature.gov | no publication or amendment date on the section page; retrieved Sep 2, 2026 |
| M.G.L. c. 71, § 37H½ (felony complaint or conviction) | malegislature.gov | no publication or amendment date on the section page; retrieved Sep 2, 2026 |
| M.G.L. c. 71, § 37H¾ (suspension and expulsion not covered by §§ 37H or 37H½) | malegislature.gov | no publication or amendment date on the section page; retrieved Sep 2, 2026 |
| 603 CMR 23.00 (Student Records) | not yet identified/captured | capture pending; the likely source for an individual records-access or expungement right |
| The school-wide education service plan referenced by 603 CMR 53.13(2)–(3) | cited in the regulation above | capture pending |
| District codes of discipline and student handbooks, required by M.G.L. c. 71, § 37H and 603 CMR 53.12(1) | each district, charter school and virtual school | never captured; see the delegation map |
Change log
Aug 29, 2026 · Baseline page created (discipline-layer breadth sprint). Captured first-party under recipe tools/recipes/massachusetts-discipline.json: 603 CMR 53.00 from the Department's own site, and M.G.L. c. 71 §§ 37H, 37H½ and 37H¾ from the General Court's. Findings recorded: which procedure applies turns on the accusation rather than the length; the strongest pre-exclusion requirement sits in § 37H¾(b); hearing rights rise with the anticipated consequence; the superintendent's § 37H¾ appeal carries three protections; the superintendent's decision is the district's final decision; a K-3 check rather than a cap; make-up work is an entitlement at every length; the statutory dates are retrieval dates; no state office, phone, or email for parents appears in the sources. Reviewer: Carrie Schluter, reviewed 2026-08-29.
Sep 2, 2026 · Page deepened to full depth. Re-ran the same recipe (tools/recipes/massachusetts-discipline.json, digest d2fc386daf6c); retained under --result confirmed, hash 6c7d632780faa6c9. The retention tool reported retained, not unchanged: comparing the two capture bodies line by line shows the difference is confined to the ASSEMBLED date, the four sources' retrieved dates, and four newly recorded artifact sha256 lines that a capture.py enhancement now writes into the notes; the quoted statutory and regulatory text in all four sources is byte-identical to the Aug 29, 2026 capture. That is capture-tooling noise, not a source revision, and no finding below rests on anything that changed between the two captures. Built out sections 01–02, the timelines block, the district delegation map, and records access, all from provisions already present in the Aug 29, 2026 packet that the baseline page had not yet quoted. Findings recorded: (1) 603 CMR 53.00's detailed due-process apparatus — the notice content, the added long-term-suspension rights, the recording right — is written for § 37H¾ offenses only; for the two older statutes' offenses (weapons, controlled substances, assault on staff, and felony matters) 603 CMR 53.12(1) hands the due-process detail to each district's own policy, which the § 37H¾ hearing rights quoted throughout Section 02 do not reach; (2) the three routes carry three different notice-of-appeal windows to the same superintendent's office: five calendar days under § 37H¾ (extendable to twelve), ten days under § 37H, and five calendar days under § 37H½ — a parent reading only one statute would not learn that the window differs by which section applies; (3) 603 CMR 53.11 states as a direct carve-out, not an absence, that exclusion from extracurricular activities and school-sponsored events is "not subject to the procedures in M.G.L. c. 71, § 37H¾ or 603 CMR 53.00"; (4) an in-school suspension that runs past ten days is deemed a long-term suspension "for due process, appeal, and reporting purposes" by the regulation's own definitions (603 CMR 53.02), not by a separate rule; (5) records access — inspection, amendment, or expungement of a discipline record — is not addressed in any of the four sources this recipe captures; the more likely source, 603 CMR 23.00 (Student Records), sits outside this recipe's scope entirely and is recorded as capture pending rather than assumed silent; (6) none of the four sources states a separate discipline standard for a student with an IEP or Section 504 plan, so that silence is recorded as a finding rather than left implicit. Capture pending: the school-wide education service plan referenced by 603 CMR 53.13(2)-(3); 603 CMR 23.00 (Student Records). Internet Archive captures: to be added. Reviewer: Carrie Schluter. Corrections on the record in this log: hello@fieldassembly.net.
Oct 6, 2026 · Internet Archive captures recorded. Captures requested on 2026-09-06 by an automated capture pass and recorded this date; no human review is claimed for this entry. No quotation, date, finding or link above was changed by it. Each capture below was requested through Save Page Now and then confirmed to play back. Captures added: malegislature.gov → https://web.archive.org/web/20260906133901/https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXII/Chapter71/Section37H; malegislature.gov → https://web.archive.org/web/20260906134029/https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXII/Chapter71/Section37H1~2; malegislature.gov → https://web.archive.org/web/20260906134135/https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXII/Chapter71/Section37H3~4; 603 CMR 53.00 → https://web.archive.org/web/20260906134323/https://www.doe.mass.edu/lawsregs/603cmr53.html?section=all. Corrections on the record in this log: hello@fieldassembly.net.