Suspended Or Expelled
Fla. Stat. 1006.09 — notice of the charges, a chance to tell your side, and the parent told in writing within 24 hours
Before the suspension. The principal or designee may suspend a student only in accordance with the district school board's rules. Those rules require oral and written notice to the student of the charges and an explanation of the evidence against the student before the suspension, and each student is given an opportunity to present their side of the story.
The parent is told twice. The principal or designee makes a good faith effort to immediately inform the student's parent by telephone of the suspension and the reasons. Each suspension and its reasons are also reported in writing within 24 hours to the parent by United States mail, unless the parent has agreed to another method, and within 24 hours to the district school superintendent.
Other measures first. A good faith effort is made to employ parental assistance or other alternative measures before suspension, except in an emergency, under disruptive conditions requiring immediate suspension, or for a serious breach of conduct as the district school board's rules define it.
Not for being late or absent. No student is suspended for unexcused tardiness, lateness, absence or truancy.
The bus. A student transported at public expense may be suspended from riding the school bus for violating the board's transportation policies, with written notice to the parent and the superintendent within 24 hours.
Expulsion. The principal or designee may recommend expulsion to the district school superintendent for a serious breach of conduct, including willful disobedience, open defiance of a staff member's authority, violence against persons or property, or any other act that substantially disrupts the orderly conduct of the school.
A district's own code of conduct and board rules fill in much of the detail, and they are not on this page. How a particular suspension applies to a particular student is a question for a licensed Florida attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- Fla. Stat. 1006.09 — Duties of school principal relating to student discipline and school safety
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Florida attorney.