Penn Hills student found with eyebrow shaver expelled
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The Penn Hills school board voted Tuesday to expel the ninth-grader at Linton Middle School who brought an eyebrow shaver to the school in early May.
School personnel found the eyebrow shaver in 15-year-old Taylor Ray Jetter's handbag during a security search.
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The item is considered a weapon under Act 26 of the Pennsylvania School Code. According to the code, the term "weapon" includes -- but is not limited to -- any knife, cutting tool, nunchaku, firearm, shotgun, rifle and any other tool, instrument or implement capable of inflicting serious bodily injury.
District Solicitor Craig Alexander said the state's Safe Schools Act requires a one-year expulsion for a weapons violation. School superintendents, however, are permitted to recommend a shorter length of expulsion.
Superintendent Joseph Carroll exercised that option in this case. The student has been excluded from school since May 4 and will not return this school year. Her 45-day expulsion will start in the fall.
The girl's mother, Lisa Ray, told the board that although her daughter made a mistake by bringing the cosmetic item to school, the 45-day expulsion in the fall -- in addition to six weeks this spring -- is "excessive" and will cause her daughter to lose ground educationally.
During the expulsion, the student is eligible to receive educational services at home or to attend the district's alternative education program.
Ms. Ray said that she refuses to send her daughter to the alternative education program because "she is not a criminal; she made a mistake."
In an interview, board President Joseph Bailey said it is important for the district to enforce the state policy on weapons because even if a student does not intend to use a prohibited item as such, it can get into the hands of other students.
"Zero tolerance is zero tolerance," Mr. Bailey said. "We need to be very clear about discipline and expectations."
He added that other school districts in Pennsylvania have confiscated eyebrow shavers as weapons.
Abstaining from the vote was board member Erin Vecchio, who said she needed more information.
During a closed meeting just before the public meeting, Mrs. Vecchio cut a finger on the confiscated eyebrow shaver when she tried to see whether the implement was dangerous. The wound required four stitches at a local hospital, said Mrs. Vecchio, who returned to the public meeting with a bandaged hand.
In other business, the board tabled suspension of 11 professional employees "in light of a substantial decrease in enrollment" for the coming school year. Several board members asked for more information on this action.
In a cost-cutting move, the board eliminated the position of public relations/Web design coordinator and furloughed Teresita Kolenchak, the person holding that position.
The board accepted the resignation of Dr. Theresa Piatek, director of educational operations and services, and voted to eliminate that position.
The board also tabled a resolution to seek candidates for assistant superintendent, a position that has been vacant since last June.
Representatives of the firm Architectural Innovations presented preliminary plans for districtwide building reconfiguration and modernization. Costs are estimated at $105 million.
The current plan calls for a new grade 9 to 12 high school to be built on the site that now accommodates the current high school and the former Roberts Elementary, which is used as the district administration building.
Grade five would be added to Linton school, with improvements to the building. Pre-kindergarten through fourth grade, plus district administrative offices, would be located in three connected buildings at the current site of Dible Elementary.
If approved, the new and renovated buildings could be ready by fall 2012.
The board approved a contract with Independence Communications Inc. to expand security systems at Linton and the high school. Total cost is $13,500 in one-time fees and $823 per month.
The school board reinstated its former schedule of meeting twice per month -- once as a workshop to discuss topics, another to vote.
Board members have said in recent months that reinstating the workshop meeting would benefit the board and the community.
First Published June 4, 2009 12:00 am
