Burnsville-Eagan-Savage school board to consider changing weapons policy

After using the scissors on a Swiss army knife to work on an origami project in class at Joseph Nicollet Junior High in Burnsville, Mark Vogelgesang's 13-year-old son found himself suspended and en route to expulsion.

The seventh-grader was in violation of the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage school district's zero-tolerance weapons policy.

Vogelgesang withdrew his son from the district before he was expelled, then fired off a letter saying it was wrong for the boy to face such stiff punishment for accidentally bringing a souvenir pocket knife to school in the pocket of his pants.

"The policy was really over the top," Vogelgesang said. "If somebody makes a mistake, they get the same punishment as somebody who was threatening."

Students who make such mistakes may get some reprieve in the future.

The school board will vote in August on putting a little bit of leeway in the no-tolerance policy on a case-by-case basis.

The revised weapons policy for fourth- through 12th-grade students would give principals the discretion to stop short of a recommendation for expulsion, after conferring with the superintendent.

The school officials would consider several criteria, including the offending student's age, behavioral history and special needs and the circumstances that led the student to bring the weapon to school. They will also consider the student's intent and any aggressive or threatening behavior before making a recommendation.

Leniency would apply only to first-time offenders. Any students who brought a weapon to school a second time would be recommended for expulsion for up to a year.

"We have to do what we can to prevent violence in schools," Assistant Superintendent Aldo Sicoli said, noting that severe consequences can be a deterrent.

But he also added that "you have students who left a pocket knife from Scouts in their backpack or something like that."

Those instances, combined with a desire to keep kids in the classroom, led to the proposed policy change, said board chairwoman Susan Martin.

"We have been implementing a rigid policy that maybe hasn't been the most appropriate response in every situation," she said.

Many Minnesota school districts adopted zero-tolerance policies in the 1990s. The goal was to curb school violence, but there have been many highly publicized cases about students being expelled for innocent or accidental infractions.

Vogelgesang said his son, who hasn't had any past behavioral or disciplinary problems, fits that category.

The pocket knife was a souvenir from a trip to the Grand Canyon that the boy accidentally left in the pocket of his pants. When he realized the error, he intended to turn it in to the principal's office, but got distracted with his lunch money, Vogelgesang said.

It was a mistake to use it later for the origami project, and his son was devastated when he realized the consequences, Vogelgesang said.

"It was a real depressing couple weeks," he said.

Vogelgesang said the new policy will still keep students safe because it maintains that weapons are prohibited and expulsion is still an option, but also allows for lesser discipline. He said his son, who finished the year in another school district, may reenroll at another Burnsville-Eagan-Savage junior high in the fall.

"I'm really happy with what the school board has done, and they should be applauded for a little bit of forward thinking," Vogelgesang said.

Katie Humphrey • 952-882-9056