School District Makes Changes To Weapons Policy

TUPELO, Miss. (AP) – The Tupelo Public School District has made changes to its procedures for handling situations in which students have weapons in their vehicles on school property.

The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reports (http://bit.ly/1VXpcp0) students will now be required to have a psychological evaluation and could have their driving privileges suspended for up to 180 days if caught with a weapon in their vehicle.

The school district previously had a zero-tolerance policy that stated if students were in possession of a weapon anywhere on campus they would face expulsion.

The new procedures also allow some students, like first-time offenders or students who may have unknowingly brought a weapon onto campus by accident, to face less severe punishment for the violation.

Diana Ezell, assistant superintendent, said the district wanted to strike a balance between safety and fair consequences.

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