Weapons in School

Colorado Early Colleges’ (CEC) Governing Board has determined that possession and/or use of a weapon by students requires immediate action to ensure the safety and welfare of all students and staff.

Carrying, bringing, using, or possessing a dangerous weapon in any CEC building, on CEC school grounds, in any CEC vehicle, or at any CEC-sponsored activity without authorization is prohibited. An exception to this policy may be made for students participating in an authorized extracurricular activity or team involving the use of firearms.
For this policy, a “dangerous weapon” means:

• A firearm, whether loaded or unloaded, or a firearm facsimile (toy gun) that could reasonably be mistaken for an actual firearm, which includes, but is not limited to, handgun, rifle, and shotgun.
• Any pellet gun, BB gun, cap gun, or other device, whether operational or not, designed to propel projectiles by spring action or compressed air.
• A fixed blade knife, a spring-loaded knife, or a pocketknife.
• Any object, device, instrument, material or substance, whether animate or inanimate, including, but not limited to, slingshot, bludgeon, brass or artificial knuckles of any kind, fireworks, bomb, grenade, mine, rocket having a propellant charge of more than four ounces, missile having an explosive or incendiary charge of more than one-quarter ounce, or similar devices.

A student who is determined to have brought a firearm to school, or to have possessed a firearm at school, may be expelled from school for a period of not less than 1 year. See CEC Suspension/Expulsion of Students policy. CEC’s Chief Executive Officer can modify the length/term of the expulsion on a case-by-case basis.

CEC will maintain records that describe the circumstances involving expulsions of students who bring weapons to school, including the number of students expelled and the types of weapons involved, as required by law.

CEC will make the mandatory referral to the criminal justice or juvenile delinquency system (which can be local law enforcement) of any student who brings a firearm or weapon to school.

If a student discovers that they have carried, brought, or are in possession of a dangerous weapon and the student notifies a teacher or other authorized person in the school and immediately delivers the dangerous weapon to that person, the student’s expulsion shall not be mandatory, and such action shall be considered when determining appropriate disciplinary action, if any.

This policy shall be applied in a manner consistent with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.