Writing on school wall gets Texas sixth-grader sent to Alternative School

Katy ISD says they followed state law

in punishments for graffiti case

Shelby Sendelbach, a sixth-grader in the Katy Independent School District, was read her rights, ticketed and punished with a mandatory four-month assignment to an alternative school because she wrote "I love Alex" on a gymnasium wall with a baby blue Sharpie.

The graffiti offense is a Level 4 infraction in the district's discipline plan, along with making terroristic threats, possessing dangerous drugs, and assaulting with bodily injury. Only a Level 5 — for murder, possessing firearms, committing aggravated or sexual assault, arson or other felonies — is more severe.

Shelby's parents, Lisa and Stu Sendelbach, say they do not condone what their daughter did. Nevertheless, they are fighting to get her punishment reduced because they believe it is too harsh.

The Sendelbachs said they expected a lesser punishment such as an in-school suspension and community service. Shelby is assigned to alternative school from Aug. 27 through Dec. 21. A district-level appeal hearing is scheduled later this month.

"We are shocked that the school district rules as they are written make no distinction between what Shelby is accused of and what a gang member does with a can of black spray paint," Stu Sendelbach said.

The 12-year-old Mayde Creek Junior High student said she regrets the May 21 incident for which school police cited her for criminal mischief and the making of graffiti. The graffiti offense is punishable as a felony because the marking was made in permanent ink.

This from the Houston Chronicle.

Kentucky alternative schools scrutinized

Kentucky’s alternative education programs are getting a comprehensive look following a "snapshot" last year that revealed a host of serious problems.

That on-site sampling of 40 alternative programs in 37 Kentucky school districts turned up programs with shortcomings ranging from not having a six-hour instructional day to students having inadequate instructional materials. In some cases, those problems amounted to violations of state education laws and regulations.

Keith Travis, chairman of the state board of education, which ordered the initial review, said he was disappointed in the findings. "The general gist of it was they weren’t getting the full instructional value, which is unfortunate because many times those are the students who (most) need the full instructional value," he said.

The review was conducted for the board last year by the Kentucky Center for School Safety.

This from the Kentucky School Boards Association.