District adopts tighter limits and parent-notice rules for student restraints

What happened

The board adopted revised rules limiting physical restraint and seclusion to emergencies and prohibiting their use for discipline or to force compliance. Staff must generally end a hold within 15 minutes and notify parents the same day for brief holds or within five days for longer holds or seclusion.

Why it matters to families

The rules set stricter limits on when staff may physically restrain a student and require families to receive timely information when restraint or seclusion occurs.

The evidence

At its Nov. 10 meeting, the board approved revisions to policy JKA and regulation JKA-R (transcript, 160491, 3:34:37–3:35:26). The submitted change summary states restraint cannot be used for discipline or compliance, calls for release within 15 minutes unless safety concerns prevent it, and requires same-day written notice for 1–5-minute holds and a report within five calendar days for holds of five minutes or more or any seclusion (160475; 160476; 160477).

The source