The Blaine County school board expelled two more students on Tuesday evening, bringing to seven the number of students kicked out of school this school year.
School district personnel are prohibited by law from releasing names or discussing particular cases, but Superintendent Jim Lewis said most expulsions are for drug or alcohol use or for acts of violence.
"Those are the three things that will get a ticket out," Lewis said Thursday. "All three of those things are seen as serious threats to our other students."
The school district averages about 10 expulsions per school year. Last year there were seven.
A small group of protesters picketed the school district office in Hailey on Mondays for several weeks last year and insisted that the district change its policies.
Lewis said the protest group was unaware of the great lengths the district and the board of trustees uses to try to avoid expulsions.
"Students get two or three chances, sometimes even five or six," Lewis said. "We work harder to keep kids in school the any other school district I've worked with. The school board takes no case lightly and they try to do everything they can to avoid expelling someone.
"They get every opportunity to change, to straighten up and fly straight and some of them just don't get the message."
The seven students expelled this year were all high school students. Most were expelled for a full year with provisions that they can re-enroll if they meet certain requirements, which are different depending upon the case.
Students are typically allowed to continue their educations through computer courses offered at the Community Campus, but students expelled for violence may not be allowed on any school district property.
Lewis said the district does not want to allow anything that is "dangerous to other students."
Jim Lewis
