The Belden Center Rules

All policies outlined in the District Student Handbook will apply to students along with the following:

A parent or guardian must accompany the student to The Belden Center in order to register. No student will be allowed on a Lee County bus nor will any student be allowed on campus until a parent or guardian accompanies him/her through the registration process.

The Belden Center is a closed campus with controlled access facilities.
• LCS staff, students, and parents are the only persons authorized to enter. All others wishing to gain access or seeking information regarding The Belden Center should contact the District Office at 662-841-9144.
• Doors remain locked from the outside at all times.
• Visitors must sign in with the secretary upon being allowed access into the building and must sign out prior to leaving.
• All persons and property entering upon the campus or entering the building are subject to search.
• Facilities and buses are monitored by video surveillance.
• There is a full-time, state-certified police officer on duty on campus at all times.
• All applicable local, state, and federal laws pertaining to schools and school property will be diligently enforced.
• Disturbances and disruptions of any kind will not be tolerated. Disruptive persons will be immediately removed from campus by police.
• Students assigned to The Belden Center are forbidden from entering upon the property of any other Lee County school or attending any day, night, or weekend school-related functions.
• No medication will be brought on campus or buses or administered by The Belden Center staff unless parents have completed the medical authorization form and have turned it in to the office. This form is made available during registration or may be faxed to physicians upon request.
• Parents of students requiring personal items for health or hygiene reasons will make arrangements to bring those items to the office in advance. Those items will be made available to students when needed. Student privacy will be respected in such instances.
• Lunch and breakfast is served at The Belden Center. There are no breaks and no school store. Students will not bring food or candy to school or on buses.
• Students will attend for the number of days assigned. Absences and early sign-outs will be made up prior to release.

Daily Schedule:
• Classes begin at 7:56am. Students are dismissed at 2:27pm.
• No one will be admitted earlier than 7:45am. Students may not be dropped off prior to 7:45am and left in the school parking lot unattended.
• Students who are excessively tardy may not be admitted.
• Tardy students who are allowed access must be signed in by a parent.
• Students must arrive/depart on a Belden Center bus or be transported by a parent.
• Students leaving early must be signed out by a parent or pre-approved designee. Photo ID may be required.

Students will adhere to the district dress code with the following modifications:
• Shoes will be black, brown, or white and solid in color, with matching laces. They will be tied and/or fastened at all times and will be worn properly. Sandals, boots, open-toed shoes, high heels, or shoes with ornamental attachments or logos will not be allowed. Matching socks will be worn with shoes at all times.
• Bottoms will be khaki trousers or plain blue jean pants. Dresses and skirts must be knee-length or longer and must also be khaki or plain blue jean denim. Bottoms will fit properly and will not sag. Pant legs may not be rolled into cuffs. Shorts and mini-skirts are not allowed.
• Tops will be solid white in color with a regular neckline and sleeves, and will remain tucked into pants at all times. No v-neck shirts, tank tops, shirts that expose any part of the back or abdomen while sitting or standing, or shirts with see-through panels. Any shirt worn underneath another will also be solid white in color.
• Jackets and coats will be solid in color, must open down the length of the front, and may not have hoods. No parkas, dusters, or trench coats.
• Belts will remain buckled at all times; will be proper length, black or brown in color, leather or fabric, with a simple buckle. Designer or ornamental belts or buckles will not be allowed.
• Personal items are prohibited. The only exception is a house key.
• No cell phones or other electronic devices.
• No headwear of any kind.
• No jewelry, to include watches and piercings.
• Tattoos will not be visible. Clothing will be worn to conceal them.
• No book bags, purses, wallets, brief cases, or other containers.
• No notebooks, binders, pens, markers, or mechanical pencils.

School Supplies:
• School issued text books
• Loose leaf paper
• Wooden #2 pencils

Discipline:
• The District Student Handbook will be referenced for disciplinary matters.
• Failure to adhere to school policies and guidelines will result in disciplinary action up to and including expulsion.
• The principal is authorized to institute appropriate disciplinary action including immediate suspension of students for misconduct.
• After receiving out-of-school suspension or being sent to the alternative school multiple times during the same school year, any student may be recommended for long-term suspension or expulsion.
• Disruptive students will be immediately removed from campus by police.
• Students will be searched every morning prior to class and may be searched at any time throughout the day.
• Any activity or behavior that may be construed as gang-related will result in suspension and/or recommendation for expulsion.

In accordance with state law, the following offenses will result in a disciplinary hearing and recommendation for expulsion:
• Fighting; aggravated or simple assault
• Rape, sexual battery, or indecent exposure
• Possession or use of a weapon or facsimile of a weapon
• Possession, use, sale or being under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances
• Possession or use of mace, pepper spray, or any other disabling substance
• Any other violent acts.

Student Transportation - Lee County Schools Belden Center
Students may only arrive at and/or depart from The Belden Center either on one of the buses or with a parent or pre-approved designee.
• Student transportation to and from bus stop locations and student supervision at the bus stop location is the parent's responsibility.
• The Belden Center buses will not depart from a pick-up location earlier than the scheduled pick-up time. However, buses are not required to wait for students beyond the pickup time.
• Students who have not fully complied with The Belden Center registration requirements will not be allowed to board a LCS bus.
• Students not in compliance with The Belden Center dress code will not be allowed to board a bus.
• Once aboard the bus, students will remain seated in an upright position, will face the front of the bus, and will remain quiet.
• Male and female students will not sit together. Drivers will assign seats.
• Disruptive students will be immediately removed from the bus by police.
• Student misbehavior on the bus will result in a parent/principal conference and possible suspension of Belden Center bus riding privileges for three (3) or more days upon the first referral, denial of bus riding privileges, or suspension and/or recommendation for expulsion from school, depending upon the nature of the offense