Sunset High School
“Where Success is the Only Option”
Detention Policy
2012- 2013
Sunset High School is continuing its detention program. The detention program is designed to keep students in their
educational environment as much as possible, by providing teachers and administrators the option of issuing lunch
detention or after school detention instead of issuing “In School Suspension” or “Out of School Suspension” for
relatively minor offenses.
Teachers will have the authority to issue detention to a student if the student has committed any of the following
offense:
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after the 5th tardy for a six week period and each additional tardy
failure to bring student notebook (*9th & 10th grade teachers only)
failure to complete homework
minor classroom disruption
use of any electronic device; such as but not limited to a paging device, mp3 player, or cellular phone
during instructional time (in the classroom)
 profanity/obscene gestures toward other students in the classroom
Administrators will assign students to detention as a consequence that is consistent with the Dallas ISD Student Code
of Conduct.
Once a teacher assigns a student to detention, the information needs to be documented on the teacher’s behavior log
and the teacher must enter all information on the Detention Form and submit it electronically.
After the student’s information is completely filled out, a list of students assigned to detention will be generated and
pulled by the discipline office. Students who serve their detention will be marked off the list; students who skip their
detention will be given 1 day of I.S.S.. The detention facilitator will call the parents of the students who did not serve
detention and inform the parent of additional consequences.
*2 days of lunch detention = 1 day of after school detention
Those students assigned detention will have the option to attend after school or lunch detention. Students who
choose after school detention will report to an administrator in the Cafeteria no later than 4:35 p.m. and will remain
until 5:35 p.m.. Those students assigned to lunch detention will report at the beginning of their lunch period to Office
105, sign in and leave their ID badge with the secretary. Students will then report to the blacktop for litter duty. If a
student is assigned lunch detention before the lunch period, the student will attend the day he/she was assigned
detention. If the student is assigned detention after the lunch periods the student will attend the following day and a
half hour of after school detention (Students must complete detention within 36 hours). Students assigned to after
school detention/homework academy will be given 24 hours notice, so that the student can make arrangements for
transportation. Students will have the opportunity to serve detention on the same day the detention is issued. The
school will not be responsible for transporting students to their home from detention. No one will be excused from
their assigned detention. Students will not be excused from detention to participate in or attend an athletic or
extracurricular event. The penalty for failing to attend detention on the assigned day will be ISS.
Students are responsible for attending their scheduled detentions on time at the scheduled site. It is the student's
responsibility to see an administrator to inquire about a detention change if there is an emergency or a legitimate
reason that warrants a detention change. Also, students will not be excused from detention because of an
employment reason. Having to work after school is not a legitimate reason for a detention change.
Rules for Detention: (Students will copy the rules for detention)
1. Be on time. Detention is from 4:35 p.m. to 5:35 p.m., after school, or at the beginning of the student’s lunch
period. Students will not be permitted to complete detention if they are late and the next level consequence
will be given.
2. Attendance will be taken at the beginning and end of the detention period.
3. Students will copy the Rules for Detention on a sheet of paper
4. Teachers who assign detention to a student must provide the student with a meaningful content specific
assignment that benefits the student’s academic progress. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain a
meaningful assignment to complete in detention from the teacher.
5. Students are expected to do schoolwork during the entire hour. All needed materials (books, paper, pencil,
etc.) should be brought to detention.
6. If a student does not have schoolwork, the detention supervisor will assign TAKS and EOC exam lessons.
Students are expected to complete the assigned lessons before the conclusion of the detention period, or the
student will be assigned duties such as scrubbing desks or picking up litter.
7. Students will not be permitted to use the bathroom, to go to their lockers, or to see another teacher once the
detention hour has started. Students should take care of these matters before arriving to the detention room.
8. There is no whispering/ talking, writing notes, texting or trying to communicate in any other way with any
other student during the detention hour.
9. Students may not sleep during detention
10. All electronic devices must be turned off and put away during detention
11. No eating or drinking.
12. Students will not be released early from detention.
13. The detention supervisor will dismiss the students when it is time to leave.
14. Failure to attend detention or comply with school rules will result in a level II discipline referral and a
consequence of I.S.S. or Out of School Suspension