Colorado § 22-33-102 - Definitions.

§ 22-33-102. Definitions.

As used in this article 33, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) "Academic year" means that portion of the school year during which the public schools are in regular session, beginning about the first week in September and ending about the first week in June of the next year, or that portion of the school year which constitutes the minimum period during which a pupil must be enrolled.

(2) "Adult" means a person who has reached the age of twenty-one years.

(3) "Board of education" means the school board, board of directors, and board of education of a school district.

(3.5) "Child who is habitually truant" means a child who is six years of age on or before August 1 of the year in question and is under seventeen years of age and who has four unexcused absences from public school in any one month or ten unexcused absences from public school during any academic year. Absences due to suspension or expulsion of a child are considered excused absences for purposes of this article 33.

(4) "Dangerous weapon" means:

(a) A firearm, as defined in section 18-1-901 (3)(h), C.R.S.;

(b) Any pellet gun, BB gun, or other device, whether operational or not, designed to propel projectiles by spring action or compressed air;

(c) A fixed-blade knife with a blade that exceeds three inches in length;

(d) A spring-loaded knife or a pocket knife with a blade exceeding three and one-half inches in length; or

(e) Any object, device, instrument, material, or substance, whether animate or inanimate, that is used or intended to be used to inflict death or serious bodily injury.

(5) "Delinquent act" means a violation of any statute, ordinance, or order enumerated in section 19-2.5-103 (1)(a). If a juvenile is alleged to have committed or is found guilty of a delinquent act, the classification and degree of the offense is determined by the statute, ordinance, or order that the petition alleges was violated. "Delinquent act" does not include truancy or habitual truancy.

(6) "Executive officer" means the superintendent of schools or the head administrative officer designated by a board of education to execute its policy decisions.

(7) Repealed.

(8) "Habitually disruptive student" has the same meaning as set forth in section 22-33-106 (1)(c.5).

(8.5) "High school equivalency examination" means the state-board-approved battery of tests that are designed to measure the major outcomes and concepts generally associated with four years of high school education and that are administered at a testing center that has been approved by the department of education based on geographic need and testing volume.

(9) "Informal hearing" means an opportunity for a child to explain his or her position regarding a disruption or an incident that occurred on school grounds, in a school vehicle, or at a school activity or sanctioned event and that constituted grounds for discipline.

(10) "Parent" means the mother or father of a child or any other person having custody of a child.

(10.5) "Pupil enrollment count day" has the same meaning as set forth in section 22-54-103 (10.5).

(11) "School vehicle" has the same meaning as set forth in section 42-1-102 (88.5), C.R.S.

(12) "State board" means the state board of education.

Source: L. 63: p. 861, § 2. C.R.S. 1963: § 123-20-2. L. 64: p. 571, § 1. L. 73: pp. 1254, 1314, §§ 4, 5. L. 77: (1) amended, p. 1071, § 3, effective May 24. L. 80: (1) amended, p. 551, § 1, effective April 30. L. 86: (1) amended, p. 801, § 3, effective July 1. L. 92: (4.5) added, p. 476, § 3, effective April 24. L. 96: (4.7) added, p. 1804, § 1, effective July 1. L. 2012: (10.5) added, (HB 12-1090), ch. 44, p. 152, § 13, effective March 22; entire section amended, (HB 12-1345), ch. 188, p. 739, § 24, effective May 19. L. 2014: (7) repealed and (8.5) added, (SB 14-058), ch. 102, p. 380, § 10, effective April 7. L. 2018: IP and (5) amended and (3.5) added, (HB 18-1156), ch. 378, p. 2285, § 2, effective August 8. L. 2021: (5) amended, (SB 21-059), ch. 136, p. 740, § 97, effective October 1.

Editor's note: Subsection (5.5), as enacted in House Bill 12-1090, was harmonized with House Bill 12-1345 and relocated to subsection (10.5).

Cross references: For the legislative declaration in HB 18-1156, see section 1 of chapter 378, Session Laws of Colorado 2018.