Members of the Madison School Board will decide tonight on the punishment of an area sixth-grader who was suspended for bringing a knife to school.

Christian Schmidt, 12, was suspended March 11 from Cherokee Middle School after he brought a serrated steak knife to cut an onion in class.

Schmidt reportedly said he brought the knife for a presentation he was doing in science class about onions.

The school district’s policy forbidding weapons in schools classifies the knife as a weapon, and mandates the school principal must expel a student who brings a weapon to school. The case then goes for a hearing before an independent examiner, who makes a recommendation to the board.

The case has already been heard by one of the district’s independent examiners, Norma Briggs, who reportedly recommends the school board apply “an ounce of common sense and some compassion” to the district’s zero-tolerance anti-weapons policy.

She said the 15-day suspension was enough of a punishment for Schmidt, described by one former teacher as a straight-A student.

Another independent examiner, David Nance, told The Capital Times he does not know how the Board will decide and questions the effectiveness of the district’s expulsion policy.

“I feel reluctant saying this because I’m sort of tipping my hand,” Nance said. “but I am increasingly having doubts that expulsions are doing any good. I’m increasingly wondering what the purpose is of expelling a kid. What is the purpose to be served by taking them out of the school? Does it make the school safer? Frequently, I think it doesn’t.”

The Board will meet tonight in closed session at 6:30 p.m. to decide Schmidt’s case.