A new Senate Bill, SB 100, was introduced that would make significant changes to student suspension and expulsion procedures, including:
- Requiring Districts to include in a written expulsion decision specific reasons why expulsion is in the best interest of the school;
- Prohibiting “zero tolerance” discipline policies;
- Prohibiting suspensions for more than three days unless the student’s continuing presence would post a threat to school safety or disruption to other students’ learning opportunities;
- Prohibiting 45-day removals unless all other appropriate and available behavioral and disciplinary interventions have been exhausted (documentation required);
- Provision of “appropriate and available supports” for students suspended more than four days;
- Requiring a policy to facilitate the re-engagement of students who are suspended or expelled; and
- Requiring a policy to allow students the opportunity to make up work for equivalent academic credit.