Exclusion rates varied among school districts. Over half of all school districts, or 200 districts, reported no student exclusions. This is a decrease from 213 districts the prior year. There were 132 districts that reported between one and nine exclusions for the school year, up from 118 districts in 1995-96. Twenty-four districts reported ten or more student exclusions, up from 18 districts the previous year.
Safe schools are a top priority.
Providing students with a safe learning environment is essential to furnishing them with an effective education. Suspending and expelling some disruptive students will strengthen the climate for learning for the students in school. Many districts do an outstanding job in providing most or all of the students they exclude with alternative education. That is a very important goal statewide. We appreciate the efforts that school districts are making to provide safe and orderly schools and to provide serious learning opportunities for all students.