East Central Reporter

Charleston Community Unit School District 1 reported 258 suspensions or expulsions for the 2021-22 school year, according to the latest student discipline report by the Illinois State Board of Education.

According to the report, the district expelled or suspended 258 students during the year. This equates to 10 percent of the 2,525 students enrolled.

Students were expelled for 49 incidents with alcohol and tobacco, eight incidents with drugs, four incidents with a dangerous weapon, other than a firearm.

The district reported that most in-school suspensions were given for unspecified reasons, of which there were 81. There were 32 incidents of tobacco. For 96 incidents, students were suspended for one to two days.

Boy students received 165 suspensions, while 93 girls were suspended.

There were 83 elementary or middle school students, and 175 high school students suspended in 2021-22 school year.

The district reported that most out-of-school suspensions were given for unspecified reasons, of which there were 116. There were 17 incidents of tobacco. For 48 incidents, students were suspended for one to two days.

Illinois ranks as the 5th state in terms of the overall number of schools and student enrollment among all states.

Illinois lawmakers enacted laws in 2015 to restrict schools from disciplining a disproportionate number of Black and minority students out of school and into the criminal justice system, often for minor misbehavior.

	In-school Suspension	Out-of-school Suspension
Alcohol	0	0
Violence with injury	0	0
Violence without injury	0	0
Drug offenses	0	8
Firearm	0	0
Other dangerous weapons	0	4
Tobacco	32	17
Other reason	81	116
Total	113	145

	In-school Suspension	Out-of-school Suspension
One day or less	0	4
1-2 days	96	48
2-3 days	12	35
3-4 days	2	34
4-10 days	3	24
More than 10 days	0	0