East Central Reporter

East Richland Community Unit School District 1 reported 165 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 165 students during the year. This equates to eight percent of the 2,194 students enrolled.

Students were expelled for 21 incidents with alcohol and tobacco, eight incidents with drugs, two 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 66. There were two incidents of tobacco. For 31 incidents, students were suspended for one to two days.

Boy students received 123 suspensions, while 42 girls were suspended.

There were 102 elementary or middle school students, and 63 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 68. There were 19 incidents of tobacco. For 39 incidents, students were suspended for three to four 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	1	7
Firearm	0	0
Other dangerous weapons	0	2
Tobacco	2	19
Other reason	66	68
Total	69	96

	In-school Suspension	Out-of-school Suspension
One day or less	29	1
1-2 days	31	30
2-3 days	7	11
3-4 days	0	39
4-10 days	2	15
More than 10 days	0	0