Chambana Sun

Georgetown-Ridge Farm Consolidated Unit School District 4 reported 308 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 308 students during the year. This equates to 36 percent of the 856 students enrolled.

Students were expelled for 10 incidents with violence that caused physical injury, 93 incidents with violence without physical injury, 55 incidents with alcohol and tobacco, nine incidents with drugs, six 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 90. There were 31 incidents of violence without injury. For 74 incidents, students were suspended for one to two days.

Boy students received 230 suspensions, while 78 girls were suspended.

There were 215 elementary or middle school students, and 93 high school students suspended in 2021-22 school year.

The district reported that most out-of-school suspensions were given for violence without injury, of which there were 62. There were 45 incidents of unspecified reasons. For 61 incidents, students were suspended for four to 10 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	2
Violence with injury	3	7
Violence without injury	31	62
Drug offenses	0	9
Firearm	0	0
Other dangerous weapons	1	5
Tobacco	15	38
Other reason	90	45
Total	140	168

	In-school Suspension	Out-of-school Suspension
One day or less	4	8
1-2 days	74	36
2-3 days	53	25
3-4 days	8	38
4-10 days	1	61
More than 10 days	0	0