To:

Members, Board of Education

From:

Terry B. Grier, Ed.D.

Date:

July 7, 2004

RE:

Suspension and Discipline Update

At the July 13 Board meeting, Dr. Delores Fogg, Chief Student Services Officer, will present an update on the district's suspension and discipline data. The number of sixth through twelfth grade students short-term suspended from school (for ten days or less) slightly decreased from 7,436 in 2002-2003 to 6,766 in 2003-2004 and long-term suspensions slightly decreased from 550 in 2002-2003 to 496 in 2003-2004. However, the group of students most likely to be suspended continued to be African-American students, who are suspended at more than four times the rate of white students.

While the district has seen a slight decrease in overall suspensions, we must find ways to continue to address this matter within our current budget constraints. The district currently has programs in place that we will continue to refine to address disciplinary actions to reduce the number of suspensions, both in-school and out-of-school.

Attachment - Suspension Data