West Central Reporter

Western Community Unit School District 12 reported 38 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 38 students during the year. This equates to seven percent of the 521 students enrolled.

Students were expelled for two incidents with violence that caused physical injury, eight incidents with violence without physical injury, nine incidents with alcohol and tobacco, 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 13. There were five incidents of violence without injury. For 11 incidents, students were suspended for a day or less.

Boy students received 22 suspensions, while 16 girls were suspended.

There were 23 elementary or middle school students, and 15 high school students suspended in 2021-22 school year.

The district reported that most out-of-school suspensions were given for tobacco, of which there were six. There were four incidents of unspecified reasons. For 10 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	3
Violence with injury	0	2
Violence without injury	5	3
Drug offenses	0	0
Firearm	0	0
Other dangerous weapons	1	1
Tobacco	0	6
Other reason	13	4
Total	19	19

	In-school Suspension	Out-of-school Suspension
One day or less	11	1
1-2 days	5	10
2-3 days	2	2
3-4 days	1	1
4-10 days	0	5
More than 10 days	0	0