Macon Reporter

Sangamon Valley Community Unit School District 9 reported 19 suspensions or expulsions for the 2020-2021 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 19 students during the year. This equates to three percent of the 655 students enrolled.

Students were expelled for seven incidents with violence without physical injury, two incidents with alcohol and tobacco, one incident 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 nine. There were six incidents of violence without injury. For seven incidents, students were suspended for one to two days.

Boy students received 12 suspensions, while seven girls were suspended.

There were 12 elementary or middle school students, and seven high school students suspended in 2020-2021 school year.

The district reported that most out-of-school suspension was given for violence without injury, of which there was one. There was one incident of dangerous weapon. For two 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	6	1
Drug offenses	0	0
Firearm	0	0
Other dangerous weapons	0	1
Tobacco	2	0
Other reason	9	0
Total	17	2

	In-school Suspension	Out-of-school Suspension
One day or less	2	0
1-2 days	7	2
2-3 days	7	0
3-4 days	1	0
4-10 days	0	0
More than 10 days	0	0