Macon Reporter

Blue Ridge Community Unit School District 18 reported 18 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 18 students during the year. This equates to three percent of the 643 students enrolled.

Students were expelled for three incidents with violence that caused physical injury, 10 incidents with violence without physical injury, one incident with alcohol and tobacco, one incident with drugs.

The district reported that most in-school suspensions were given for violence without injury, of which there were four. There was one incident of drug offense. For four incidents, students were suspended for one to two days.

Boy students received 11 suspensions, while seven girls were suspended.

There were nine elementary or middle school students, and nine 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 six. There were three incidents of violence with injury. For six 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	1
Violence with injury	0	3
Violence without injury	4	6
Drug offenses	1	0
Firearm	0	0
Other dangerous weapons	0	0
Tobacco	0	0
Other reason	1	2
Total	6	12

	In-school Suspension	Out-of-school Suspension
One day or less	0	0
1-2 days	4	0
2-3 days	2	4
3-4 days	0	6
4-10 days	0	2
More than 10 days	0	0