District data show suspensions and expulsions trending down; in-school suspensions tick up

At a Jacksonville North Pulaski School District board meeting, a staff presenter reviewed district discipline trends and described recent declines in out-of-school suspensions and expulsions while noting a small rise in in-school suspension.

The presenter, Jacob Smith, said suspensions fell slightly from a 2023 peak and expulsions are “trending downward,” a change the district attributed in part to its alternative-education placements that allow some students to remain in a learning environment instead of leaving the district. Smith said principals received individualized administrator data to check whether responses are consistent with the student handbook.

Smith told the board that 3,917 scholars had zero or one level‑3 infraction last year — about 94 percent of scholars — and 252 scholars had two or more level‑3 infractions. He said level‑4 offenses are rare: 99 percent of scholars had zero level‑4 offenses. He added that in‑school suspension was “slightly up” from the prior year and that staff will "dig a little bit more on that" to determine causes.

Board members asked whether the presented numbers covered all grades; a board member confirmed the data were districtwide, K‑12. Smith said the district provides alternatives for students recommended for expulsion and that many students placed in the alternative program have been successful.

Smith also described a recent training for principals and said the handbook prescribes different disciplinary responses by level and age; the administrator data are intended to show whether schools are following those prescriptive responses and to reduce premature use of in‑school suspension.

District staff did not present a formal policy change at the meeting; they described planned follow-up analysis and additional review of administrator-level implementation. No vote or directive to change the handbook was taken at the session.