Erie school board hears recommendations to simplify expulsion process and track racial disparities

The Erie City School District on Tuesday heard recommendations aimed at reducing the use and racial disparities of expulsions and making the process less legalistic for students and families.

Amy Blackman, with the Crime Victim Center of Erie County, and Gautam McCushee, with the ACLU of Pennsylvania, presented findings and suggestions during the district's Committee of the Whole meeting, pressing the board and administration to rewrite communications, consider an independent hearing administrator, and ensure victims and witnesses receive clear notifications and access to services.

The speakers tied the proposals to district policy: the administration said it will draft a statement of philosophy on student expulsions to be incorporated into Board Policy 218, circulate a draft before the March meeting and begin a formal review of the expulsion process in April.

Why it matters: ACLU research presented to the board showed Erie's expulsion rates exceed county and state averages and disproportionately affect Black students. The presenters said exclusionary discipline is linked to worse academic and social outcomes and can conflict with the district's strategic goals for equity and graduation.

Details of the presentations

Amy Blackman told the board she reviewed the district's expulsion materials and recommended three main changes: simplify printed notices and handbooks so families with limited English or lower literacy can understand them; consider using a single hearing administrator who would make recommendations to the board rather than relying on a multi-member hearing panel that can intimidate families; and formalize notification, referrals and the ability for victims to submit brief impact statements.

"When there are words used like charges and testifying and arguments, that feels very, very legalistic," Blackman said, urging the district to use clearer wording and to explain what expulsion means in practical terms for students and guardians.

Gautam McCushee framed expulsions in a national context, tracing broad use of mandatory removals to the Gun-Free Schools Act of 1994 and the rise of so-called zero-tolerance policies. He said those policies now sweep in common adolescent behaviors and that research shows repeated exclusionary discipline correlates with lower academic achievement, increased absenteeism and greater mental health risks.

McCushee presented district-specific figures from Pennsylvania's Safe Schools reporting and said the data show a consistent racial disparity in Erie: "In 2021 you had 11 total expulsions. Eight of those were Black," he told the board, and later said the pattern continued in subsequent years. He urged the district to collect and report disaggregated data on expulsions and to define narrowly what conduct warrants exclusion, reserving expulsions for the most serious instances.

Board and administration response

Board members asked procedural questions about next steps and about how a hearing administrator might be appointed and trained. One board member noted the potential for delays if board members must assemble for every hearing and said a designee could expedite the process while preserving board decision authority.

A district administrator said the board already has a working worksheet that will be expanded into a draft statement of philosophy. "I'll have an actual draft next month," the administrator said, adding the draft would be discussed in the policy committee and the Committee of the Whole with the goal of adopting it in March and starting administrative work on procedure changes in April.

Presenters' recommendations and examples

- Simplify language and tone in letters and handbooks so families can understand rights and steps in the process; include plain-language explanations alongside any required legal terms. - Consider appointing a hearing administrator who would run hearings and make recommendations to the board; ensure decision-makers receive bias and procedural training. - Formalize victim and witness notifications and referrals to services; allow brief victim impact statements limited to the specific incident and its effects. - Minimize use of exclusionary discipline for nonviolent or subjective conduct; adopt alternatives such as restorative practices, social-emotional instruction and targeted supports. - Collect and publish disaggregated, timely data on referrals, expulsions and outcomes to drive policy change.

What was not decided

No formal vote or change to district policy was recorded at the meeting. The board directed administration to draft the statement of philosophy and to bring a proposed policy update and recommended procedures for further review.

Context and next steps

Presenters said the district already has experience revising related practices: they cited prior reductions in summary citations after policy change. The administration committed to circulating a draft philosophy before the March meeting and to begin its procedural review in April. The presenters offered to provide model language and external research resources to support the district's review.

The issue is likely to return to the board in coming weeks, with a policy draft and requests for disaggregated data on referrals and expulsions to support any proposed limits or procedural changes.