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District reports rise in suspension days; staff urge alternatives to reduce lost instruction
Summary
Carolyn Norman presented a first-semester suspension report noting increases at the secondary level in both the number of students suspended and total suspension days; administrators were asked to consider alternatives that reduce lost instructional time and ADA revenue impacts.
Carolyn Norman, director of child welfare and attendance, told the Barstow Unified School District board on Jan. 27 that first-semester suspensions increased at the secondary level and are costing instructional time and associated Average Daily Attendance (ADA) funding.
"Basically the information that you have here ... it does not include the extended suspensions when a student is waiting on expulsions but it does give you a breakdown," Norman said, explaining the report's scope and the categories used for suspension tracking.
Norman said the district recorded a higher number of suspension days this year at the secondary level and that the number of students suspended at the high school rose from 42 to 68 in the first semester year-over-year. She also cited a year-over-year rise in total suspension days at the secondary level — from about 202 days last year to about 322 days this year — and said those additional days have an impact on ADA revenue and students' instructional time.
Norman urged site administrators to consider alternative disciplinary responses and to review the number of days assigned for incidents such as fights, noting that an automatic five-day out-of-school suspension may not be necessary in every case and that in-school suspension does not affect ADA.
Trustees asked clarifying questions about whether mutual-combat findings or investigations affected how days were assigned. Norman said administrators investigate and try to identify witnesses and that investigators may assign different numbers of days depending on the facts. No immediate policy changes were adopted; staff said they will continue to work with site administrators to reduce suspension days where appropriate and to limit financial and instructional loss.
What happens next: District staff will continue training and site-level coaching to reduce suspension days and explore alternatives; the report is informational and will inform future administrative decisions.
