The proposed bill passed the Ohio Senate last week.
(Columbus, Oh.) – Ohio lawmakers have passed a bill that would limit school suspensions for young students.
Last week, the Ohio Senate passed Senate Bill 246, which aims to stop Ohio schools from imposing out-of-school suspensions for young students who commit minor offenses, reports The Columbus Dispatch.
Out-of-school suspensions and expulsions will instead be reserved for students in grades pre-K through three that threaten the safety and well-being of other students and/or staff.
The bill also allows a student to be expelled for a year for bringing a knife capable of causing serious bodily injury onto school grounds
According to a recent report, Ohio elementary schools have handed out 35,000 suspensions in each of the last two years. Almost half of the suspensions were for disruptive or disobedient behavior. Of those suspended, about two-thirds were black children and 90 percent were from low-income households.
Senate Bill 246 now heads to the House for consideration. If passed into law, the bill would go into effect beginning with the 2020-21 school.