SF4023

Purpose

• This bill changes how discipline can lead to removal from school for young students. It aims to keep most early childhood students out of disciplinary dismissals while allowing a limited, short-term dismissal for some kindergarten through third-grade students after an incident. It also sets conditions for when expulsions or exclusions can occur, requiring other resources to be tried first.

What changes this bill makes

• Exempts certain early childhood programs from disciplinary dismissals:
  • Preschool and prekindergarten programs, including Early Childhood Family Education, School Readiness, School Readiness Plus, voluntary prekindergarten, and Head Start, are not subject to dismissals under this chapter.
• Allows limited short-term dismissal for kindergarten through grade 3:
  • A pupil in K–3 may be dismissed for up to one partial day and one full day after a disciplinary incident, specifically to communicate with a parent or guardian and to return the pupil to full participation in school.
• Sets boundaries for expulsions and exclusions:
  • Expulsions and exclusions may be used only after resources described in subdivision 2 have been exhausted and only in situations where there is an ongoing serious safety threat to the child or others.
• Exceptions for very short dismissals:
  • The rule does not apply to dismissals lasting less than one school day, but other rules under chapter 125A and federal law for students receiving special education services still apply.
• References to other rules:
  • Where applicable, the bill notes that students with special education services are governed by separate protections under chapter 125A and federal law.

Main provisions (at a glance)

• Scope of programs exempt from dismissal under this chapter: preschool, prekindergarten, Head Start, Early Childhood Family Education school readiness programs, school readiness plus, voluntary prekindergarten.
• Scope of K–3 discipline: limited to up to one partial day and one full day per incident, to enable parent communication and the student’s safe return to participation.
• Expulsions/exclusions condition: only after exhaustion of resources described in subdivision 2, and only for ongoing serious safety threats.
• Sub-1 exception: less-than-one-day dismissals are governed by other laws (125A and federal law for students with special education services).

Notable definitions and terms (contextual)

• Disciplinary dismissals: removals from school for disciplinary reasons.
• Expulsions: long-term removals from school.
• Exclusions: alternative removals or exclusion from activities/classes.
• Partial day / full day dismissal: a short removal from school day portions.
• Ongoing serious safety threat: a persistent danger to the student or others that may justify harsher discipline.
• Resources described in subdivision 2: other supports or strategies schools must attempt before expulsions.

Implementation considerations

• The bill is in the introduction stage and has been referred to the Education Policy committee, so it has not become law yet.
• Districts would need to adjust policies to reflect the new short-term dismissal option for K–3 and the list of exempt programs.
• Schools would also need to engage with families promptly during a short-term dismissal and plan for restoring full participation after the incident.

Potential impact (summary)

• Likely reduces expulsions for very young children by keeping most preschool and preK students out of dismissal proceedings.
• Introduces a narrowly defined window for removing K–3 students after an incident, balancing safety with continued access to education.
• Places emphasis on using available resources and supports before considering expulsions, potentially encouraging more intervention strategies.

Relevant Terms - Disciplinary dismissals - Expulsions - Exclusions - Preschool - Prekindergarten - Head Start - Early Childhood Family Education - School Readiness - School Readiness Plus - Voluntary Prekindergarten - Kindergarten through Grade 3 (K–3) - Partial day dismissal - Full day dismissal - Incident - Parent/guardian communication - Special education services - Chapter 125A - Ongoing serious safety threat - Resources (Subdivision 2)