School & Education

A suspension A temporary stop of a law is when a school removes a student from class for 10 days in a row or less. A student can be given an in-school suspension or an out-of-school suspension. 

An expulsion is a removal lasting 11 days or more in a row. An expulsion can last up to two years. If a school decides to expel a student, it will usually suspend that student before holding the expulsion hearing.

A school may suspend students for up to 3 days only if the student's presence in school would:

• Be a threat to school safety, or 
• Disrupt the other students' learning experience.

A school may suspend a student for more than 3 days only if:

• The school has tried all other appropriate and available behavior and discipline interventions and they haven't worked, and
• The student's continued presence in school would be a safety threat or would substantially disrupt the operations of the school.

When a student is suspended, the school must immediately notify the parent or guardian in writing. The written notice of suspension must give the reasons for the suspension, the number of days your child will be suspended, information on the right to appeal A request to change a court's decision the suspension, and details of the incident.

The school must give a suspended student the opportunity to make up missed classwork, tests, and quizzes for equal school credit. 

If a school suspends a student for longer than 4 days, they must provide appropriate and available support services while the student is suspended. 

Schools can suspend a student for many actions. You should check your school district's discipline policies for a list. This list would probably be in the school district's student code of conduct, student handbook, or policy on school discipline. 

School personnel decide how long to suspend a student, but they must follow the school’s discipline policies and Illinois law. If you cannot find a copy of your district’s discipline policies on their website, you should request a copy from a school administrator as soon as possible. 

In some situations, the school may also call the police. The school may also have police officers already stationed in the school who can arrest students or issue tickets. Illinois law says that before a police officer, security guard, or school dean can question your child about an incident, they must reach out to you and give you time to come to the school to be present. 

A school bus suspension may be for more than 10 days for safety reasons and may affect the student’s ability to get to school. If a student is suspended from riding the bus and has no alternative transportation, the school must allow the student to make up missed work for equal credit. The parent or guardian of the suspended student must tell the school that the student has no other way to get to school.

Suspensions for students with disabilities have some additional rules.