{"id":7700,"date":"2026-03-25T12:11:52","date_gmt":"2026-03-25T16:11:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/senatedems.com\/irwin\/?p=7700"},"modified":"2026-03-25T12:11:54","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T16:11:54","slug":"expulsion-rates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/senatedems.com\/irwin\/2026\/03\/25\/expulsion-rates\/","title":{"rendered":"Sen. Irwin Introduces Bills to Tackle Expulsion Rates, Keep Kids in School"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Senate Bills\u00a0886-888\u00a0would\u00a0guarantee\u00a0the rights of students in\u00a0school\u00a0disciplinary procedures<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n
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LANSING,\u00a0Mich. (March\u00a025, 2026) \u2014\u00a0Today,\u00a0Sen.\u00a0<\/span>Jeff Irwin<\/b>\u00a0(D-Ann Arbor)\u00a0introduced\u00a0legislation\u00a0to\u00a0reduce improper school removals by protecting students\u2019 rights to due process.\u00a0Senate Bills\u00a0886-888\u00a0would ensure independent\u00a0decision-making\u00a0in disciplinary hearings, ensure students are informed of their rights and the evidence against them prior to a hearing, and require districts to\u00a0establish\u00a0an appeals process.<\/p>\n

\u201cStudents have a right to an education, and the state wants to keep kids in school. When students are unfairly pushed out of school, we are failing their families and the community,\u201d said Sen.\u00a0<\/span>Irwin<\/b>. \u201cThese bills will ensure that students are treated fairly in disciplinary proceedings and will help keep kids engaged at a time when they need it most.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite Michigan\u2019s rollback of zero-tolerance policies,\u00a0<\/span>1,184 students in Michigan were expelled in the 2024-2025 school year.<\/a><\/u><\/span>\u00a0The\u00a0most common reason for expulsion is \u201cother,\u201d not any type of violent or substance-related incident. Exclusionary discipline is\u00a0<\/span>not being applied impartially<\/a><\/u><\/span>; Black, LGBTQ+, and disabled students are all excluded from school at disproportionate rates. School discipline proceedings\u00a0often lack even\u00a0<\/span>rudimentary elements<\/a><\/u><\/span>\u00a0of\u00a0<\/span>due process<\/a><\/u><\/span>, like advance notice to the accused student and their family.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing excluded from school changes a young person\u2019s sense of self and their relationship to their community,\u201d said\u00a0<\/span>Peri Stone-Palmquist,\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Co-Executive Director of the Student Advocacy Center. \u201cRespecting students\u2019 rights and keeping them in school will have long-term benefits for our whole state.\u201d<\/p>\n

This\u00a0legislation\u00a0would\u00a0ensure that:<\/p><\/div>\n