Slightly more students suspended in from Oak Park schools this year

Fighting and bullying top causes of discipline at middle schools

Tuesday, February 21st, 2012 10:00 PM

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By Terry Dean

Staff reporter

The number of students suspended from Oak Park middle schools in District 97 so far this school year has crept up but only slightly compared to the previous school year. Despite this year's modest increase, the number of actual suspensions handed out to kids – some students have been suspended more than once -- this year compared to last is virtually identical.

Newly-released discipline numbers by the district shows 93 students receiving either an in-school (ISS) or out-of-school (OSS) suspension during the fall 2011 semester. For fall 2010, 87 students were suspended. Actual suspensions handed out this year totaled 131. Last year that number was 133. The data reflects infractions and consequences at the two middle schools only — Brooks and Julian. Fighting and bullying are the two most common reasons given for a suspension.

District officials explained that while more students overall have been suspended this year, there have not been as many students this year receiving multiple suspensions. The majority of suspensions at the middle schools were in-school, (97 out of 133). District officials, however, note that only a fraction of kids at the middle schools, roughly 5 percent, are involved in the discipline system. Total enrollment at the middle schools this year is roughly 1700 kids.

The trend of black students being overrepresented in the discipline system has also continued from previous years, officials note. Black students accounted for 57 percent of total suspensions this year (53 students in all). Whites make up 28 percent of students suspended at the middle schools (26 kids). Hispanics, Asian and Multicultural students (14 in all) represent 15 percent of those suspended this year.