SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS — A new Illinois bill could ban school districts from expelling or suspending students from school.

House Bill 3772, if passed, would keep kindergarteners, first and second graders from being kicked out.

In 2016, a law was passed requiring school districts to exhaust all disciplinary options, including counseling and after-school programs, before suspending or expelling students from school.

But Illinois State Representative, Will Davis, told me some Illinois school districts still engage in exclusionary discipline.

The Illinois State Board of Education told me exclusionary discipline at a young age does not correct behavior. Instead, it leads to academic and social risks.

Over the last two school years, the Illinois State Board of Education said 27,000 kindergarteners, first graders and second graders, were suspended from school.

Black students who made up 16.5% of school enrollment received 40% of suspensions, while special education students made up 16% of enrollment, but accounted for 36% of suspensions.

To lower these statistics, Davis is sponsoring a bill that would prohibit expulsions and suspensions for that age group.

“No matter who that child is and regardless of what that child has done, they still should be learning something,” Davis said. “Who knows, that education support that they get may be the turning point in that child’s life.”

Davis said when students that young are expelled, it could leave them confused.

“The challenge comes because they don’t quite understand what they’re doing,” Davis said. “Now you tell them they can’t go to school anymore and they’re going, ‘why can’t I go to school? How come I can’t see my friends? How come I can’t engage in learning.’”

Davis said if students are being suspended without continued education support, it could cause risk factors that could affect their future.

“We don’t want to base the building of our prisons on the educational attainment of any kid by the time they reach third or fourth grade,” Davis said. “Which seems to be the data point that lends itself to that.”

The Illinois Principals Association agrees more needs to be done to help students, but they also said this legislation puts students and staff at risk.

In a statement they said, “Principals across Illinois report increasing incidents of severe student behavior disrupting classrooms and threatening the safety and well-being of both students and educators. We are working with lawmakers to find a balanced solution that protects learning environments, supports student growth, and keeps schools safe.”

This bill will also expand alternative learning opportunity programs to provide behavioral health services for kindergarten through third grade students. These services are currently unavailable by law to this age group.

Davis added as kids get older there may be a need for exclusionary measures, but every discipline option needs to be exhausted before kids are sent out of school.

If students have to be suspended for more than four days, HB 3772 will require the superintendent to make sure that student receives educational support services.

We asked our viewers on social media if they would support this bill. Out of 447 votes, more than 80% voted no.

The bill has been passed out of the house and will be discussed in the senate in the coming weeks.