HB 1640 Summary

• Expands the safe schools fund to provide grants for school-wide programs improving school climate, professional development, and training in alternatives to suspension and expulsion including classroom management, positive behavioral interventions, restorative practices, and social-emotional learning.

• Requires the Department of Education to develop guidelines for teacher education institutions on classroom behavioral management strategies and culturally responsive methods as alternatives to exclusionary discipline.

• Prohibits suspension or expulsion solely for school attendance infractions (tardiness, absence, truancy) and requires development and implementation of an attendance improvement plan before referring a child to juvenile court for truancy.

• Allows school staff to take disciplinary action instead of suspension or expulsion, especially for misconduct unrelated to school safety, with options including counseling, conferences, additional work, class removal, community service, or alternative programs.

• Requires the state board of education to analyze school discipline data collection by June 30, 2016, identifying gaps, common definitions, systemic barriers, disproportionality in discipline, and recommendations for improving data collection systems and transparency.