HISD seeks to stop expelling, suspending some elementary school students

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Houston ISD is looking to change its disciplinary policies for elementary students.

The school district says under the new policy, campus administrators would not be allowed to suspend or expel students in second grade and below - except as required by state law. Students in third, fourth and fifth grade would be removed from the school setting only as a last resort.

The Board of Education is scheduled to vote on the proposal during its next meeting on Thursday.

HISD says the proposed policy change comes on the heels of research that correlates behavioral issues in the classroom with hardships in the students' personal lives.

"We understand better now than we ever have before how exposure to early adversity affects the developing brains and bodies of children," HISD Superintendent Terry Grier said. "We must take a hard look at how we are handling these issues to ensure we're not contributing to an already stressful situation for these students."

To help teachers cope with the changes, HISD says it will them with extra classroom management training and a teacher mentoring system.

Has your child been expelled or suspended under HISD's current policy? We want to hear from you! Give us a call at 713-669-1313 or send us photos to news@abc13.com along with your information.