Expulsion Rate Up In Seattle Schools Crackdown On Weapons, Violence Cited As Reason

The expulsion rate at Seattle’s secondary schools is at a five-year high, now that the superintendent is cracking down on violent and disruptive behavior.

A Seattle School District report says the number of high school students expelled during the 1996-97 school year is up 82 percent from 1992-1993. The expulsion rate during the 1996-97 school year increased 24 percent over 1995-96.

In middle schools, the number of students expelled increased 43 percent between 1992-93 and 1996-97, and 18 percent from 1995-96 to 1996-97.

“The superintendent’s policy on weapons and violence is being interpreted very strongly,” said Ruth McFadden, the district’s hearing, appeals and truancy supervisor. “We believe that’s a major reason for the increase in expulsions.”

John Stanford, who took over as superintendent in September 1995, said his first priority is keeping schools safe for the 98 percent of students who are there to learn.

The Seattle School District had 46,225 students in the 1996-97 school year.

Students who violate the rules are given plenty of chances to reform their behavior before being expelled, Stanford said. Bringing a weapon - even a toy weapon - to school is one of the few acts that results in immediate expulsion.

Black students were expelled at twice the rate of any other ethnic group throughout the five-year period.

Stanford said race has nothing to do with whether a student is expelled.

“We do not expel colors - we expel behavior,” he said.

Among the findings of the annual report, released this week:

Last year, 264 high school students, or 2.1 percent of all high school students, were expelled, compared with 146 students, or 1.3 percent, in 1992-93.

During the 1996-97 school year, 164 middle school students, or 1.7 percent of all students in those grades, were expelled, compared with 115 students, or 1.2 percent, in 1992-93.

All nonwhite ethnic groups had higher expulsion rates than those for white students.

Expulsions of elementary students have remained at about the same level over the past five years.