A review of data tabulated by Florida school districts and provided to the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) shows that the Leon County out-of-school suspension rate in 2021-22 was 11.0%. This rate is 80% higher than the statewide rate of 6.1%.
The out-of-school suspension rate was calculated by dividing the number of annual out-of-school suspensions by the “student membership” for the respective year.
For example, in 2021-22 LCS reported “student membership” of 31,769 with 3,493 out-of-school suspensions, for a 11.0% rate (3,493/31,769).
The graph below compares this data beginning in 2013-14 for Leon County school district, the Alachua County (Gainesville) school district, and the state of Florida. The 2019-20 & 2020-21 years were not included due to the impact of the COVID pandemic.
The graph shows that the LCS out-of-school suspension rate was consistently between 7-8% from 2013-2017.
During this period, the state average exhibited a declining trend, moving from just over 6.0% in 2013 to 5.2% in 2017. The Alachua County school district followed the same trend, with the out-of-school suspension rate falling from 7.0% in 2013 to 6.4% in 2017.
However, in the 2017-18 school year, the LCS out-of-school suspension rate increased from 7.0% to 8.9% while the Alachua County school district and the state reported rates below 6.0%.
The latest data reported to FDOE show the LCS out-of-school suspension rate continues to increase at rates greater than in the Alachua County school district (7.7%) and the state average. In 2021-22, the LCS out-of-school suspension rate was 11.0%, almost double the 6.2% rate reported for the state.
TR has requested the LCS out-of-school suspension data for 2022-23.
…and those that make it don’t know what a Woman is and think Men can get Pregnant
What’s missing in the article is a graph on LCS Student Membership vs Suspension numbers. That is, is Membership igoing down due to Charter Schools’ Membership increasing, and Suspension numbers remaining the same?
Beware the Public Indoctrination System.
I'm not surprised, they sent all of the students that went to the behavioral school in town that LCS shut down at the end of last school year back to their home zone schools!
The schools get 10 suspension days per student each school year but of course, it can be extended if the higher powers approve it.
Higher suspensions means rules are enforced. For those nay Sayers, you need to get a grip on yourself. You have no idea what can go on with out of control students and their uninvolved parents. Out of school suspension is a last resort. It's a shame, but it happens. Hopefully, next year will see a lower rate. Rocky Hanna is the best superintendent this county has seen.
They don't care that less than a third of the students can read at grade level, they don't care that absenteeism in LCS is at the highest level it has ever been. They don't care about much of anything unless it has to do with 10 million in artificial turf for the football team or turning your little boy into a little girl.
Its despicable, but I don't know why anyone would expect anything less from Rocky Hannah and his gaggle of progressive nimrods. The voters of Leon County seem to be getting exactly what they deserve...long and hard.
Strange … this site has had a recurring tune about officials who don’t enforce the rules and/or plead down charges. Now the complaint is that there are so many cases where rules are enforced. Make up your mind.
In a normal Florida county, except for Alachua & Leon Counties, this topic of the article and the outrageous high percentage of Out-Of School Suspensions would invoke a near 100% house cleaning of the local School Board at election time.
Unfortunately it's a badge of honor for Alachua & Leon County's voters.
The state average over the last 10 years is 5.2% to 6.3%. Over those 10 years the rate in Alachua county has never been below the high average of 6.3%. And in no year did Leon county's rate fall below that of Alachua.
Hmmm... Liberal, college towns. What a coincidence....
Look around at the leadership. They're so focused on their own special interests to get them through the next election cycle. All else is ignored.... High crime rate, school suspensions, sewage spills with no accountability, tax increases, fiscal irresponsibility, and failure to follow environmental and aesthetic codes for developers. This WOKE leadership needs to be voted out.... STARTING WITH CURTIS RICHARDSON/Rocky Hanna.
Voting to rename The Gemini building after former mayor John Mark$ shows that Tallahassee leadership is so far removed from any hope to turn things around in Tallahassee.
What were the suspensions for and what were the Number of Students that were suspended in each of the Categories?