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A legislative panel is reviewing state laws and school district policies on expulsions to determine how they affect graduation rates. The panel is an outgrowth of 2010 legislation, sponsored by state Sen. Justin Alfond, D-Portland, that set a goal of increasing Maine’s high school graduation rate from 80 percent to 90 percent by 2016.
The panel, which includes educational, legal and social service experts, is expected to issue a report in November on various expulsion practices across the state and recommend new laws to propose when the Legislature convenes in January.
“Right now, the laws reflects a zero-tolerance attitude. You’re gone, and no district has to accept you,” said Alfond, a panel member. “I think we need fair and firm rules, but those rules need to keep kids in school.”
