KALAMAZOO (WKZO AM/FM) — The Kalamazoo Public Schools board has received their first look at a new school suspension and expulsion policy that still maintains zero-tolerance on bringing guns to school, but is “more flexible” on other offenses.
The rewrite is the result in a recent change in state law that many say was an overreaction to the Columbine school shootings in 1999. It required automatic expulsion for a number of offenses.
It has led to a number of well-publicized incidents where students with otherwise perfect records were booted out of school for bringing butter knives or squirt guns to school.
Supt. Michael Rice said this policy codifies policies they had already put into practice to provide more justice for students.
Trustees accepted the revised policy for first reading Thursday night and will take a final vote at their first meeting in July.
