Yesterday afternoon the legislature’s Planning and Development Committee voted on legislation that would delay the implementation of the in-school suspension mandate against local school boards. The mandate, which is scheduled to go into effect on July 1, 2010, would require all public schools in the state to require suspended students to serve their suspensions within the confines of the school.
The unfunded mandate could cost municipalities significantly although it is currently unclear what the costs would be.
Representative T. R. Rowe (R-Trumbull) voted in support of the bill, SB 197, An Act Concerning In-School Suspension, and the measure passed the committee 11-7.
“While it is unclear at this point what the costs would be for requiring in-school suspension, it is clear that those costs could be significant from school district to school district,” said Rowe. “In this economic climate our towns and cities don’t have the luxury to fund initiatives such as this. It is more important than ever that we make certain local funding goes toward educating our children instead of these types of requirements that have debatable value.”
The bill will now go to the floor of the House of Representatives for action there. This session of the General Assembly will conclude at midnight, Wednesday, May 5th, 2010.
