Why this matters
Out-of-school suspensions are the most consequential routine discipline action in US schools — each day out removes a student from instruction and increases dropout risk. Research links high suspension rates to the school-to-prison pipeline, and federal civil-rights data consistently shows disparate application by race and disability status. A trend line below the US average, narrowing over time, is a healthy signal.
What we're seeing
At Bethel Middle, the out-of-school suspension rate has been essentially flat over the 5-year window — from 0.0% in 2020 to 14.7% in 2023. Despite that, the gap vs US average of 5.2% has actually widened — from 5.2% above in 2020 to 9.5% above in 2023.