55 Students Expelled from Oceanside Schools in 2011-12, State Reveals

Fifty-five students were expelled from Oceanside Unified’s 25 schools in 2011-2012, including 14 for weapons possession, say state figures released last week.

Some 34 students were expelled for violent incidents—half of them leading to physical injury, according to the state Department of Education. Seventeen of the expulsions were at Oceanside High School and 15 at El Camino High.

But far more students were suspended.

The state says 1,762 Oceanside students were suspended in the 2011-2012 school year amid 3,288 total suspensions, including 366 at Oceanside High and 307 at El Camino.

The vast majority expulsions and suspensions involved “disruption or defiance” incidents—52 and 2,814, respectively, data show. Other factors included physical threats, drugs, harassment and “obscene acts, vulgarity, profanity.”

In San Diego County—with 592 expulsions—the largest number was in San Diego Unified, with 202, followed by Escondido Union High (93), Vista Unified (68), Oceanside Unified (55), Carlsbad Unified (36), San Marcos Unified (35) and Poway Unified (31).

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced the data release April 19.

• List of reports for Oceanside Unified School District
• List of reports for San Diego County
• List of reports for California

The data show a total of 366,629 students suspended and 9,553 students expelled among the more than 6 million public school students in California, a suspension rate of 5.7 percent, and an expulsion rate of 0.1 percent.

“Common sense tells us that we cannot teach students who are not in school,” Torlakson said. “I hope that parents, teachers, administrators, and students see this information as the starting point for discussions about how to find alternatives to suspension that sustain healthy learning environments while keeping as many students as possible in class.”

A review of the data indicates there are some differences in the rates at which some student groups are suspended, the state said.

For example, the data show African-American students are 6.5 percent of total enrollment, but make up 19 percent of suspensions. White students are 26 percent of total enrollment, but represent 20 percent of suspensions. Hispanic students are 52 percent of total enrollment, and 54 percent of suspensions.  

The Department of Education says it is working on several initiatives to address differences in rates by identifying positive alternatives to suspension and expulsion, as well as developing effective strategies to improve attendance as part of an overarching initiative to keep students in school.

“The department has partnered with several organizations to work on these initiatives, including The California Endowment, the California Blue Ribbon Commission on Children in Foster Care, the Region IX Equity Assistance Center at WestEd, and Attendance Works,” said a news release.

The 2011-12 suspension and expulsion, as well as truancy reports, are available on the Department of Education’s DataQuest site.

The reports may be viewed by the state, county, district, and school level. Reports on the most serious federal offense are available as part of the persistently dangerous school reporting requirement under the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act.