Racial Disparities In Falmouth School Suspensions: Data

FALMOUTH, MA — Students of color made up 47 percent of suspensions in Falmouth Public Schools last year, despite that demographic making up only 21 percent of the student population, according to data from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

In response to concerns raised after a Cape Cod Times story highlighting a Black student's struggle after her suspension from Falmouth High School, Superintendent Lori Duerr and the School Committee on Tuesday presented racial demographic data for suspensions, discussed the district's discipline procedures and explored ways to address the issue.

"The School Committee and administration have jointly pledged to continue efforts to examine and respond to our inequities in the application of student discipline in our schools as a part of our ongoing commitment to promote equitable opportunities for all of our students to succeed," Duerr said at a School Committee meeting.

According to the data, white students made up 79 percent of the school population in the 2019-20 school year. Hispanic students made up 7 percent, Black students made up 5 percent, Asian students made up 2 percent, Native American students made up 1 percent and all other nonwhite races made up 6 percent. Those figures were rounded to the nearest whole percentage point.

Despite that, of the 94 students suspended in the 2019-20 school year, 42 of them were students of color.

School Committee member Leah Palmer said the disparity reflected in the data didn't sit well with her. She said ideally, the committee would like to see no suspensions, but if so, the percentage should compare to demographics.

School Committee Andrea Thorrold agreed.

"We need to recognize that when we have those percentages, the disparity being double or triple the representation of those students within our school population, that is not OK," Thorrold said.

Disparities were also reflected in the data for the 2018-19 school year. Students of color made up 21 percent of the school population, but made up 33 percent of the district's 145 suspensions.

Duerr said discipline for public schools follow procedures created under state law. The School Committee creates the policies students and teachers must abide by, but it doesn't have a role in enforcing individual cases.

She said the principal has the sole authority to expel or suspend students.

"We are obligated to do all we can to avoid having to make that decision," Duerr said.

If a student is charged with a felony off school property, the principal can issue a suspension or expulsion. Some disciplinary measures can be challenged through a hearing with the principal, but long-term suspensions and expulsion appeals are held before the superintendent.

School Committee Chair Kelly Welch suggested having the committee regularly use the data to explore changes in the ways students are disciplined.

Mullen Hall School Principal Rose Moran said more restorative discipline practices could help.

Over the past few years, Moran said principals and assistant principals have been researching and training staff on restorative discipline, which involves building positive connections for students in addition to or instead of possible punishment.

Tom McManamon, the assistant principal at Falmouth High School, said teachers and staff are being trained on this approach, but it might take three to five years for changes to be reflected in the data. He said staff need to be trained and students would need to learn what's expected of them under a new disciplinary model.