Authorizes the school administration to issue an out-of-school suspension to students if they are a threat to the safety of others.

Plain-English Summary

This Rhode Island bill would give school administrators the authority to suspend students from school — sending them home rather than keeping them in the building — if those students are considered a threat to the safety of other people. In other words, it would formally authorize out-of-school suspensions as a tool schools can use specifically when a student's presence is seen as a danger to others.

The bill primarily affects students in Rhode Island public schools, as well as school administrators, teachers, and other students who share a learning environment with them. Under this legislation, school officials would have clearer legal backing to remove a potentially dangerous student from campus, rather than relying solely on in-school disciplinary measures. Parents and guardians of suspended students would also be affected, as their child would be required to stay home during the suspension period.

It is worth noting that the bill is still in its early stages — it has been referred to the Senate Education Committee and has had its meeting postponed. The specific details of how "threat to the safety of others" would be defined, what due process protections students would have, and how long such suspensions could last are not outlined in the bill description provided, meaning those details may be addressed in the full bill text or through further legislative discussion.