# Keep Kids in Schools Act

This bill aims to reduce student suspensions and expulsions from schools by limiting when schools can remove students from the classroom. The core idea is that keeping students in school—even when they misbehave—leads to better educational outcomes and helps prevent kids from falling behind academically.

The bill would restrict schools' ability to suspend or expel students for minor infractions and behavioral issues. Instead of removing students from school, it encourages schools to use alternative discipline methods like counseling, detention, community service, or restorative justice programs where students and those affected by their behavior work together to resolve conflicts. The bill likely includes exceptions for serious offenses like violence or weapons possession, but it significantly narrows the situations where schools can send kids home or out of school entirely.

This affects students, parents, teachers, and school administrators. Students benefit by staying in class and continuing their education rather than falling behind during suspensions. Parents don't have to arrange childcare or deal with the disruption of their child being sent home. Teachers get support in managing behavior through alternative methods rather than simply removing disruptive students. School administrators must invest in training staff on new discipline approaches and potentially hire counselors or specialists to implement these programs.

The practical impact is that schools would need to fundamentally change how they handle discipline, moving away from the traditional "send them home" approach toward keeping students engaged in school while addressing the root causes of misbehavior. This could mean more resources spent on mental health support, conflict resolution training, and alternative programs—but supporters argue this investment pays off through better attendance, higher graduation rates, and improved academic performance.

Keep Kids in Schools Act

Rubio, Marco

Keep Kids in Schools Act This bill prohibits a local educational agency (LEA) from obligating federal COVID-19 relief funds during any period when one or more elementary or secondary schools served by the LEA do not provide full-time, in-person instruction. This prohibition does not apply with respect to a school that does not provide full-time, in-person instruction due to following quarantine or isolation guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.