Expulsions in Midlands schools are on the rise. Here’s why

The number of expulsions in K-12 schools in the Midlands has swelled in recent years, and some officials blame it on fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.

When remote learning began in spring 2020 because of the pandemic, school officials knew things were going to be different when students returned to campus, said Cleveland Smith, chief pupil services officer for Richland 2 in northeast Richland County.

“When we came back, there were some things we had not seen before, but we were expecting that,” Smith said. He noted an increase in fighting and disruption. The district tried to get ahead of the issue by training staff and prioritizing “socio-emotional wellness,” Smith said.

But the training couldn’t have prepared them for the holes remote learning left in children’s development and socialization during the period of isolation and being away from friends.

“COVID, it changed the game,” Smith said. “Schools are a microcosm of society.”

Incidents like bullying, physical attacks, sexual assault and weapons in schools have dramatically increased at Richland 2 schools, according to data provided by the district. So have the most severe forms of school discipline.

Throughout the 2018-2019 academic year, the district expelled 42 students. Three years later, Richland 2 expelled 62 students. Out-of-school suspensions increased by more than 10%. By the end of the 2022-2023 school year, the district expelled 109 students and issued 4,845 out-of-school suspensions.

Sheliah Burnette-Lyle, director of pupil services for Richland 2, said losing school and losing some of adults in their lives from COVID-19 greatly impacted kids.

In Richland 2, if a student is expelled, it often means they are removed from a school for the remainder of the school year, or until readmitted by the board, according to Richland 2’s Student Handbook. Students have the right to an expulsion hearing which can be appealed, as well as the right to later petition for readmission for the following academic year.

A permanent expulsion, which means a student can no longer attend any Richland 2 school, must be decided by the school board.

Richland 2 board member Lindsay Agostini said the district’s growing expulsions is a concern of the board. Joe Trapp, chair of the school board, said it’s important to enforce rules.

“When it comes to discipline, I’m a firm believer that you need to set standards and hold people to those standards,” Trapp said.

But he said he’s not totally convinced that COVID-19 is to blame for growing student behavior issues in school.

So, what is the district doing about it?

Richland 2 spokeswoman Ishmael Tate said the district is continuing to focus on socio-emotional wellness and learning. Students and staff can receive support from behavioral interventionists. The district also offers family-focused therapy, counseling and intervention, Tate said.

High schools in the district also have more administrative monitors, Tate said. This year, they also implemented new security screenings, including metal detectors.

Increased infractions and subsequent disciplinary actions aren’t an isolated problem.

“What we’re seeing is not unique,” Burnette-Lyle said.

In neighboring Richland 1 in downtown Columbia, Lower Richland and St. Andrews, there were 30 expulsions during the 2018-2019 academic year, according to data obtained by The State. Throughout the most recent academic year, there were 83.

Lexington-Richland 5 in the Irmo-Chapin-Dutch Fork area has had a more than 60% increase in recommendations for expulsion since before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the district. During the 2018-2019 academic year, there were 292, compared to 463 during the 2021-2022 academic year and 478 during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Unprecedented student behavior problems are an issue nationwide.

A survey by the Institute of Education Sciences, an arm of the U.S. Department of Education, found that more than 80% of public schools have seen “stunted” behavioral and socio-emotional development in students because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But suspensions and expulsions may not be the answer.

The SC Appleseed Legal Justice Center found that school dropout rates in South Carolina consistently rank among the worst in the country, and many times it can be attributed to harsh discipline. According to the Learning Policy Institute, an organization that researches education policy and practice, discipline like suspensions and expulsions can deprive students of learning opportunities and often disproportionately affect disabled students and students of color.

“If you are put in a situation where you feel like people don’t want you there, you’re less likely to go back,” said Jennifer Rainville, an education policy attorney.

“Wraparound support” like mental health resources and counseling, along with ensuring routine and helping to meet kids’ basic needs, is important to ensure students are successful, Rainville said, rather than being overly harsh and punitive.

“We can’t just be writing kids off,” Rainville said.