LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A bill that would impact how students are disciplined has made progress in the state legislature.
Kentucky Senate Bill 202 is designed to provide local school boards the option to place a student in an alternative program instead of expulsion.
Supports say this will help with teacher recruiting and retention.
"You're seeing that older teachers, if they're eligible for retirement are leaving early, because they can't deal with these issues in the classroom," Republican Sen. Stephen West said. "We see that younger teachers coming into the profession may bail out early and not be able to continue in the profession because of these horrendous discipline issues that we're having."
However, the opposition believes the bill could lead to certain students being targeted.
"What we've seen historically, is that these kinds of discretions and judgments tend to disproportionately affect Black students, more than white students," Democrat Sen. Reginald Thomas said.
Despite concerns, the bill passed unanimously in the Senate. It now goes to the House for discussion.
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