San Antonio Fails to Uphold 2019 Homeless Suspension Law
In a shocking revelation, San Antonio districts have been found in violation of a 2019 law that bans school administrators from suspending homeless students for minor offenses, thereby denying them access to on-campus resources such as food and education. An investigation in collaboration with local law enforcement has found that hundreds of these suspensions have been imposed across Texas districts with no actions taken by state officials.
The San Antonio Independent School District confirmed the violations in a statement, acknowledging the wrongful suspension of homeless students for minor offenses like fighting and persistent misbehavior. “We have found examples where students who were experiencing homelessness should have received alternative disciplinary actions… We are strengthening our procedures to ensure we are in full compliance with the law,” stated district spokesperson Laura Short. Mandatory re-training for principals and hearing officers was cited as a necessary corrective measure.
Despite the legal restrictions, the largest district in the region, Northside Independent School District (NISD), argued that suspension is sometimes a necessary measure, even if against the law. “If a campus feels as though that suspension is warranted because it’s going to lead to greater safety and security…then I think that’s a decision that they have to make,” said NISD spokesman Barry Perez. He further acknowledged that there could never be a guarantee against improper suspension in specific scenarios.
The Texas Education Agency gave a formal response stating that it is “conducting a thorough review” of the suspension data for homeless students. This review may lead to stricter state oversight for non-compliant districts.
Discretionary Suspensions: A Statewide Problem
Over the past five years, thousands of students across Texas have been given illegal suspensions, hindering access to food, shelter, and education. Violations of student codes of conduct often fall under discretionary suspensions applied by campus and district officials.
However, a flaw in the state’s data tracking system makes it hard to identify the worst offending districts. Each student who spends any amount of time homeless during the school year is classified as such in the data. The homeless designation remains even if the student obtains housing later, making some suspensions appear illegal when they might not be.
To tackle this issue, advocates and homeless students believe that suspending these students from school makes them even more vulnerable to exploitation and propels them towards criminal activities.
Struggle for Compliance
The 2019 law governing the suspension of homeless students was framed by both progressive and conservative groups after reviewing the hardships faced by thousands of homeless children in the state. The law received near-unanimous support but failed to allocate funding for its enforcement or provide repercussions for its violation.
As per the current scenario, while individual districts are seeking to retrain staff and adjust their policies, the responsibility remains to be enforced at a higher level. Homeless students’ advocates hope that with increased scrutiny and support, active steps will be taken to protect the most vulnerable individuals in the Texas school system.
A special report by San Antonio Independent School District confirms the need for stricter oversight, proper staff training, and firm implementation of the law to safeguard the rights and dignity of homeless students.
