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Black students in CT three times more likely to face suspension, data shows

Students work in a classroom.
Eric Thayer
/
AP
Students work in a classroom.

Physical and verbal confrontations in Connecticut schools have increased by more than 40% over the last five years, and non-white kids are more likely to be suspended than their white classmates.

That’s according to data from the Connecticut Department of Education. They looked at statistics from the 2018-19 through 2022-23.

During that time, in-school suspensions decreased, but out-of-school suspensions increased. Black students were three times more likely to be suspended than their white counterparts, while Hispanic kids were twice as likely.

Drug and alcohol infractions also increased by 10%, and instances where weapons were brought to campus increased by 25%.

Molly Ingram is WSHU's Government and Civics reporter, covering Connecticut. She also produces Long Story Short, a podcast exploring public policy issues across the state.