Dupage Policy Journal

Community High School District 99 reported 256 suspensions just during the 2023-24 school year, according to the Illinois Report Card.

In total, there were 263 disciplinary actions recorded during the school year, of which 256 were suspensions representing a rate of approximately 5.5 incidents per 100 of the district’s enrolled students. There were an additional seven cases of students being removed to alternative settings rather than being suspended or expelled.

Among in-school suspensions where a reason was specified, the most common cause was incidents involving drugs, with 67 recorded cases. There were also 49 incidents involving tobacco. Additionally, 93 cases were classified under "other reason" or left unspecified.

Only male students were subject to disciplinary actions, a rate of approximately 7.3 incidents per 100 male students.

All 256 suspensions issued in the district involved high school students.

In terms of ethnicity, Black students, who made up 8.2% of the Community High School District 99 student body, were suspended the most in the district, with 83 suspensions reported during the 2023-24 school year. They were followed by white students, who made up 61.9% of the student body, and received 80 suspensions.

Illinois has approved a 2025 budget that allocates $8.6 billion to K-12 education, a $350 million increase from the previous fiscal year—the minimum required under the state funding formula.

In 2024, Illinois registered a teacher retention rate of almost 90%. Yet, around 91% of superintendents reported having a 'serious' problem teacher shortage problem. In total, almost 4,100 teaching positions remained vacant by the end of the year.

“They’re putting a substitute in there, that’s somebody with a four-year degree that’s not in teaching. They’re using a retired teacher…or worse than that, they’re canceling the class, putting the kids in other classrooms, putting them in study hall, but those are strategies we have to use if there’s no qualified teacher,” said Beth Crider, regional superintendent of Peoria County Regional Office of Education #48.

Type of Incident	In-School Suspension	Out-of-School Suspension
Alcohol	5	-
Violence with injury	18	-
Violence without injury	19	-
Drug offenses	67	-
Firearm	-	-
Other dangerous weapons	5	-
Tobacco	49	-
Other reason	93	-
Total	256	-

Duration	In-School Suspension	Out-of-School Suspension
One day or less	5	-
1-2 days	71	-
2-3 days	40	-
3-4 days	129	-
4-10 days	9	-
More than 10 days	2	-