Disciplinary dismissals for students in early learning programs modified.
Summary
HF3372 modifies Minnesota’s student discipline law for early learning programs and the early grades. The bill rewrites section 121A.425 to clarify that children enrolled in preschool, prekindergarten, early childhood family education, school readiness, voluntary prekindergarten, Head Start, and other school-based early learning programs, as well as students in kindergarten through grade 3, may be removed from class only under limited circumstances. It establishes a strong preference for keeping young children in their educational setting and requires schools to use nonexclusionary discipline before resorting to suspension, exclusion, or expulsion.
Under the bill, nonexclusionary discipline must include at least one supportive intervention, such as working with the family or guardian and other support providers, creating a written plan to help the child participate fully, or referring the child for services such as parenting education, home visits, or evaluations for special education or Section 504 eligibility. Suspension, exclusion, and expulsion would be allowed only when there is an ongoing serious safety threat to the child or others and only after those supports have been exhausted. The bill also ties these actions to existing procedural protections in Minnesota law and makes the changes effective beginning with the 2026-2027 school year.
Impact
The bill amends Minnesota Statutes section 121A.425 and would tighten the legal standards for disciplinary dismissals in early learning settings and grades K-3. It expands and clarifies the list of covered programs, limits when young students can be suspended, excluded, or expelled, and requires schools to document and use nonexclusionary interventions first. The practical effect is to increase protections for young children, place additional obligations on schools and districts to provide supports before removal, and potentially reduce exclusionary discipline in preschool through third grade.
Sentiment
The available record does not include committee testimony or recorded votes, so there is no direct evidence of support or opposition from the legislative process. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to reflect a policy preference for keeping young children in school and using supportive interventions rather than exclusionary discipline. The overall tone is protective and child-centered, emphasizing access to early learning and continuity of education.
Contention
The main point of contention likely concerns the balance between student support and school safety/discipline authority. The bill allows suspension, exclusion, or expulsion only after nonexclusionary discipline has been exhausted and only in cases of an ongoing serious safety threat, which may be viewed by some educators or administrators as too restrictive in managing disruptive behavior. Supporters would likely emphasize the developmental needs of young children, the importance of family engagement, and the goal of avoiding harmful removals from early education settings. No specific objections or amendments are documented in the provided materials.