COSTS GO UP ALONG WITH STUDENT EXPULSION RATE

MERIDEN - Commensurate with the high number of school expulsions this year
is the cost of providing alternative education to students.

The Board of Education estimates it will spend close to $200,000 this year
to teach students who are expelled for violating school policies. This is
roughly $23,000 more than the school district spent during 2002-03,
according to Pupil Personnel Director Audrey Burke.

The school board has expelled 35 students since the beginning of the school
year. This compares to 21 students expelled in 2002-03. With three months
left in the school year, expulsion numbers appear to be returning to or
exceeding those seen in 2001-02, when 40 students were expelled.

Burke's preliminary estimate indicates that as of January the school
district had spent $98,000 in services for expelled students.

The Board of Education is required by law to continue to educate expelled
students outside of school. In Meriden, expelled students attend an
alternative learning program at the Boys and Girl's Club.

The board provides additional tutoring for specialized subjects like
foreign languages and ethics.

Burke estimated the cost of providing services for expelled students at the
request of the Board of Education's budget subcommittee.

A separate committee studying school discipline policies began meeting in
January.

"The purpose of discipline is to reduce the infractions," said school board
member Scott Hozebin, who proposed the discipline committee. "If you find
the number is increasing then the program is ineffective and you have to
look to other things. ... That would lessen the amount of money spent each
year too."

State law often leaves the board with little or no option than to expel
students for offenses like drug possession or bringing weapons to school.
The school board has the authority to determine the length of an expulsion,
which can range from one day to a full school year.

The discipline committee is studying ideas such as a high school transition
program for ninth-graders, substituting community service for in-school or
out of school suspensions, and more calls home to parents.

The committee is compiling a list of agencies in search of volunteers that
could be used by students if the community service proposal is accepted.

The committee will meet again at the Board of Education building at 22
Liberty St. on April 5.