Board delays action on new rules for school seclusion rooms
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa State Board of Education has delayed final action on new rules that would limit districts from using seclusion rooms to discipline students.
On Thursday the board rejected the proposed changes in a section of the Iowa Code that governs how schools restrain and seclude students. The board decided to seek more feedback in the fall and reconsider the proposals.
The rooms have come under scrutiny in recent years. The state Department of Education determined in 2017 that the Iowa City Community School District improperly used the rooms for minor infractions.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa and Disability Rights Iowa helped draft the proposed rule changes, citing concerns that districts have used the rooms too frequently, particularly with students with disabilities and black students.