A suspension is not a blank check for schools to disengage from a student. Washington law sets out specific obligations that begin the moment a student is removed from school and continue until they return. This page explains what schools must do — and what families can ask for and document when schools fall short.
What Schools Must Do (10 Days or Fewer)
For short-term suspensions of 10 days or fewer, the school must provide written notice before the suspension begins — except in emergency situations where the student poses an immediate safety threat, in which case notice must be provided as soon as practicable.
The notice must include: the specific behavior, the rule violated, the duration of the suspension, and information about the right to an informal hearing. Families have the right to an informal hearing before the suspension is imposed — meaning an opportunity for the student to tell their side of the story to a school administrator.
Educational services during short-term suspension: Washington rules encourage districts to provide educational services during short-term suspensions, and many districts do — but this is not currently a hard legal requirement for suspensions of 10 days or fewer the way it is for long-term exclusions. Ask your district what its policy is. If your child will miss significant instruction, ask what support will be provided.
Source: WAC 392-400-430, WAC 392-400-450.
What Schools Must Do (More Than 10 Days)
Long-term discipline triggers a significantly higher set of obligations.
Written notice: Must be provided before the long-term suspension or expulsion begins. Must include all the elements required for short-term notice plus information about the right to a formal hearing and the appeals process.
Formal hearing right: Families have the right to a formal hearing before a long-term suspension or expulsion is finalized. At this hearing, you can: bring a representative (attorney, advocate, or trusted adult), review the evidence the school is relying on, present your own evidence and witnesses, and make a statement on your child’s behalf.
Educational services — required: The district must provide educational services that allow your child to continue making academic progress. This is not optional. Ask in writing what will be provided, how often, and by whom.
Reengagement plan — required: The district must develop a reengagement plan in collaboration with you and your child. See the section below.
Source: WAC 392-400-490, WAC 392-400-510, WAC 392-400-610, WAC 392-400-710.
The Reengagement Plan — What It Must Include
The reengagement plan is a written document developed with the student and family that must address:
Academic needs: What subjects is the student behind in? What coursework is at risk? What credit recovery may be needed on return?
Support services during exclusion: What counseling, case management, or other services will be provided? Who is the contact person? How often will services occur?
Conditions for return: What does the student need to do or demonstrate before returning to school? These conditions must be reasonable — a school cannot impose impossible or vague conditions that effectively extend the exclusion indefinitely.
Timeline: When will the student return? If the exclusion is indefinite, what milestones determine the return date?
Named adult contact: Who at the school is the student’s primary contact during the exclusion? Who should the family call with questions?
The plan must be developed collaboratively — not handed to you as a completed document. If the school presents you with a finished plan and asks you to sign, you have the right to request changes and to have your input documented.
Additional Requirements for Students with IEPs or 504 Plans
Students with disabilities have additional federal protections that layer on top of Washington’s requirements.
10-day rule: After 10 cumulative school days of removal in a school year, additional procedural protections kick in under IDEA. The school must conduct a manifestation determination before proceeding with a long-term suspension or expulsion.
Manifestation determination: A meeting of the IEP or 504 team to determine whether the behavior that led to discipline was caused by or substantially related to the student’s disability, or was the direct result of the school’s failure to implement the student’s IEP or 504 plan. If the answer to either question is yes, the school cannot proceed with standard long-term discipline — the team must instead address the behavior through the special education process.
Free appropriate public education (FAPE) during expulsion: Students with disabilities who are expelled must still receive FAPE — a free appropriate public education. A student with a disability cannot simply be expelled and cut off from services the way a non-disabled student can.
If your child has a disability and is facing discipline, contact Disability Rights Washington or TeamChild immediately. Time limits apply and these situations move quickly. See Getting Help.
When Schools Can Remove a Student Immediately
Schools can remove a student from school immediately — without prior notice or hearing — only when the student poses an immediate and continuing threat of harm to themselves or others, or when the student’s presence so substantially disrupts the educational process that immediate removal is necessary.
The 10-day limit: An emergency removal must end or be converted to a standard suspension process within 10 school days. A school cannot keep a student out of school indefinitely under an “emergency” designation. If your child has been under an emergency removal for more than 10 school days without the school initiating formal suspension proceedings, this may be a rights violation.
Source: WAC 392-400-325, WAC 392-400-330.