Washington’s school discipline laws give students and families meaningful rights — but those rights only work if people know what they are. Here’s what each key statute actually requires, in plain language.
Core Discipline Protections
The primary statute governing how and when schools can remove students. Everything else builds on this foundation.
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- Due process is required before any long-term suspension or expulsion — students and families must have the opportunity to be heard.
- Discretionary discipline is limited. Schools cannot use long-term suspension or expulsion as a first response to most behavioral issues. Washington law distinguishes between “discretionary” situations (where flexibility exists) and “nondiscretionary” ones (serious safety situations) — and tightly restricts the former.
- Emergency removals have a 10-day deadline. If a school removes a student on an emergency basis, it must either end the removal or convert it to a formal disciplinary action within 10 school days.
- Educational services cannot be suspended. Even when a student is removed from school, the district must continue providing access to educational services. The law explicitly prohibits cutting off a student’s education as part of a disciplinary removal.
Classroom Exclusions & Reengagement
What happens when a student is removed from a classroom — but not from school.
Read .010 · .020 · .022
- A teacher may exclude a student from their classroom for conduct that substantially disrupts the learning environment, but the student must be supervised elsewhere in the building.
- After any removal, the school must develop a reengagement plan with the student and family to address the underlying behavior and support the student’s return.
- Repeated classroom exclusions trigger additional procedural requirements — schools cannot use informal removals as a workaround for formal discipline rules.
Alternatives to Suspension
Exclusionary discipline is a last resort — schools must look for other options first.
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- Before imposing a suspension or expulsion, districts are directed to consider alternative behavioral interventions.
- This reflects the legislature’s recognition that removing students from school rarely addresses the underlying issue and often makes outcomes worse.
- Alternatives may include restorative practices, behavioral support plans, counseling referrals, or modified instruction environments.
Discipline Policies & Data Reporting
Districts must maintain written policies and report what they actually do.
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- Every district must adopt a written discipline policy that complies with state law and OSPI rules.
- Districts must report data on disciplinary actions — suspensions, expulsions, emergency removals — to the state each year.
- This data is publicly available through OSPI and the Washington State Report Card, making district-level disparities visible.
Equity Review
Districts must examine their own discipline data for evidence of racial and disability disparities.
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- Districts must disseminate their discipline policies to families, students, and staff.
- Data must be disaggregated by race, disability status, and other protected categories — and districts must use that data to identify whether discipline is falling disproportionately on certain groups.
- Districts must conduct an annual equity review of their discipline practices and take corrective action when disparities are identified.
Model Discipline Policies
OSPI provides a baseline that districts can adopt or build from.
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- OSPI is directed to develop and maintain model discipline policies covering all the areas required by state law.
- Districts may adopt the model policies as-is or develop their own, as long as they meet or exceed state minimum requirements.
- The model policies are publicly available and serve as a useful benchmark for advocates reviewing a district’s approach.
The Administrative Rulebook
Where the procedural details live — the regulations that translate state law into specific school-level requirements.
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- WAC 392-400 is the Washington Administrative Code chapter governing student discipline. It implements the RCWs above with specific procedural requirements.
- Covered areas include: definitions of suspension and expulsion types, required timelines, notice and hearing procedures, educational services during removal, reengagement planning, and the use of restraint and isolation.
- New rules under WAC 392-400 took effect July 11, 2025, strengthening protections in several areas.
Equity is built into the law
Washington’s discipline framework explicitly connects to civil rights. Districts are required to review their discipline data for evidence of discrimination against protected classes — including students of color and students with disabilities — and OSPI monitors compliance. These requirements exist because data consistently shows that exclusionary discipline does not fall equally on all students.
External Resources
- OSPI Student Discipline — official state rules, guidance documents, and FAQs
- Washington State Report Card — district- and school-level discipline data, disaggregated by student group