A groundbreaking 2005 study found that in nearly 4,000 public preschool classrooms, one in 10 teachers had expelled at least one child in the previous year. The expulsion rate was more than three times higher than for students in grades K-12, and alarm bells were ringing across the country.

In the 19 years since then, lawmakers, education leaders, teachers, parents and students themselves in many states have worked hard to significantly reduce the number of preschool expulsions that are so often harbingers of other, more serious problems. But not in South Carolina.

The problem here is worse than ever, and worse than in any other state. It’s embarrassing, especially because the problem and the solutions were recognized so long ago. A 2014 U.S. Department of Education policy states that preschool expulsions and suspensions should be so rare that “these expulsions should be used only as a last resort in exceptional circumstances when a serious safety threat is identified.”

Citing data showing excessive discipline, research demonstrating its negative impact on education and lives, and glaring racial and gender disparities, the agencies advised: “These disturbing trends require the immediate attention of early childhood education and the education system to prevent, severely limit, and ultimately work toward eliminating expulsions and suspensions – and to ensure the safety and well-being of young children in early childhood education settings.”

And yet, South Carolina’s expulsions have quadrupled since the 2011-12 school year, when the U.S. government first released data from all schools in all 50 states. In every school year compared, South Carolina not only had the highest rate of expulsions, but also one of the highest in terms of numbers. Only Texas had more expulsions in 2013-14 and 2015-16, and only Florida had more expulsions in 2020-21, when the pandemic significantly reduced expulsions nationwide.

During the 2017-18 season, South Carolina suspended more preschool students than any other state.

This school year, 438 preschoolers were suspended, nearly as many as Texas and Georgia, which suspended a total of 518 children, making them among the top three states. Last school year, South Carolina suspended 928 preschoolers, according to data released this week.

The alarm bells that started ringing in 2005? They should be so loud that action is inevitable.

Students who face such disciplinary action at such young ages are more likely to be suspended or expelled, to have poor academic performance, to drop out of school, and to end up as unproductive members of society, if not in prison. There are also economic costs, as such students start working later in life and sometimes not at all. These students are disproportionately boys and disproportionately black.

The solutions are obvious and effective where there is political will to help the most vulnerable members of society: three- and four-year-olds who would benefit from their teachers being better trained to deal with misbehaviour or bad behaviour or the learning hurdles of children who simply do not yet know any better.

Demand the training. Provide the training. And complement the training with ongoing professional development, help from behavioral and mental health experts, developmentally appropriate interventions, discipline that doesn’t discriminate, and time for teachers to adjust. As the U.S. said in 2014, the goal could be to reduce suspensions and expulsions by 25% in one year, 50% in two years, and 75% in three years.

As of May 2021, at least 15 states had restrictions on suspending and/or expelling students based on grade level or age, and at least 14 states prohibited it based on attendance or tardiness.

And yet, the General Assembly failed to vote on a bill last session that would have provided clear definitions and more education and training for teachers and staff, among other laudable goals. This week, one state official expressed doubts about the suspension data, saying it could be inflated because school districts define suspension differently, and another official trivialized the problem of rising suspensions, saying he was encouraged that more students are attending preschool since the pandemic ended. Those arguments miss the point.

The problem exists. It is bad for students and for society. Moreover, the situation has been the worst in the country for over 10 years and is getting worse. The data is clear. It is time to change this.

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