Texas Policy on Safe Schools without Harmful Discipline

All students deserve safe and welcoming schools. Research shows that evidence-based programs and supportive personnel who keep students engaged in schools and support their needs are effective, unlike harmful discipline and policing practices. Schools must be able to invest in the people and programs that build strong campus climates and foster relationships that keep everyone safe.

Yet, Texas is one of 20 states that still allow corporal punishment of students and regularly incorporates ineffective and costly school surveillance strategies that do more harm than good.

For 30 years, Texas also has used disciplinary alternative education programs for expelled students with little evidence about how they are effective in educating students or providing student mental health or behavioral support.

IDRA Policy Recommendations for 2025

The legislature can make sure students have access to safe and welcoming schools. IDRA urges the legislature to…

Eliminate school-based policing;
Eliminate school officials’ use of corporal punishment as a discipline strategy for students in schools.
Invest in effective alternatives to exclusionary discipline that address root causes of challenging behavior.
Increase due process and transparency for students and families in school discipline cases.
Collect and assess comprehensive data to better identify and address disparate disciplinary outcomes.