California schools continue to suspend students at high and unequal rates, with foster youth, homeless students and students with disabilities missing far more classroom time than their peers, according to a new report by the National Center for Youth Law.

The study, released in August, found that while statewide reforms have reduced suspensions slightly in recent years, many districts still rely heavily on exclusionary discipline that disproportionately affects the state’s most vulnerable children.

On average, California students lost about 10.7 days of instruction for every 100 students enrolled in 2023-24. But the rate was far higher for students in the foster system, who lost nearly 77 days per 100 seven times the statewide average. Students experiencing homelessness lost 29 days, and students with disabilities lost 23.

Black and native Americans students faced the harshest outcomes. Black foster youth lost an average of 122 days per 100 students, compared to just eight for white students. Native Americans foster youth lost 98 days, their highest rate in seven years.

“These numbers show that some of California’s most vulnerable children are being pushed out of classrooms instead of supported,” the report’s authors, Ramon T. Flores and Daniel J. Losen, wrote.

The report also raised questions about how the state tracks school discipline. The most common suspension category, “Violent Incident, No Injury,” accounted for more than half of suspensions last year. But researchers found that many of those cases involved minor behavior, such as profanity or vulgarity, not violence. The authors argued that the label is misleading and may cause the public to underestimate how often students are removed for nonviolent misconduct.

At the district level, the findings revealed notable differences. Merced Union High School District was cited as a success story for reducing suspensions after adding mental health staff and focusing on intervention rather than punishment. But Mojave Unified in Kern County posted the highest rate of lost instruction for Black students, averaging 217 days per 100 enrolled up from 2017-18.

Even with its high suspension rates, the Mojave school district has started taking steps to improve. In August 2024, Mojave Unified approved a plan to cut down on suspensions, especially for African American students and students with disabilities, according to a report filed with the California Attorney General’s Office.

Other districts reported troubling outcomes for specific groups. Foster youth in Manteca Unified lost 167 days of instruction per 100 enrolled, while homeless students in Santa Rosa High lost 151 days. Los Angeles Unified, which banned suspensions for defiance in 2013, was praised as a model district for using suspensions only as a last resort.

The report called on the state to improve civil rights protections, make it easier for families to file complaints, and update the California Department of Education’s accountability dashboard, which researchers said often hides major disparities.

It also recommended more resources for students in foster care, those experiencing homelessness and those with disabilities.

“Despite years of reform, too many students remain in harm’s way from unjust suspensions,” the report said.