The state legislature may partially allow some school suspensions due to increasing concerns over violent student behavior, including assaults on school staff members, could lead to a partial rollback of Minnesota's ban on suspending students in grades K-3. This comes after concerns were raised about violent students at a school in the state's largest school district, Anoka-Hennepin, who have cleared 142 classrooms in kindergarten through third grade due to students threatening the safety of others. State Sen. Jim Abeler, R-Anoka, proposed in the Senate's education policy bill a return of one-day suspensions for the state’s youngest students, but this could only be taken only in instances of serious injuries or potential serious injuries. The suspension ban was approved in 2023 and was a major win for advocates who have long argued that it's disproportionate impact on minority students. However, school support staff members are being targeted for layoffs as districts across Minnesota cut their 2026-27 budgets. New laws aim to make detentions, suspensions rarer in K-K classrooms, while proposals include eliminating counselor positions and clarifying that social workers can step in for suspension-related meetings.