The Price Kids Pay
How Schools and Police Work Together to Punish Students
Illinois law bans schools from fining students. But police routinely issue tickets to children for minor misbehavior at school, burdening families with financial penalties.
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The Price Kids Pay: Schools and Police Punish Students With Costly Tickets for Minor Misbehavior
Illinois law bans schools from fining students. So local police are doing it for them, issuing thousands of tickets a year for truancy, vaping, fights and other misconduct. Children are then thrown into a legal system designed for adults.
Other Entries
The Federal Government Is Investigating an Illinois School Where Students With Disabilities Were Frequently Arrested
The civil rights inquiry by the Department of Education follows a ProPublica and Chicago Tribune investigation that found the school regularly called police to arrest students.
New Bill Could End Police Ticketing in Illinois Schools
Students have continued to get costly citations for vaping, fighting and other misbehavior even after state officials directed educators to end the practice.
The School That Calls the Police on Students Every Other Day
An Illinois school for students with disabilities has routinely used the police to handle discipline, resulting in the highest arrest rate of any district in the country. In one recent year, half of Garrison School students were arrested.
State Investigation Reveals Racial Disparities in Student Discipline and Police Involvement
The Illinois civil rights probe of the state’s largest high school district comes after ProPublica and the Chicago Tribune documented thousands of police tickets issued to students for minor infractions.
New Data Gives Insight Into Ticketing at Five Suburban Chicago School Districts
ProPublica and the Chicago Tribune’s unique student ticketing database has been updated. Naperville data reveals signs of racial disparities in ticketing in one school but not in a second.
A Teen Was Ticketed at School for a Theft She Says Didn’t Happen. Years Later, She’s Still Fighting.
The Illinois student’s long ordeal shows the extraordinary effort it can take to overturn a school-related ticket. Her case — involving a missing pair of AirPods — is heading to a jury trial.
Illinois Will Investigate Possible Civil Rights Violations in Student Ticketing
The Illinois attorney general’s office said it is trying to determine if a suburban Chicago school district violated students’ civil rights when police ticketed them for minor misbehavior.
Illinois Will Stop Helping Cities Collect Some School Ticket Debt From Students
Since a Chicago Tribune-ProPublica investigation, school officials say they’re reevaluating when to involve law enforcement in student discipline.
Black Students in Illinois Are Far More Likely to Be Ticketed by Police for School Behavior Than White Students
Federal data has shown Illinois schools suspend and expel Black students at disproportionate rates. Now we know it’s happening with tickets and fines, too.
Illinois’ Education Chief Urges Schools to Stop Working With Police to Ticket Students for Misbehavior
Responding to a ProPublica-Chicago Tribune investigation, Illinois’ schools superintendent says ticketing students hurts children and their families.
Do Police Give Students Tickets in Your Illinois School District?
Do police in your Illinois school district give students tickets for truancy, vaping, fighting or other violations of local ordinances? Search our interactive database to find out.
