A long-term suspension or expulsion is often described as if it simply ends a student's education until the term is over. In practice, what a school district still has to provide during that time depends heavily on whether the student has an IEP, and separately on what the student's own state requires for any student who is removed long-term. Neither answer is 'nothing.'
For a student with an IEP, services cannot simply stop
Under IDEA, a student with a disability who is removed from their placement for more than ten school days in a school year must continue to receive educational services sufficient to let them make progress toward their IEP goals, even while removed. This is true whether or not the manifestation determination review found the behavior was connected to the disability — the services requirement is separate from, and does not depend on, that finding.
What those services look like in practice (a set number of hours a week, an alternative placement, home-based instruction) varies by district, but 'the student simply stops receiving services' is not a legally available answer for a student with an IEP.
For any other student, it depends heavily on the state
There is no single federal law requiring continued educational services for a student without a disability who is suspended or expelled long-term. Many states have filled that gap with their own requirements — some mandate that districts offer alternative education placements or homebound instruction for any long-term removal, and some leave it largely to district discretion.
Because this varies so much, the question worth asking your own district directly is specific: 'what does state law or district policy require you to provide during this removal, and what is optional?' A vague answer like 'we'll figure it out' is not the same as an answer grounded in an actual policy.
Alternative schools are real schools, with real rules
When a district places a student in a separate alternative education program, that program is still subject to many of the same requirements as the regular school: a student with an IEP keeps that IEP and its services, credits earned generally count toward graduation the same as anywhere else, and ordinary discipline and safety rules still apply. An alternative placement being smaller or stricter does not mean it exists outside the rules that otherwise govern the student's education.
If credits, IEP services, or basic safety conditions in an alternative placement seem to be handled differently than the law requires, that is worth raising with the district in writing, the same as any other placement.
What to ask for, in writing, before the removal starts
Before a long-term removal takes effect, ask the district in writing: what educational services will be provided during the removal, where and when they will happen, who is responsible for making sure they actually occur, and how credits or progress will be documented. Keep a copy of whatever answer you get.
If the services that were promised do not materialize once the removal starts, that written record is what turns a vague broken promise into a specific, documented failure to provide something the district itself said it would do.
Remember this
- A student with an IEP must keep receiving services toward their IEP goals during a removal of more than 10 school days, regardless of the manifestation finding.
- For students without an IEP, continued services during a long removal depend mostly on state law and district policy, which vary widely.
- Alternative education placements still carry IEP obligations, credit rules, and safety requirements — they are not outside the system.
- Get the specific services promised during a removal in writing before it starts, so a broken promise can actually be documented.
Sources
This article provides general educational information, not individualized legal advice. KidsKnowRights is not a law firm, and reading this article does not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws vary by state, age, and circumstances, and they change over time. For advice about a real situation, talk with a licensed attorney or a legal aid organization.