Members of an Illinois education task force exploring ways to keep elementary and high school students in school will meet at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
The School Success Task Force is inviting school administrators, teachers, parents, students and concerned citizens throughout the region to offer suggestions at a public hearing for reducing expulsions, suspensions and truancies.
SIU-C special assistant to the chancellor Seymour Bryson is a member of the task force. He says it's important the task force look at the total school environment, including interaction of parents, students, families and educational professionals.
Bryson says some school districts are being pro-active. For instance, he says the Carbondale Public School District is taking a look at its conduct code.
The public hearing starts at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Student Center Ballroom A on the SIU-C campus.
The task force plans to present its report to the Illinois General Assembly and Governor Pat Quinn by the end of this year.