Ask ELi: ELPS Superintendent Dori Leyko Explains District’s Approach to Discipline

ELi often receives questions about discipline in East Lansing Public Schools. To learn more about the disciplinary tools available, we reached out to ELPS Superintendent Dori Leyko.

Leyko said the major change in disciplinary options came in 2017, when a statewide “zero tolerance” policy that had been in effect since 1995 was repealed. That policy required districts to impose mandatory expulsion for possessing a dangerous weapon, starting fires at school or physically assaulting a school employee.

“There’s absolutely been a shift in philosophy [about] how to change behavior, and what types of responses and accountability actually work or make a difference,” Leyko said. “Research shows that just suspending kids for long periods of time doesn’t work. It doesn’t change behavior.”

Districts now consider seven factors when imposing disciplinary action: a student’s age, disciplinary history, whether they have a disability, the seriousness of the behavior, whether it risked the safety of others, whether restorative justice could address the issue and whether a less-drastic intervention could be effective, Leyko said.

Restorative justice is a term that some don’t fully understand, Leyko noted.

“It’s about getting the parties together, making sure all voices are heard and helping them understand the impact their actions had on others,” she said. “It really tries to grow empathy around how your own actions affected someone else.”

Today’s Gen X and Millennial parents may remember detentions, in-school suspensions and alternative high school programs from their own time as students. Each is quite different today.

After-school detention is mostly a thing of the past, though some lunchtime sessions may still be assigned if a student hasn’t completed work, Leyko said.

ELPS will still give out-of-school suspensions at times, and in-school suspension now exists as the “Trojan True” room at the high school, managed by Dean of Students Dorcas Shumake. Leyko said it’s not open every day, only when there are students assigned to it.

“More often than not, it’s a place for a student who needs a break,” she said. “Sometimes we use it as a re-entry day for kids coming off a short-term suspension to get re-acclimated.

“It’s not your old-school ‘sit-there-all-day-and-doodle’ setup,” she added. “It’s much more intentional, providing services and support to get them re-engaged.”

Leyko said that alternative high school programs are also on their way out, with Mason and Haslett closing theirs in recent years. Alternative school programs are being replaced with online learning programs like Graduation Alliance, which is also available for students facing behavioral challenges.

For the most severe behavioral infractions, expulsion is still an option.

There are 60-day and 180-day expulsions. Affected students face a disciplinary hearing in front of the school board. This includes students who were expelled from other districts and seek to enroll in ELPS.

There was just one such hearing during the 2024–25 academic year.

Since the disciplinary issues of 2023, Leyko said, the district has made improvements to address both behavior and safety.

Safety monitors, she said, have made a big difference.

“Their role, yes, is safety, security, support, hallway monitoring, bathroom checking,” she said. “But it’s also to build relationships with kids. If students have more trusted adults, they’re more likely to report a potential safety concern in the district or community.”

She said the high school has four safety team members and the middle school has three.

The middle school has also implemented a new electronic hall pass system that Leyko said the district is pleased with.

While ELPS opted to get rid of school resource officers in 2020, Leyko said she maintains a strong relationship with the East Lansing Police Department. During a lockdown last week at neighboring Okemos High School following a threat of violence, ELPD reached out to offer a walkthrough at East Lansing High School.

“[They] sent their social worker and five officers,” Leyko said. “They teamed up with our safety staff and walked the school, checking every bathroom. They’ve been really great partners, even though we don’t have an officer on-site.”

Leyko began her career in education as a teacher in 1994. She said schools approach discipline much differently today than 30 years ago.

“As a state, as a nation, I think it’s more educationally focused,” she said. “We’re not the criminal justice system. We’re here to educate, teach and help students learn, so there’s been more focus on helping students understand how their decisions impact others.”

She added that suspension data likely reflects a decrease in exclusionary practices, both in length and in frequency.

“Nothing good’s happening when kids are at home,” she said. “They’re not learning, they’re not engaged, they’re not connected, they’re not socializing. I do believe there is a time and place for suspension, especially if harm is done to other students and they need time to feel safe. But I think the research shows that just suspending to suspend doesn’t change behavior.”