Ending PUSHOUT Act Bans Suspension for Dress Codes, Funds Alternatives with $500 Million Grant Program

The aptly named Ending PUSHOUT Act of 2025 is a major federal push to overhaul how public schools handle discipline, especially for students who have historically been pushed out of the system. In short, this legislation aims to stop schools from relying on harsh, exclusionary discipline—like suspensions and expulsions—for minor infractions, particularly where those practices disproportionately affect students of color, students with disabilities, and LGBTQI+ students. The bill mandates highly detailed annual federal data collection on every disciplinary action taken and authorizes up to $500 million annually for competitive grants to schools willing to adopt strict new rules, including banning out-of-school suspension for kids in grades K-5 unless serious injury is involved, and prohibiting the use of corporal punishment and seclusion entirely.

The New Rules of Engagement in School Discipline

The core of the Act is about making sure discipline is fair and keeps kids learning. For any school that accepts the new federal grant money (Section 5), the rules change immediately. They can no longer suspend or expel a student for defiance, skipping class, being late, or violating a dress code. Think about that: no more sending a student home for wearing the wrong shirt or giving a teacher attitude. Instead, the grant money must be used to implement alternatives, like restorative justice practices, positive behavioral support systems (PBIS), and hiring more social workers and counselors. This means a shift from punishment to support, focusing on why the behavior happened in the first place, often tied to trauma or unmet mental health needs.

This also means the end of several harmful practices. Schools receiving the grant must stop using corporal punishment (physical pain for discipline), seclusion (locking a student alone in a room), and chemical or mechanical restraints. Physical restraints are only allowed under extremely strict conditions—if the student poses an immediate danger of serious physical injury, less restrictive methods failed, and the staff member is certified to handle the crisis. This provision is designed to protect vulnerable students, particularly those with disabilities, from dangerous or abusive interventions.

Who’s Getting the Data and Why It Matters

Even for schools that don’t take the grant money, the federal government is stepping up its data game. Section 4 requires the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights to collect annual data on suspensions, expulsions, and law enforcement referrals, broken down by an incredible level of detail. They need to know the student’s race, gender identity, disability status, English learner status, foster care status, and even if they are pregnant or parenting. This isn't just counting; it’s cross-tabulating the reason for the discipline (was it insubordination? a zero-tolerance violation?) against who the student is. This level of granular data collection is meant to pinpoint exactly where discriminatory discipline is happening and hold those agencies accountable. The data will be made public so parents and community members can see the discipline disparities in their local school district.

The School Police and Surveillance Ban

Here’s the part that might cause some friction in districts accustomed to a heavy security presence: Grant funds cannot be used to hire or retain School Resource Officers (SROs) or to buy surveillance technology, like metal detectors or software that monitors student social media. The bill is drawing a hard line, stating that funds intended for student support should not be diverted to fund what it views as the school-to-prison pipeline. For districts that rely heavily on SROs for security, this means they’ll have to find other funding sources if they want to keep those officers, or they’ll have to commit to finding alternative, non-policing methods of maintaining safety if they want the federal grant money.

A Task Force Focused on Girls of Color

Recognizing that discipline issues disproportionately affect specific groups, Section 6 creates a Joint Task Force specifically dedicated to ending the "pushout" of girls of color. This task force, co-chaired by the Secretaries of Education and Health and Human Services, will include students, parents, educators, and mental health experts—but specifically excludes law enforcement. Their job is to study the root causes of these disparities, like adultification and trauma, and recommend specific interventions. This is a targeted effort to ensure that reforms address the unique challenges faced by Black, Brown, and Indigenous girls in the educational system. The first report to Congress is due within a year of the bill’s enactment.