Texas Law Expands School Discipline Rules

House Bill 6 grants educators greater authority to remove students for disruptive behavior.

Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Special Education

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a slightly open wooden door, reflecting the institutional nature of educational disciplinary policy. — Texas House Bill 6, effective for the 2025-26 school year, grants teachers expanded authority to remove disruptive students and allows suspensions for pre-K children. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Effective for the 2025-26 school year, Texas House Bill 6 broadens the power of teachers to remove students from classrooms. The legislation also enables out-of-school suspensions for children as young as pre-K.

Why it matters

The law aims to secure a safer learning environment by increasing options to exclude disruptive students from the classroom. It marks a significant shift in disciplinary policy by removing previous caps on suspension durations.

The new law mandates a minimum 10-day in-school suspension for vape-related offenses and requires formal reviews every 10 school days for extended suspensions. It also removes the prior three-day limit for in-school disciplinary removals.

The players

Fort Worth ISD

This school district disciplined 10.6% of its students during the 2024-25 academic year.

The details

House Bill 6 allows teachers to remove students after a single instance of disruptive behavior and mandates reporting to law enforcement for expulsions. Previously, schools were restricted by a three-day cap on in-school suspensions, a constraint now eliminated by this legislation.

The 2024-25 school year saw 10.1% of Texas students receive disciplinary actions.
House Bill 6 officially took effect at the start of the 2025-26 school year.

Culture Shift

Texas House Bill 6 represents a move away from previous limitations on student exclusion, prioritizing teacher authority over formerly standardized suspension caps. This shift reflects a broader societal debate over classroom safety versus the inclusion of younger students.

Parents and students should be aware that disciplinary thresholds have lowered, including the ability to issue out-of-school suspensions starting at the pre-K level. Families may face longer, open-ended suspension terms for their children compared to previous years.

The takeaway

The new law empowers educators to enforce stricter behavioral standards through immediate classroom removals and mandatory law enforcement reporting for expulsions. Parents are encouraged to review updated school handbooks to understand the specific consequences for minor disruptions.