Minnesota Senate Approves Expansion of School Seclusion Rooms

The Brief

• Under the education bill approved by the Minnesota Senate on Thursday, schools could gain increased access to utilizing isolation rooms.
• A legislation enacted in 2023 prohibited the use of seclusion rooms for students in third grade and younger starting from September 1, 2024. However, the proposed amendment would permit their usage for all grades, with the requirement of parent consent needed until the sixth grade level.
• Supporters argue that it serves as an essential final measure. Critics contend that it is unproductive and frequently misused by educational institutions.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Seven months after the prohibition was implemented on schools using seclusion rooms for young students, the Minnesota Legislature is close to permitting their wider usage.

A personal debate

'Not great, but needed'

Following an intensely private discussion about the contentious approach to student discipline, the Minnesota Senate approved an educational legislation on Thursday. This new law allows schools greater flexibility in isolating children provided they obtain consent from their parents.

Isolation rooms proved to be an unfortunate necessity during her son's time at school for Senator Judy Seeberger.

He falls within the autism spectrum and struggled with managing his aggression, particularly toward authority figures such as teachers, at a later stage.

"He’s an amazing young man nowadays," he stated. Sen. Seeberger, (DFL-Afton) And when I questioned him regarding the use of seclusion, he shook his head. He responded, 'You understand, it wasn’t ideal, but it had to be done.'

What's the issue?

Defining seclusion

According to Minnesota state law, a seclusion room in schools must measure at least 6 feet by 5 feet. The room needs adequate lighting and ventilation, include an observation window, and should be lockable from the exterior.

"What isn’t considered seclusion is anything else, and there’s no prohibition against that," explained Matt Shaver, senior policy director for Ed Allies.

In 2023, when the legislature moved to restrict them, approximately 450 seclusion rooms were still in existence.

According to state data, schools utilized them approximately 4,000 times during that academic year, primarily for students with disabilities who have difficulty managing their emotions.

Why not?

Separated unequally

However, supporters argue that it isn’t a beneficial approach, particularly for students who are younger.

"As we can observe from the data accumulated by the state over many years, it’s consistently the same children appearing repeatedly," Shaver stated.

Each secluded student averaged 10–15 trips to the room during a school year.

Moreover, this intervention has been applied more frequently to Black and biracial students.

"I am deeply concerned about placing any of these young children in this situation," stated Sen. Nicole Mitchell, (DFL-Woodbury) .

Mitchell likewise possesses experience working with kids who have disabilities.

She mentions that being secluded might ultimately result in an increase in depression, social withdrawal, and anxiety.

Supporters of alternatives suggest using sensory rooms or having supervised areas staffed by an attendant wearing protective padding as better options than their implementation in educational settings.

Abusive usage

Changing the law

In 2017, when FOX 9 covered the misuse of seclusion rooms, they discovered that these spaces were frequently employed as a form of punishment within schools.

"It's a jail cell," stated the parent of a child who had been placed in isolation.

This led to the 2023 legislative action banning seclusion rooms for children in third grade and younger.

Senator Seeberger states that her 2025 revision to the legislation mandates parental consent up until sixth grade and will not permit seclusion as punishment. However, it retains these isolation chambers as a final option.

Here’s my worry," Senator Seeberger stated. "When staff members face a situation where a student is being aggressive and might harm others, they feel compelled to contact law enforcement, which would result in taking the child into custody.

What's next

Currently, the House education bill doesn’t incorporate Seeberger’s amendment; however, this might evolve prior to the final vote.