The Regional Safe School Programs (RSSP), throughout Illinois, are designed to provide educational opportunities for general education students who are in danger of being expelled, have received multiple suspensions, been truant, or are in some way disconnected from the educational process.

The Safe Schools Law: Public Act 89-383, enacted in 1995, provides Illinois with a system of alternative education programs for disruptive students in grades six through twelve. This act known as the Safe Schools Law indicates that "Disruptive students typically derive little benefit from traditional school programs and may benefit substantially by being transferred into an alternative public school program, where their particular needs may be more appropriately addressed and where they may benefit from the opportunity for a fresh start in a new educational environment" (Section 13A-1e, PA 89-383).

The Law describes disruptive students as those who are subject to suspension or expulsion based on the disciplinary policies of the district. These students are now given the option, although voluntary on the part of the school district, to transfer to the Regional Safe Schools Program in lieu of suspension or expulsion. The proponents of the law strongly believed that "administrative transfers may prove more productive for dealing with disruptive students than out-of-school suspension or expulsion."