Associated Press - November 24, 2009 7:24 PM ET

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - The Illinois Senate will try to find the cause of a gaping racial disparity in how schoolchildren are disciplined.

Lawmakers will form a study group to review numbers reported by The Associated Press that show blacks account for half of all student suspensions. Blacks make up only one-fifth of the enrollment.

Maywood Democrat Kimberly Lightford decided on a task force after seeing the AP's analysis indicating black suspensions have jumped 75 percent in the past decade. White suspensions fell five percent during the same period. The more serious punishment of expulsion has also been applied inordinately to blacks.

Spokeswoman Rikeesha Phelon says Senate President John Cullerton told his staff today to write a resolution creating the task force. It will look at suspension and expulsion numbers, the reasons behind them and how they affect students.

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