Hartford (AP) - Suspensions of children younger than 7 from Connecticut's public schools jumped nearly 10 percent last year, according to a report by the state Department of Education. It prompted two state school board members to question suspension policies.

The report presented to the state Board of Education said 1,217 children younger than 7 were suspended, up from 1,110 in 2013. The greatest increase in the number of children younger than 7 who were suspended was for kindergartners, at 600, up from fewer than 500.

Overall, fewer students have been suspended or expelled: 105,173 in the 2013-14 school year, down from 126,922 in 2009-10.

Reasons for suspensions were violation of unspecified school policies, fighting, physical or verbal confrontation and threatening behavior.

Board Chairman Allan Taylor expressed surprise at the number of young children who were suspended, The Hartford Courant reported.

"The under 7 numbers remain astounding," he said Wednesday. "It strikes me that if a kid is that difficult to deal with, then it's a reason to be providing intensive support. There is no evil intent in kindergarten students and it's hard to see how taking that kid away from the place where he could be getting help is going to improve that child's prospects."

Theresa Hopkins-Staten, vice-chairwoman of the board, said she finds it "very difficult" to understand what a 7-year-old child would do to warrant suspension.

"That in my mind says something about the child's home life that needs to be investigated and responded to," she said.

Messages seeking information from the state's large school districts - Bridgeport, Hartford, New Britain and Waterbury - were not immediately returned.