[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6495371,"mediaKeyId","5506677-958710d6090d4b6a0f0c64947517257a","parentId",5506677,"title","School board approves pilot policy to record self‑contained ESE classrooms with parental consent","audioSeconds",1625,"startMs",5830000,"endMs",7455000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5506677-958710d6090d4b6a0f0c64947517257a&start=5830&end=7455","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5506677-958710d6090d4b6a0f0c64947517257a/thumbnail_5830000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6495371/Florida/School-board-approves-pilot-policy-to-record-selfcontained-ESE-classrooms-with-parental-consent","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6495371-2c9cd571c404508ce5724951f0c67c6f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770502765&Signature=Mchr8qno1jx1Re0-M5uPpEvgMC3GDgMbn5IoUM4agwQaPHdpUsqLOhkDQcLApmO-CKGweH3~jOLX1DwpVlN2u3DPKFa9q9Qej6hMJAeXmYVX1V9J6PBViWMdebaPUfKhVMCDyjkNtl9ktO5Y2VqSbz6A0RfCHFF-b0hqSiVEnejY-xIKTIzgQ8PWPK389wqj5qHQuzukWYuSPeoaR0FRMAPm~Iv5~Gn0csShNHAYiRWaT6ZPxxmJBuVsnxdt9XUBlRvLNhcEqgOSgAeu01XbEVKl0KKKHK8az1K-4MmHXxnvM4ZSabiIm1Vr1YkSF4P4U7GBg7lftNVlNMK8-LUcew__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Broward County Public Schools","date","2025-07-29T08:14:00Z","article","The School Board of Broward County unanimously approved Policy 4.900 to permit audio‑visual recording in self‑contained exceptional student education (ESE) classrooms, contingent on written parental consent and specified privacy safeguards.

Public commenters, including Jackie Luscombe (chair of the ESE advisory) and therapist/administrator Felicia Schumann, urged the board to adopt cameras as a safety and accountability measure for students who are often nonverbal or otherwise unable to report abuse. Schumann said the policy would \"create a tool for prevention, accountability, and truth.\" Luscombe urged close review of draft language to avoid contradictions and to ensure parents can obtain context footage when requesting recordings.

Board members and staff debated precise wording and technical scope. The chair offered amendments to clarify that cameras may \"view and make audio‑visual recordings of all areas of the self‑contained classroom, including any room attached to the self‑contained classroom that is used for other purposes,\" and to make explicit that cameras must not view or record restrooms or areas where students change clothes or receive diapering/personal care. The ESE advisory chair requested further language to ensure requested footage includes 30 minutes of footage on either side of a reported incident; the chair said more substantive changes could be brought back later.

Legal and process context surfaced during debate. Members referenced state statute 1003.574 (the original pilot statute authorizing classroom cameras) and noted that Broward’s proposed policy would be the first district‑level policy in Florida to formalize recording in self‑contained ESE classrooms under current law. General counsel clarified that some policy edits could be substantive and require additional rulemaking; the board limited today's amendments to wording the chair characterized as non‑substantive or clarifying.

The board voted to adopt Policy 4.900 as amended; voting was unanimous. Board members and advocates asked staff to continue working with ESE advisory groups and to address remaining drafting questions — notably the scope of footage provided to parents on request and the mechanics of parental consent — before broader rollout. Staff said the district has three district behavior intervention program sites (Cypress Run Education Center, Linear James Education Center, Pine Ridge Education Center) and that implementation would include establishing pilot protocols, consent processes and privacy protections.

Board members described the policy as a measure that protects vulnerable students and also protects staff from false accusations, while several speakers urged the district to pursue clarifying legislative change for statewide uniformity of practice.

Procedure: the motion to adopt Policy 4.900 was moved by Dr. Holness, seconded by Mrs. Bowman; subsequent wording amendments proposed by the chair were adopted and the final, amended policy passed unanimously.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Broward County Public Schools - Special School Board Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","The board approved Policy 4.900 allowing audio‑visual recording in self‑contained exceptional student education (ESE) classrooms with parental consent; the measure passed unanimously after amendments clarifying camera coverage and privacy exclusions.","taxTitle","Broward, School Districts, Florida","taxId",15571,"location","Florida","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6495376,"Broward School Board keeps code of conduct, directs rulemaking on high‑school lunchtime phone access",5303,501000,5804000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5506677-958710d6090d4b6a0f0c64947517257a&start=501&end=5804","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5506677-958710d6090d4b6a0f0c64947517257a/thumbnail_501000.jpg","/articles/6495376/Florida/Broward-School-Board-keeps-code-of-conduct-directs-rulemaking-on-highschool-lunchtime-phone-access","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6495376-520782bc908d6eb461f3b5449b5762b4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770502765&Signature=Fq~w6bt9AHFWx8o35JGBKrw4u6dd3-DokqBHt80voprHC6WCqUZnAeccLuKEnyGeR27k2e34YwGRxjMzKfoAdT3qoZ5PMnR2uMCs2C7fLSKIRJ25yA5Vc4fzFk-42kok1NMfUJE5W2Pgtufh0hJn3EoMGzc5-wDmxW28nf9TZ3BHrJD7oAaWIGyRgzwvOBYCtTBwxoGx1NZLwBhtk~7mN2R0AuelV6daK~KLvA2eW5cM4a8WfcH10LWixTURTHfcU7g-cvYTvboTp6N2a-aKjERbMzFxGPv~KetHCz3PJs57nXYHrOmRXLcvgprzZGR3FZrz9hr~ICnd1blu3AwZTQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The School Board of Broward County on Thursday adopted a revised Code of Student Conduct and directed the superintendent to begin rulemaking to consider allowing students to use cell phones during the lunch period at high schools.

Supporters said a limited lunch exception would give students a needed moment to check in with family, manage jobs and responsibilities, and use tools for mental‑health support. Student speaker Taylor Berry, president of Miramar's Youth Advisory Council and an Everglades High School student, told the board: \"I'm simply asking for access to our own devices during the 1 break we get in our day.\" Board members who supported the direction cited student and parent surveys indicating strong support for lunch access.

Opponents warned of harms tied to social media, cyberbullying and instructional disruption. Public commenter Vincente Thoreau said cell phones \"have become a tool to bully kids\" and urged the board to keep strict boundaries. Several board members also cited research linking phone use to mental‑health concerns and said enforcing a single, district‑wide standard was a priority.

The discussion included operational and legal considerations. General Counsel counsel (Miss Batista) advised the board that making a substantive change to the Code of Student Conduct would trigger the Administrative Procedures Act process and require re‑advertising and a second board meeting for final adoption. Staff explained the practical timeline: if rulemaking is started immediately, the earliest special meeting to complete the rulemaking would be Aug. 26; school starts Aug. 11, and the district would need time to publish, collect and process code acknowledgement forms — a process that staff estimated would take several weeks.

After multiple competing motions and procedural clarification, the board voted to adopt the Code of Student Conduct as presented and to direct the superintendent to initiate rulemaking on the section addressing cell phone usage during lunch (section 5.C.2 in the draft). The board did not change the policy text at final adoption during the meeting; any change allowing lunch access would require further rulemaking and final adoption before it becomes effective.

The board emphasized consistent enforcement if any change is adopted. Jody Washington, director of school culture and student support, outlined the existing disciplinary matrix for high school cell‑phone violations (progressive steps from verbal/written warning and parent contact to detention/confiscation to suspension and loss of extracurricular participation for repeat offenses) and said schools already use electronic systems to collect code acknowledgments.

Board members also asked staff to return with operational details should the board later approve a lunchtime exception: how schools would implement the change, how staff would track and enforce violations during large lunch periods, the human‑capital impacts of re‑issuing code forms mid‑year, and how to ensure compliance with state law during the transition.

The board recorded the motion on the floor as: \"Pass the policy as is today and direct the superintendent to initiate rulemaking for the portion of the student code of conduct that deals with cell phone usage during lunch break for high school students,\" and the motion carried following roll‑call voting. The board did not finalize any change to allow phones at lunch at the meeting.

Looking ahead, staff told the board that if the board proceeds with a substantive change it could not be implemented before the district completes required rulemaking, distribution of updated code forms and collection of acknowledgements; that timeline likely pushes any effective date into late August or September depending on scheduling of required workshops and meetings.

The board also discussed the policy's broader aims — student safety, instructional time protection and mental‑health supports — and asked staff to coordinate outreach to principals, teachers and parents to prepare for any future change.","After an hour and a half debate, the Broward County School Board voted to adopt the revised Code of Student Conduct as presented and directed the superintendent to begin rulemaking on allowing high‑school students to use cell phones during lunch; the board emphasized compliance with state law and the need for consistent enforcement.","actionData","errors"]

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School board approves pilot policy to record self‑contained ESE classrooms with parental consent

Broward School Board keeps code of conduct, directs rulemaking on high‑school lunchtime phone access