[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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",[32,75,87],{"_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":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6147713,"mediaKeyId","5520188-abe6c777e3a799fb1a6c84c9835e3539","parentId",5520188,"title","Board reviews school lunch and wellness policies after parental questions about a la carte charging","audioSeconds",295,"startMs",2840000,"endMs",3135000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5520188-abe6c777e3a799fb1a6c84c9835e3539&start=2840&end=3135","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5520188-abe6c777e3a799fb1a6c84c9835e3539/thumbnail_2840000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6147713/New-York/Board-reviews-school-lunch-and-wellness-policies-after-parental-questions-about-a-la-carte-charging","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6147713-c22c4e7202f1f74215ab518ec353d9a0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770734560&Signature=ju-iFqZOUInK8NABMrcGx-lOWohfRxIEgmCczvxt9~~zXXlJwgrgAKqoFBmx0VxzecAwNV1TLdzF7rHmUDu3ilCf6lbbeUURCU-7TBHJdAIoWYsyTRABS4-cuKvi3Z3SKtYJLlVX-mErnRIMS8Ea-K40m8mOeg8z-08hWliOOmGalk6OeFUNQllxZPtOJ8Axs7X6DZijqyA3F3HqM-4KkixasjGlFx8RA4T~1w9ts7kp9YsGCUinWi7N1cq3EjhwcYHiwu~jLLhIviMZGbVIo4qxOXcTsN-VyNp77BfMMBd5z4OchYFkvZ4~2LgHCNTQTd2xG9~KZG~pIVL8mO6rrg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-07-31T11:06:08Z","article","Board members and staff addressed parental questions about school lunch procedures and broader wellness policy revisions during the July 30 meeting of the Rockville Center Board of Education.

A board member asked why elementary students can scan lunch cards and charge a la carte items without parental approval, describing a hypothetical large charge for chocolate milk. The board member said some parents are surprised by the ability to charge items and asked whether scanning requires parental permission.

A staff member from the district lunch office responded that parents can contact the lunch office to place restrictions on a student's account (for example, \"no chocolate milk\" or no a la carte purchases) and that cashless scanning and account flags are used to enforce those limits. The staff member said that policy allows cafeterias to provide a meal even if a student lacks sufficient funds but that a la carte items should not be provided when an account balance is zero.

Board action and follow up
Board members asked administration to improve family communications before school starts, including adding clear guidance to welcome packets and messaging at Back‑to‑School and Meet‑the‑Teacher events. The administration said it will add a note about account restrictions to the school lunch welcome packet and include information in principals' opening communications.

Wellness policy
Trustees asked the administration to hold the draft wellness policy at Stage 1 review for additional editing because it had not been revised since 2007, the document was lengthy, and some redundancies and grammatical issues needed cleanup. A board member also suggested removing personal email addresses from policy text and replacing them with a generic address to avoid future maintenance issues.

Ending
The administration agreed to revise communication materials and bring the wellness policy back in September for further review; the school lunch policy was being updated to reflect current New York state food service regulations and will move forward through the policy process.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Education Regular Meeting - Wed., July 30, 2025 at 6:00PM","oneSentenceSummary","Board members discussed proposed updates to the school lunch policy and wellness policy; parents raised concerns that students can scan cards to charge a la carte items, and administrators said meal charging rules limit a la carte purchases when accounts lack funds and that schools will better communicate procedures to families.","taxTitle","ROCKVILLE CENTRE UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT, School Districts, New York","taxId",55785,"location","New York","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6147718,"Board moves to implement state cell‑phone policy; superintendent outlines classroom enforcement",479,3223000,3702000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5520188-abe6c777e3a799fb1a6c84c9835e3539&start=3223&end=3702","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5520188-abe6c777e3a799fb1a6c84c9835e3539/thumbnail_3223000.jpg","/articles/6147718/New-York/Board-moves-to-implement-state-cellphone-policy-superintendent-outlines-classroom-enforcement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6147718-1e03347de2c22c0d4c0e270c7af2978d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770734560&Signature=gG9NOg6pbyJT0VaRfEk3oWGmQCOcHKnUr2jfLcf4DY5uIBDuEYcU2DNxoz95-bAw3PkReheV2j02lMWEQ5jUZCCm3dzcMptBPcVc7E9SvLZD1DejJJEIOu7bIrf3CnFetZ6mdvrRUuHx-1V66LAUgZ0RTin4Dg5T~NbKZVDs1MbtbJCQ6aLCGLl5X7v0rrJfUKaFXyulEHf6i0guGjgHR2rFCE~sOsoREw8ZOxf6fCUX2vfqWfym0oq34rlNjuddblh9Xk7AOOonFyHx8xGBVChmKpOUhR5nSZ-C-RmxLzd9IEG7IwIYt6AJ4ZcGBY0lWqWM5AntSoXPvUT27l2lUg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Rockville Center Board of Education on July 30 moved to implement Policy 73‑17, which restricts personal internet‑enabled devices during the school day, following Governor Hochul's initiative to limit student access to cell phones in classrooms.

Mr. Gavin, superintendent, told the board the policy responds to state direction and research on screen time. \"If that continues for the course of their life and they live to be, like, 83 years old, that's 25 years straight of scrolling,\" he said, citing research that he said shows older students average about 5.5 hours of daily screen time.

Key elements officials described
Mr. Gavin said district communication to families explains that students must store personal phones in lockers during the school day and that district Chromebooks — not personal MacBooks — must be used for schoolwork. \"Your phone is going to be stored in your locker,\" he said. He added the district will not suspend students simply for carrying a phone but repeated violations could prompt sanctions.

Superintendent guidance said emergency contact remains available: parents may reach students through the school main office for urgent matters. Mr. Gavin emphasized faculty and administration will share enforcement duties and that principals will meet with student government and teachers to adjust procedures.

Scope and devices
Mr. Gavin said the policy covers \"personal internet‑enabled devices\" including cell phones, smartwatches and AI‑enabled eyewear. \"We can't have any Apple watches in the class,\" he said, and noted devices that can record or access the internet will be banned during the school day.

Implementation and communication
The administration said it has sent letters to families and will run multiple reminders from school buildings over the summer; principals will address the policy again at Meet the Teacher events and during early school communications. Mr. Gavin said middle school students are accustomed to similar rules, and administrators will hold follow‑up meetings after the first two weeks of school to evaluate enforcement.

Ending
The board put the policy on the agenda for adoption and moved related consent items during the meeting. The administration will continue outreach to families and convene teachers and student government to refine enforcement in the coming weeks.","The Rockville Center Board of Education considered and moved to implement policy 73‑17 restricting personal internet‑enabled devices during the school day in response to a state initiative; the superintendent described enforcement practices, exceptions for emergency contact and use of district Chromebooks.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6147723,"Rockville Center superintendent previews Year‑1 actions from new three‑year strategic plan",656,1550000,2206000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5520188-abe6c777e3a799fb1a6c84c9835e3539&start=1550&end=2206","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5520188-abe6c777e3a799fb1a6c84c9835e3539/thumbnail_1550000.jpg","/articles/6147723/New-York/Rockville-Center-superintendent-previews-Year1-actions-from-new-threeyear-strategic-plan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6147723-c02d8faf2703706b475f1b67dbb3cd16/orig.mp4?Expires=1770734561&Signature=Nh7zxl5XYIvqgyNt-1wDUcnQUSfC7Do9xhxSSgxwv4qys8jifrF9zH9mQacXM0pec5QnaUp8LSEqTk7Ta9MeNlYCycIr5zWhhZR9AXsy4Nimld6kjrgNBBkdDt~QTAnKOxjW4xV4yUgtjXBTo9uaVwuvXryYc1cOPAnZuiGZcFHAy2kmgnaD1C4SM1pOcakgy8oFsQrJtSB~UruNcskD54TVpQFBex3I8miQTfB~c8RRlts2i8cdlVXNq9xFQyOEoFSr7FCF2t1jvNLESTShE3pEpvXUdExsKvCC1b81FHtRjQiEGBA5pwtm7qe1IQQQvCB4P0CHQT8KizubMSjzBg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mr. Gavin, superintendent, told the Rockville Center Board of Education on July 30 that the district is moving from adoption to implementation of a three‑year strategic plan and outlined specific Year‑1 work.

The plan, Mr. Gavin said, centers on three priorities: enhancing student outcomes and opportunities; financial and budgetary oversight; and expanding community partnerships. \"Both of those initiatives, both the expanded extended essay support and the senior college workshops are a direct result from the feedback from our board of education,\" he said.

Why it matters: the plan organizes many existing efforts into a coordinated, multi‑year sequence of curriculum reviews, professional development and partnership building intended to align classroom practice with district goals and state expectations. Board members said a clear implementation structure will help sustain programs amid funding uncertainties.

Implementation details and deliverables
Mr. Gavin described deliverables due this year: a five‑year curriculum review cycle with specific K‑12 recommendations for science and writing; revised Global 9‑10 and sixth‑grade social studies curricula; implementation of a two‑year Theory of Knowledge (TOK) schedule; and revisions to the MYP community project to align with the Seal of Civic Readiness.

He said the district will also examine the IB Career‑related Programme as a potential addition and form an exploratory committee to evaluate cost and next steps. \"There might be something for us to take a look at that and that might be something as we determine what programs we wanna continue to look at,\" he said.

Partnerships, alumni and career pathways
Mr. Gavin outlined plans to create a semiannual alumni newsletter, establish a LinkedIn presence, and expand career‑day programming across grade bands so students encounter career options before high school. \"We wanna feature some of our alumni ... here's somebody that's doing well in their field,\" he said.

Board members welcomed the alumni outreach but repeatedly asked for a specific operational home and staffing to run the effort. One public commenter, Jeff Greenfield, urged a designated lead for alumni relations and asked who would run the program; he called for a coordinator rather than leaving the work diffuse.

UPK, summer programs and facilities
Mr. Gavin reported that the universal prekindergarten (UPK) expansion at the Village Recreation Center is ahead of schedule: new classrooms are painted, wired and ready for furniture, he said, and the rec will serve 72 students next year; 42 students were registered at a JCC site with a month to go. He also thanked custodial and maintenance staff and said two major parking lot projects will begin next week.

Board feedback and next steps
Board members asked the administration to broaden engagement beyond the PTA to reach families who are not PTA participants, to involve teachers in implementation decisions and to create family‑focused engagement strategies. One board member asked that the district explicitly add family engagement to the community‑partnership work.

Mr. Gavin said administrators built a reporting calendar of regular updates to the board (July, September, January, February, May) and that staff will continue follow‑up work in professional development days and faculty meetings. He invited further questions and asked the board for implementation guidance.

Ending
No formal board vote on the strategic plan occurred at the July 30 meeting; the session functioned as a Year‑1 status update and planning discussion and the administration will return with implementation reports on the board's presentation calendar.","Superintendent Mr. Gavin gave a year‑one update on the district's three‑year strategic plan, outlining curriculum reviews, career pathways work, alumni outreach, and expanded UPK; board members emphasized broad community and family engagement and asked for implementation details.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board reviews school lunch and wellness policies after parental questions about a la carte charging

Board moves to implement state cell‑phone policy; superintendent outlines classroom enforcement

Rockville Center superintendent previews Year‑1 actions from new three‑year strategic plan