[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-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",[32,76,88,100],{"_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",6454756,"mediaKeyId","5859867-0a3ddd928aca8a8fee31e6ba0e56cfee","parentId",5859867,"title","Policy committee to review conference-expenditure and reimbursement rules","audioSeconds",171,"startMs",1504735,"endMs",1676000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5859867-0a3ddd928aca8a8fee31e6ba0e56cfee&start=1504&end=1676","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5859867-0a3ddd928aca8a8fee31e6ba0e56cfee/thumbnail_1504735.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6454756/New-York/Policy-committee-to-review-conference-expenditure-and-reimbursement-rules","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6454756-985b7ad62bd9871af70f6d4d3fbe6c1b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770535122&Signature=aiQRUiOpSa8ZjKCy7nTMoTkllUv6ffMvcy8CauYtxu6Esnmo1F9xW4tD3ug1SpSd2vVr6xgRbznNUzC-LegKgmctw8IFULT9I7Hwot8935RJXwtYe0AkR5bVKUuBs0lbUUfmTdSabXLWqVWFMUDZU7o5mPZ5dPMD3x~FLjDjjWpBhzwf1B9izjuJcJxhVuC8P5zMrIihKx4CY0zqa2XwSiNcliRVvJb~Bz4FRsjOiXnmQPS5Lowcwhl5Jmdj6GW5sMqYJ9oU~wA8c5yer3Oe5s9~mgEGLDwhh~OyRJzyicNHs937Wzpi3mFL1czLeZ5wsc58lTgEN~t0SEzoTVd~ig__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","NISKAYUNA CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT","date","2025-09-30T21:02:22Z","article","The policy committee asked administrators Sept. 30 to include the district's conference-expenditure and reimbursement language on its review list so policy aligns with current practice and procurement goals.

Committee members noted the district has increased professional-development spending and that the relevant reimbursement policy is titled to address food and beverage reimbursement while actual practice sometimes uses district procurement. \"The policy is written as reimbursed. The title is reimbursement for, food and beverage, but, certainly, you know, it's not always on a reimbursement model when there are food and beverages provided,\" one committee member said. The member added procurement by the district can yield better value in some instances.

The committee asked administrators to bring suggested clarifications so policy matches practice — for example, when the district procures food for meetings or conferences versus reimbursing individuals — and to include the item on the next meeting agenda if time permits. Members described this as a lower-priority, narrow-scope review compared with the 7,000-series work but one that should be completed to align policy language with operational practice.

No formal changes were adopted at the meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","9.30.2025 Policy Committee Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Committee members asked administrators to add conference-expenditure and food/beverage reimbursement language to the policy-work plan to align policy with actual procurement and practice.","taxTitle","NISKAYUNA CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT, School Districts, New York","taxId",56859,"location","New York","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},6454760,"Committee flags athletics and visitors/volunteers policies for close review",153,899800,1053000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5859867-0a3ddd928aca8a8fee31e6ba0e56cfee&start=899&end=1053","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5859867-0a3ddd928aca8a8fee31e6ba0e56cfee/thumbnail_899800.jpg","/articles/6454760/New-York/Committee-flags-athletics-and-visitorsvolunteers-policies-for-close-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6454760-5be95130aa0a043b009ee74f27f35d14/orig.mp4?Expires=1770546281&Signature=AB~6jLxG13vCZb115Qka2aEv~2zSoJSk7U2HUTiCby09kE7YI4lOKkGz1CgYn0OiKL79fOTrBw1O82WDASIUrrhOOPNT1prA87T7Kv4dI4N-yXpizbzJEYFWpU~r4pVDAk-M4VI7XIfBDyHVE2TVh-x5LLxqb~gLDT9d9zWLxqtpPD083~q-kezn4MSn--0If3ixa6aTczvWbnKjCuBcHZTp4Cqa-eX3eqS7ZtqE~w0HuObE-~1FUGfHxPN6lI~BmUzLKSUgGtSZc8~hRXdnzPFkWT95X9KuBHoc5AJWHvoyVODtuxLUGdx3Ev6RpFIGY-OrxuhIC~fpTxjZVTUSfA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Niskayuna Central School District Policy Committee identified two nonrequired but high-priority items for early review: the district's interscholastic athletics policy and the policies governing visitors and volunteers.

Cynthia (policy committee member) said the athletics policy dates to Feb. 2015 and that the district has introduced new sports, unified athletics and merged teams since then. \"With the number of new sports that we've implemented... we think there's probably merit to taking a closer look at this policy and making sure that it's aligned to our needs today,\" Cynthia said.

Committee members also asked for a review of visitor and volunteer rules after the district's recent security assessment. One member said the review should consider the full set of campus protections in place — visitor registration, lanyards that distinguish staff and visitors, security checkpoints, school security attendants and the assigned school resource officer — and ensure policy language supports those layers of security.

Although the athletics policy is in the 7,000-series student section, committee members agreed to add the athletics review to the required list because the policy is about students and affects a large share of the district population. The committee asked administrators to bring any recommendations and relevant data (for example, changes in participation or new classification rules) to the next policy meeting so that subject-matter staff can weigh in.","The committee identified the interscholastic athletics policy and visitor/volunteer rules as priorities for revision to reflect new sports, unified athletics, and campus-safety practices.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6454765,"Niskayuna committee moves toward formal AI policy; family guidance not yet released",321,1021380,1343000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5859867-0a3ddd928aca8a8fee31e6ba0e56cfee&start=1021&end=1343","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5859867-0a3ddd928aca8a8fee31e6ba0e56cfee/thumbnail_1021380.jpg","/articles/6454765/New-York/Niskayuna-committee-moves-toward-formal-AI-policy-family-guidance-not-yet-released","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6454765-4fcd15e6dd3718441f91a553371cb068/orig.mp4?Expires=1770534817&Signature=GelEEUT0JCtXHmZnSZlnJXAiLikAeKrT4K5x-SGqCYtzA8kfmMURF01Fj9EJsoDqnfTSIeOypnTNb91EjR5H0INibJU-lOD9Ps4E2svJzmPe4QfJeAM7p71Dk7CqsUbXY7F-cUaAWF6x7NjqS-wzFISjSCo4U-vQJFUDlFg55puZrKPMlwchEkM3qZuUNeudOAod~-uHGxz4zbBJfwNJEwLOoS5c5rzuRDGhkJY~jWWEiSAtT5LhbPddcPxb6rpVKQZqiR6CaF~odfKTLFTLHJn00HVnCXyvCXZZ3y7q6IsisChDCqT7IrNwNovIY9mw6cypseS~n6e6Ry5mMkr2HQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Niskayuna Central School District policy committee on Sept. 30 discussed plans to develop formal language for artificial intelligence and machine-learning usage by staff and students, and noted that existing internal guidelines have not yet been made broadly available to families.

Cynthia (policy committee member) said the district began with professional development for administrators and faculty and has a \"closely curated list of applications\" that staff and some students may use. \"I would anticipate this year or early next formal policy language,\" Cynthia said, adding that a consultant engaged by the regional BOCES will provide guidance to 24 Capital Region districts.

Committee members described current AI guidance as provisional, intended to give staff contextual guardrails rather than enforceable policy. One committee member said, \"I don't believe that the guardrails were shared with families,\" and that the documents were not yet \"family-ready.\" Committee members agreed the instructional innovation and artificial intelligence committee — newly formed and comprising administrators, teachers, staff and community members — should generate recommendations the policy committee can consider.

Discussion covered distinctions among different technologies. One participant urged care with terminology and said the committee should avoid a single umbrella label of \"AI,\" preferring terms that distinguish large language models (the committee cited ChatGPT and similar tools) from other machine-learning applications. Committee members noted the difference between generative AI and narrower, utility-focused machine-learning tools used for tasks such as scheduling.

Committee members asked administration to confirm whether the current staff-facing guidelines have been shared with families and to bring proposed formal policy language for review once the instructional-innovation committee and the regional consultant produce recommendations. No final policy was adopted at the meeting.","The committee heard that district staff have issued internal AI/ML guidelines and plan to develop formal policy with a consultant serving 24 regional districts; guardrails have not been widely shared with families.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6454770,"Niskayuna policy committee adopts phased review of required policies, targets 7,000-series next",0,3920,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5859867-0a3ddd928aca8a8fee31e6ba0e56cfee&start=3&end=3","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5859867-0a3ddd928aca8a8fee31e6ba0e56cfee/thumbnail_3920.jpg","/articles/6454770/New-York/Niskayuna-policy-committee-adopts-phased-review-of-required-policies-targets-7000-series-next","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6454770-91b185e1579a2d098cb209fafdcfefb4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770546281&Signature=E5CtjG29-dZqUpzS0FsMUnrQQims5PBUgnLaWUbaZUq8Pocfe0KMZehJGprcAzz7s6jltT5-X3bFHfhNXQgoSnQDvp0KEjJhY2NgtHbqJnFn-vi71LjMEcofC0QoLGhP43BdRaH9ZoD9M6QZ3WRnuAY2YDBfQNzdn-aidVhr6eLBZ8dc33Sh1CZ2-GoB5eTu1Ef1rkYP1gfSxZ1Mzhe141gp9oRx3qNfBY4UBgNIJ~f037znAHNZo9BljSkN-ssMYt6VhkxRkGy6DIl8Q5pFwYapYNyS5f739pkOlFi7WuvZZlOdsNwpZRKtgY8bwgMtMH6JzHRr0gzHhzKkVM4ovw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Niskayuna Central School District Policy Committee agreed Sept. 30 to a phased review of the district's required policy manual, prioritizing the 7,000-series student policies and asking administration to flag high-priority provisions for the committee's Nov. 10 meeting.

Committee members said the goal is to move from ad hoc reviews to a managed, section-by-section schedule that records when a policy was reviewed and makes administrative recommendations available to the committee. Cynthia (policy committee member) said the committee received paper copies of the required policies for the 7,000-series and estimated that roughly 29 policies in that section are formally required. \"I actually old schooled it this time and gave you all paper copies of all of the required policies in this section,\" Cynthia said.

The phased approach aims to make review more manageable by triaging policies the administration has already reviewed and reserving committee time for items that need deeper discussion. Committee members proposed a cutoff so policies recently reviewed (within two or three years) would not automatically return to full committee review unless flagged. The group agreed the committee should focus first on required policies; nonrequired policies would be scheduled later if time allows.

Administrators will scan the 7,000-series and identify which policies merit immediate attention or revision and which can be maintained. One committee member described a model used in another district in which the administration gives a recommendation—\"maintain,\" \"revise,\" or \"review\"—and the policy committee then decides what to recommend to the full board. Cynthia said the district subscribes to a policy update service provided through ERIE BOCES; that service notifies districts when changes are required by law or regulation and supplies recommended language.

The committee set a target to prepare for the Nov. 10 meeting with administration-supplied recommendations and to prioritize special-education-related required policies at an early meeting so subject-matter experts can participate. Committee members also discussed the need to record reviews in board agendas so the district has a clear audit trail of when policies were reviewed.

Members noted that state-level changes can require rapid local updates. One speaker pointed to a recent example — a law enacted over the summer addressing sudden cardiac arrest — as an instance where a single sponsor's bill required quick district response. The committee agreed to a one-hour meeting limit for routine review sessions and to schedule follow-ups as needed.

The committee did not take formal votes at the Sept. 30 meeting. Administrative staff were directed to scan the required policies, report recommended actions, and prepare materials for the November meeting so the committee can begin the phased review of the 7,000-series.

Looking ahead, the committee plans to develop a standing schedule for ongoing policy reviews to ensure policies are periodically revisited and brought into alignment with law and current practice.","The Niskayuna Central School District policy committee agreed to a phased review of required policies, prioritizing the large 7,000-series (student-related) section and asking administration to triage policies for the Nov. 10 meeting.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Policy committee to review conference-expenditure and reimbursement rules

Committee flags athletics and visitors/volunteers policies for close review

Niskayuna committee moves toward formal AI policy; family guidance not yet released

Niskayuna policy committee adopts phased review of required policies, targets 7,000-series next