Dr. McGowan, presenting changes at the Aug. 20 public hearing, said the proposed code-of-conduct revisions mirror the district's recently adopted Policy 5695 addressing internet-enabled devices.

"Policy 5695 was the policy that you adopted to comply with the law," Dr. McGowan said. He described the changes as clarifying enforcement rather than introducing broad new behavior rules.

Under the revisions described at the hearing, students from kindergarten through 12th grade must keep personal devices — including cell phones, smartwatches, tablets, gaming devices and non-internet-enabled flip phones — stored (typically in lockers or designated classroom storage) during the school day. At middle and high schools the guidance is "bell to bell": devices must be stored and not visible; the district said school-issued laptops are the only permitted devices in instructional spaces.

Dr. McGowan explained limited exceptions: medically necessary uses documented in a physician's plan and approved by the school doctor; otherwise, the district said it will not grant routine anxiety-based exceptions. He emphasized the district's equity rationale for requiring school-issued devices in classrooms and said allowing individually registered personal devices would create an administrative burden and uneven access.

Consequences laid out in the proposed code of conduct include confiscation on a first offense with return to student and family at the end of the day; on a second offense the family must pick up the device; additional violations would trigger progressive discipline. The middle and high school rules also reiterate bans on recording or photographing in restrooms or locker rooms and prohibit electronic devices in exam rooms or during testing.

Dr. McGowan said the district will present the code of conduct for board adoption at the board's first September meeting to meet the timing required by state law. The hearing was informational; no adoption vote was taken on Aug. 20.