The Ferguson‑Florissant School District moved on Aug. 13 to align student handbook rules with recent state legislation and MSBA guidance, adopting a new device policy and adding progressive discipline language to the Student Expectation Code.

At the meeting MSBA‑provided material and a CES (Center for Education Safety) briefing noted that Senate Bill 68 — which the MSBA presenter said takes effect Aug. 28 — requires districts to adopt specified safety‑related changes. CES chief operating officer John McDonald advised districts not to buy vendor products to comply and emphasized training: “Don’t buy a thing…Most of Senate Bill 68 has very little cost to school districts. The cost is in the effort.”

Following the MSBA update and internal review, the board voted to rescind policy EHBA (student use of personal electronic devices for instructional purposes) and to waive first reading and put into effect policy JFCD (student use of personal communication devices). Administration presented the Student Expectation Code (SCC) that implements a progressive discipline sequence for device violations — verbal redirection, parent contact, student referral and device turn‑in to the office, and escalating consequences for repeat non‑compliance — and added the district slogan “Device‑Free in FFSD.” The SCC also includes carve‑outs for IEP‑documented educational uses and emergency situations.

Dr. Charlie Moore, chief of staff, said the aim is consistency across schools and to limit discretionary action that produces disproportional discipline: the SCC “is designed to promote consistency across all of our schools, address disciplinary disproportionality and provide a clear shared framework for our students, staff and families.” Board members and administrators emphasized that the district will first use interventions and parent outreach rather than default to suspensions, and that administrators retain discretion for serious incidents.

Why it matters: the policy change responds to state law and affects every student and staff member during school hours. Administrators said the first‑day message to families will emphasize that devices — including earbuds and smartwatches — must not be visible or used during school hours and that failure to comply can lead to progressive disciplinary steps; parents were urged to leave nonessential devices at home.

Ending: The district said it will publish communications to families ahead of school start, provide administrators with the refined SCC disciplinary matrix, and monitor implementation. The board directed staff to bring the revised handbook language and communications materials back to the board if additional legal or operational clarifications are needed.