Board approves revised code of conduct for first reading after public hearing

Nina Ferraccio, the district’s director of school culture, presented proposed revisions to the Kenmore-Tonawanda Union Free School District code of conduct at a public hearing Tuesday, and the Board of Education voted unanimously to accept the revisions for first reading.

Ferraccio said the conduct committee — composed of stakeholders from across the district — met four times between January and April to review the code and gather feedback. She said the committee made minimal changes this year, including removing an age limit from the definition of a violent student so the code applies to “all students,” expanding the definition of a weapon to include ammunition and shotgun shells, and broadening the definition of defamation to cover “any social media platform.”

Why it matters: the updates clarify who the code covers and expand definitions of weapons and prohibited online defamation. Ferraccio emphasized the district’s communication plan: families receive a plain-language summary, the full code is posted on the district website and students receive presentations in September. She described tiers of response — from teacher-managed behavior to contact from counselors, assistant principals or principals — so families understand who will reach out depending on the severity and frequency of conduct issues.

Formal action: President Schmeara recommended the revised code on behalf of Superintendent Samato; Trustee Fred moved to approve the code of conduct for first read and Trustee Leanne Vogt seconded. The board called the vote and the motion “carried unanimously.”

Next steps: as a first read the document will remain subject to further review and the district plans a public posting and student-family rollouts over the summer and into September.