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Board hears first reading of state‑mandated electronic device policy; code of conduct and safety plan updated
Summary
The board’s policy committee presented a first reading of a state‑mandated electronic‑device policy to be adopted by Aug. 1, alongside proposed updates to the district safety plan and code of conduct that add locked‑door procedures, appeals timelines and guidance on electronic devices during emergencies.
The Saugerties Central School District Board reviewed a first reading of a state‑mandated policy on cell phones and other electronic devices and discussed related updates to the district code of conduct and safety plan at the June 10 meeting.
District administrators told the board the state requires districts to adopt an electronic‑device policy by Aug. 1; the district released the draft policy to email recipients and asked for public feedback before the policy committee’s July meeting and a July 8 board consideration. The draft would generally require secondary students to keep phones, earbuds and smartwatches stowed during instructional periods; the district plans to provide Yondr‑style pouches for secondary students and to keep devices in students’ backpacks at the elementary level. Exceptions would be made for students with medical plans or 504 accommodations, administrators said.
The draft policy and the updated district safety plan also reference emergency procedures: administrators said devices should be stowed during lockdowns or other emergencies, because live messaging from students can complicate response and interfere with law‑enforcement operations. The safety‑plan updates add earthquake guidance and explicit language that classroom doors should be closed and locked during the school day; administrators acknowledged that some rooms with heat issues may require remediation strategies, and the board discussed measures the district has taken to address classroom temperatures (including targeted window AC purchases and facilities work for the 600 wing).
The district also proposed changes to the code of conduct to clarify building‑level infractions and to set an appeals timeline. Under the proposed update, appeal hearings that reach the board would be scheduled within 10 calendar days of an appeal, replacing the older practice of waiting until the next scheduled board meeting. Administrators described the code changes as practical clarifications to align with recent incidents and to make disciplinary categories clearer for staff and families.
Board members encouraged public input — noting that the policy and code revisions were developed in committee and that community members, teachers and parents attend policy meetings — and repeated that draft language will return to the policy committee in July for revision before a final board vote.
No final vote was taken at the June 10 meeting; administrators asked the public to submit feedback during the summer so the policy committee could refine language ahead of the August implementation deadline.
