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Board approves bell‑to‑bell ban on personal internet devices for students; code of conduct updated
Summary
The Three Village Board voted July 1 to adopt a district policy banning students’ internet‑capable personal devices during the school day, with limited exceptions; the policy is embedded in an updated code of conduct that also advances definitions and reporting channels for bias‑related incidents.
The Three Village Central School District Board of Education on July 1 approved a district policy that bans the use of students’ personal internet‑assisted devices during the school day except for district‑issued devices, and adopted updates to the district code of conduct that incorporate the device policy and strengthen reporting and definitions for bias‑related incidents.
Superintendent Dr. Scanlon said the regulation requires the board to adopt the device policy in time for families to be notified before schools open. “Part of this is there’s a bell to bell ban of all Internet assisted devices with the exception of those issued by the school district,” Dr. Scanlon said, adding that district Chromebooks issued to students are permitted.
Nut graf: The policy takes effect for the upcoming school year and was approved to allow the district time to notify families and staff before August 1. The board also updated the district’s code of conduct to embed the device policy and to add legally vetted definitions for terms such as antisemitism, Islamophobia and racism; the code clarifies discipline options and reporting channels.
Under the approved rules: students may not use personal internet‑capable devices during the school day; district‑issued devices (for example, Chromebooks) remain allowed. Secondary students must keep devices turned off and stored in lockers or backpacks; elementary procedures remain unchanged. The policy includes case‑by‑case exemptions for students with health needs documented under Section 504 plans or individualized education programs (IEPs).
Dr. Scanlon said staff and administrators cannot be held to the same total ban because many district systems use multifactor authentication that requires a secondary device. He noted that for secondary students who do not use lockers, backpacks are an acceptable place to store devices so long as they remain off.
The updated code of conduct embeds the device regulation and reiterates consequences that are age‑appropriate; Dr. Scanlon emphasized the regulation does not permit suspension solely for device policy violations. “We are not permitted to suspend students for violations of this policy,” he said. The code update also advances a set of task forces working on definitions of antisemitism, Islamophobia and racism; the district said legal counsel will vet those definitions before inclusion.
The board waived first reading and approved Policy 56.95 (Personal Electronic Devices) and Code of Conduct (Policy 5300) in the July 1 meeting so notification can start ahead of the new school year.
Ending: District leaders said they will circulate detailed guidance via superintendent bulletins and back‑to‑school communications to families and staff, and they listed main offices, guidance and nurse offices, a safe‑schools hotline and the GoGuardian system as reporting pathways for concerns.
