Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Student Discipline topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board reviews code changes on cellphones, expulsions and classroom behavior tracking
Summary
District staff proposed code-of-conduct revisions to reflect recent legislation on wireless-device restrictions, an expanded role for threat-management in expulsion decisions and guidance on classroom behavior tracking forms.
Flagler County School District staff presented proposed revisions to the student code of conduct on June 24 to reflect recent legislative changes and to formalize classroom behavior documentation.
Assistant staff member Marcus Glasgow explained the new language for wireless devices: "Elementary and middle school students may not use their cell phone communication devices during the school day. High school students may not use a wireless communication device during instructional time except for one expressly directed by the teacher solely for educational purposes." The change updates the code to separate elementary/middle prohibitions from limited high-school instructional use.
Expulsion and threat-management changes: staff explained that House Bill 1255 authorizes the superintendent, in consultation with the district’s threat-management team, to assess whether expulsion periods should be extended and to describe educational services provided during any extension. Glasgow said the statute requires the superintendent to prepare a rationale and describe educational services for any extension. Board members asked staff to draft a procedure and legal review language and to consider bringing extension recommendations to the board so the board is informed when an expulsion period is prolonged.
Behavior tracking guidance: staff proposed clarifying language for classroom-level behavior-tracking forms (PB4-style documentation) that teachers may use to record patterns of low-level behavior, interventions, and family communication prior to referring a student to administration. Glasgow said the forms are intended to "preserve the authority of the classroom teacher, foster collaborative problem solving, and ensure families are informed and involved early in the process." Board members asked that transportation-related incidents be captured with similar documentation and recommended follow-up steps such as parent certification, seat reassignment on buses and safety plans for repeated incidents.
Next steps: staff said they will draft operational procedures, coordinate with legal counsel to ensure compliance and return recommended policy language to the board (with suggested language about bringing extensions before the board for awareness or action). The draft changes will be incorporated into the board’s policy review process and a public comment period prior to final adoption.
Ending: Board members praised the clarifications, asked staff to expand language for transportation and suspension-return conditions, and asked for final draft policies at the July review meeting.
