OCPS staff present proposed changes to student-conduct code; board to consider final adoption at next meeting

District staff presented proposed revisions to Orange County Public Schools’ code of student conduct during a rule-development workshop Tuesday, including new definitions and reporting requirements for incidents classified as acts of hate, updated restitution language, and changes to the district’s cell-phone policy. Board members asked clarifying questions and requested minor wording edits; staff said the changes will be finalized for formal adoption at the board’s next meeting.

Why it matters: the proposed edits increase clarity about when incidents must be reported to the Florida Department of Education’s School Environmental Safety Incident Reporting system (CESSOR), change how the district describes and records acts motivated by protected characteristics, and adjust discipline and notification language. Those changes affect school administrators’ reporting obligations and parents’ notifications.

What staff proposed. Demiki Joyner, OCPS director of discipline, and Akiva Haynes, legal attorney supporting discipline, reviewed several specific revisions: the draft ties consequences for…