The Rockville Centre Board of Education opened a 30-day public review of a revised district code of conduct at its May 29 meeting and discussed how to implement a separate state mandate to prohibit unsanctioned student use of internet-enabled devices during the school day.

The district’s code-of-conduct committee "included various stakeholders in the district, which encompass parents, student members, teachers, board members, building, and district leaders," said Marie Dalton, who summarized the committee’s work. "The revised draft of the code of conduct is available now for public view on the district website for a 30 day period, and is scheduled for adoption on July 1." Dalton said the updates aim to align language across policies and include guidance on the use of artificial intelligence and behavioral intervention plans.

Why it matters: the code of conduct defines expectations and disciplinary benchmarks for students across buildings. Board members pressed staff about clarity and consistent enforcement, and the superintendent flagged an overlapping statewide policy change that will affect local rules.

Board members asked for clearer wording in the draft, especially around student identification requirements and whether middle-school IDs will become an expectation. One board member raised concerns about equity and consistent application of discipline: "there is a feeling and conversation that there are certain groups of people ... who feel that the rules are not equitably applied," the member said, urging further monitoring and community communication.

Superintendent Patrick Gavin told the board that Governor Kathy Hochul included a new requirement in the state budget that will compel districts to adopt a "bell to bell" cell phone-free policy for the 2025–26 school year. "The core of this mandate is the prohibition of unsanctioned uses of smartphones and other internet-enabled personal devices ... from the moment a student enters until they leave," Gavin said, noting the district must now plan both policy language and practical enforcement measures. He added that while sanctions for unauthorized possession may be allowed under the new law, suspension is not an available penalty under the state rules.

Next steps: the district will continue public discussion and expects to bring the code of conduct to a July 1 adoption vote after the 30-day comment period. The board scheduled further conversation on the state cellphone mandate at an upcoming June meeting so administrators, teachers, students and bargaining units can help craft district procedures that comply with state requirements while addressing equity and privacy concerns.

The meeting record shows the code-of-conduct draft and the public comment timeline; adoption is scheduled but has not occurred.