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Candidates debate cell phone bans and say state law governs transgender sports participation
Summary
At a forum for Averill Park Central School District board seats, candidates gave mixed views on classroom cell phone restrictions and said state law guides policies on transgender students in sports and facilities.
At a candidate forum for the Averill Park Central School District, held ahead of the May 20 school budget and board election, candidates gave divergent views on a proposed classroom cell phone ban and broadly deferred to state law on policies for transgender students in sports and single-sex spaces.
The issue drew sustained discussion because the forum's community survey flagged both topics. Candidates described local experiences with phone restrictions and repeatedly said the district must follow New York state law on student participation in gender‑segregated activities.
Chris Phillips, a candidate and a middle school social studies teacher, said his classroom experience makes him skeptical that a blanket cell‑phone prohibition will work. "Kids that follow rules are going to follow rules, the ones that don't are finding ways around it," Phillips said, describing two years of a bell‑to‑bell ban in another district that he said led students to leave class to use phones. He added that stricter, enforceable measures might be more effective.
Megan (incumbent candidate) said she has heard both positive and negative reports about phone bans and cited student testimony from this district: a student representative told her the removal of phones was "a relief" and allowed better focus. Samantha (incumbent) also emphasized district experience with phone‑free zones and the importance of evidence when shaping policy.
On participation by transgender students in sports and access to single‑sex spaces, several candidates said state law and state regulations determine district policy. Megan urged residents to take concerns about state law to elected state officials, saying the board must follow the law. Smith (board member) pointed candidates and the public to the Dignity for All Students Act as the governing framework for treatment of students and to administrative supports for handling individual cases.
Candidates described operational approaches for privacy and safety: Phillips said successful practice has been to give transgender students access to changing and bathroom spaces they prefer; he said that approach "has worked really well." Allison Massey, a candidate and financial operations coordinator, said she respects Title IX and wants to protect female sports opportunities while acknowledging she was not offering a legal prescription at the district level.
No candidate proposed a specific new district rule at the forum; instead they described experiences, expressed policy preferences, and repeatedly noted that the district must comply with state statutes and regulations.
The forum offered community members an opportunity to hear how candidates would respond to two culturally charged topics; any formal change would require board action informed by legal counsel and state guidance.
