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Board reviews draft 2025–26 code of conduct; publication and phone‑lock provisions await state action

3146615 · April 29, 2025
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Summary

District staff presented the draft 2025–26 code of conduct as an information item and told the board they will wait for pending state legislation before finalizing publication. Trustees discussed uniform enforcement, possible systemwide uniform colors to ease family burden, and state language about requiring a phone lock‑up mechanism in schools.

District staff presented a draft Liberty County School System code of conduct for the 2025–26 school year and described it as an information item while the district awaits pending legislation from the governor.

The presenter said schools reviewed the 2024–25 code and submitted minor edits; a digital copy was provided for the board’s review. The presenter said the system will not publish or send the code for final approval until the governor and related legislation are finalized.

Board members pressed for clarity on enforcement of dress code and uniform requirements, with several trustees urging consistent enforcement at the school level and wider dissemination to parents so expectations are clear. One member suggested allowing a small palette of colors systemwide so parents do not need to buy new tops when a child moves between schools.

Trustees also discussed draft changes tied to a pending state law about student cell phones. Staff said the law as written (not yet signed) would require districts to provide a mechanism for locking up phones; the superintendent and cabinet are discussing how that will apply to kindergarten through fifth grade. District presenters said current practice varies by level: kindergarten through fifth graders are not to use phones during the day, while grades six through 12 already have a lock‑up expectation.

Board members asked questions about logistics for the district’s “honor pouch” program for securing phones and the collection, sanitation and reissuance of fabric pouches at the end of the year. Staff said freshmen who remain at the same school will keep their issued pouch from year to year, but the district plans to collect, catalog and reissue equipment over the summer. Trustees raised sanitation concerns with reissuing fabric pouches and asked staff to return with sanitation procedures and cost estimates.

The code of conduct will return to the board for formal approval once staff have definitive guidance from state officials and the superintendent’s cabinet.