District student services presented a revised student code of conduct that shortens the document, clarifies infractions and corrective actions, and flags several operational follow‑up items for the board.

Dr. Cathy Perindosi, director of student services, told the board the revision process included multiple focus‑group meetings with students, staff, parents and community partners. “They had a voice in each 1 of the focus group projects and they participated fully,” Perindosi said, describing student and community participation in the rewrite.

The presentation showed modest improvements in some indicators. Attendance percentages rose slightly compared with the prior year in the data the office presented: quarter‑one district attendance increased from 90.5% to 91.3%, and quarter‑two from 89.3% to 89.9%. The student services team also reported an increase in bullying reports — which the team said could be a result of increased awareness and reporting channels — and a decline in tobacco/THC referrals at the middle‑school level.

Staff added the district dress code as a highlighted quick reference in the new draft and noted they will translate and update school handbooks and train administrators before rollout. The board asked for three specific follow‑ups: (1) add a dress‑code quick reference to the table of contents with a page number; (2) annotate the assessor‑incident tables to show that three‑letter assessor codes are those submitted to the Florida Department of Education for state reporting; and (3) investigate student exposure to energy drinks, with health services and food services asked to review whether vending or on‑campus possession policies are needed.

Perindosi said the district’s student services group already convened a bullying‑investigation review committee and will continue to refine reporting and investigation practices. The board did not take formal action during the workshop and staff said they will return with any required policy edits and implementation plans.

Why it matters: The code of conduct governs how administrators and teachers document, investigate and respond to behavioral incidents across all district schools. Small changes to reporting or definitions can alter how incidents are coded and how an individual student’s case is processed.