Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Student Discipline topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Keystone Central board votes 7-1 to move cellphone and dress-code language into student handbooks
Summary
At a special Aug. 21 meeting, the Keystone Central School District Board of Directors voted 7-1 to move agenda item C‑1 — updates on cellphone and hood/hat rules — into the student handbooks after debate about enforcement and safety uses of phones.
The Keystone Central School District Board of Directors voted 7-1 Thursday to move agenda item C‑1 — language addressing student cellphones and headwear — into the district student handbooks.
Board members debated whether the handbook language and consistent enforcement are sufficient or whether the district should ban phones entirely. The lone no vote came from Dr. Baldino; seven other board members voted in favor of placing C‑1 in the handbooks.
Board discussion focused on two issues: consistent enforcement of existing progressive-discipline language in the secondary handbooks and safety considerations tied to cellphone use. One board member summarized the existing high school approach, saying the handbook already ‘‘steps out’’ a first, second and later offences with escalating consequences, including detention and suspension. That explanation cited page references in the high school handbook describing first-, second- and subsequent-offense responses.
Several board members pressed for stricter enforcement across schools so teachers apply the rules uniformly. One member said, ‘‘If our policies are followed to the t, there should be an issue,’’ arguing the problem is inconsistent application rather than the absence of rules.
Others argued for a stronger prohibition. One board member said phones are ‘‘more of a distraction’’ and said he would prefer a full ban with students leaving phones in lockers during the day. Another raised a security-related benefit of phones, describing technology used by the county communications center where, after a 911 call, a dispatcher can trigger a function that lets the caller’s phone stream video to emergency personnel; the board member said multiple student streams could provide corroborating footage during serious incidents.
A board member on the safety committee said students are not trained on that dispatcher-linked capability. Several members said they want the item to go through the curriculum and safety committees in advance of any final handbook adoption so committees can vet enforcement and training plans.
After discussion, a motion to move C‑1 to the student handbooks was made, seconded and approved in a roll-call vote recorded as seven yes votes and one no vote. The meeting adjourned shortly thereafter.
