Scotia‑Glenville proposes stricter device rules, clearer attendance and prom eligibility in code of conduct revisions

The Scotia‑Glenville Central School District presented proposed revisions to its student code of conduct that would strictly limit personal electronic and internet‑enabled devices during the instructional day and tighten attendance‑related rules at the high school.

Eric (high school representative) told the hearing that the proposed high‑school language would require "all electronic communications devices ... to be stored in the student's lockers at the beginning of the day and then picked up again at the end of the day." He said the change is aimed at improving classroom focus and aligning the handbook with recent state legislation.

The proposal sets a graduated discipline schedule across buildings. In the middle/high school presentation, Mark McCarthy said the plan is: a documented first‑offense warning, a second offense that results in one detention with the device confiscated and returned at the end of the school day, a third offense that triggers in‑school suspension and requires a parent or guardian to retrieve the device, and subsequent offenses that could lead to additional in‑school suspension and a remediation plan. McCarthy cautioned that "external suspension would be only in cases of escalation and insubordination," meaning refusal to surrender a device rather than mere possession.

Elementary schools proposed smaller, largely vocabulary‑focused edits. John Giannetti (elementary representative) said the elementary changes clarify storage language to reflect practice — "we asked the kids to put them in their book bags, when in fact we ask them to put them in their cubbies" — and to keep established rules about playground boundaries and equipment retrieval.

Elementary recess and cold‑weather rules were also discussed. Giannetti said the district will use a "real‑feel" threshold and that "when it's 20 degrees and above, we go outside," with administrators and recess monitors responsible for ensuring students have appropriate outerwear or obtaining extra jackets as needed.

Administrators addressed enforcement and property concerns. Board members asked where confiscated phones would be kept; presenters said devices would be secured in office spaces or a monitored container at the secretary's desk and recorded in the school's referral system. McCarthy said if confiscations rise significantly the district would develop a more formal storage and tracking plan.

Legal limits and exemptions were raised. A board member asked about state law limiting suspension solely for device possession (cited in the meeting as "section 32 14"). Administrators said they consulted district counsel and were advised that in‑school suspension is classified differently than out‑of‑school suspension and can be used as a disciplinary step; they also said medical and IEP‑documented exemptions and school‑issued devices (for example, Chromebooks) would be explicitly exempted in the revised language.

The high school portion also proposed stricter attendance and senior‑privilege rules. Eric said the district would require documentation for early sign‑outs before 10 a.m., disallow underclassmen from signing out to leave campus for lunch or study hall, and tie senior privileges to academic standing and attendance. He said students with "more than 15 unexcused absences for the year, or more than 5 days of out‑of‑school suspension, [or] 8 days of in‑school suspension" could be barred from prom.

Other handbook clarifications include replacing "BOCES/VOTEC" with "CTE (career and technical education)" and formalizing that students may drive to CTE programs only with permission from the guardian, the CTE principal and the high school principal.

Presenters said the district will document offenses in the new electronic referral system and communicate the approved changes to families immediately. Eric said administrators plan to validate medical exemptions through school medical personnel and provider documentation before permitting device access for those students.

No formal vote or final adoption was recorded in the transcript provided; presenters said the changes would be communicated to families as soon as the revisions are approved.