Board hears sanitation problems, new referral pathways and proposed code‑of‑conduct edits

Quarterly facility inspections and proposed policy updates were prominent items at the Madison County School Board’s Dec. 16 workshop: custodial inspections identified safety and sanitation shortfalls at Central School, and administrators proposed explicit code‑of‑conduct edits the board will advertise ahead of a January hearing.

Facilities: Mr. White presented a preliminary sanitation inspection for Madison County Central School, including photographs of exposed chemicals in unmarked containers, extension cords, dirty fixtures and graffiti. He described weekly administrative walkthroughs, monthly sanitation reports and a deeper quarterly inspection process with corrective actions that he expects to document by mid‑January. "From what we're finding... there's a lot of work to be done still," he said, and noted the district will submit an after‑action corrective plan to the state risk manager (FISBET) in January.

Board members emphasized accountability along with resourcing: several said short staffing has limited custodial capacity and recommended exploring targeted outsourcing or additional hours for employees to complete identified tasks. The board also discussed past centralized storage of IT equipment and confirmed most of those items have been moved out of classrooms.

Policy and student conduct: Mr. Williams proposed amendments to the student code of conduct to clarify alternative‑placement return procedures, require terms of stay to be "one full semester" (removing the word "normally"), and correct wording to "possession or use" for drug violations. He also proposed aligning vaping/THC language with specific prohibited items and referrals for potential criminal charges where appropriate. The board agreed the changes will be advertised and brought to a January hearing.

Staffing/process items: The board approved a short timeline to gather teacher feedback on a proposed progression plan: a three‑question survey will be sent and results compiled by Jan. 5 so the board has time to review before the January meeting. District staff also described expanded mental‑health referral forms and a double‑track response pathway (responsive vs. comprehensive) to speed triage for students in crisis.

What’s next: facilities corrective-action documentation will be compiled for the district’s FISBET meeting in January; staff will advertise the code‑of‑conduct changes, collect teacher input on progression proposals by Jan. 5, and present final drafts and recommendations at the January workshop and subsequent hearing.