Board reviews first‑read policy drafts including school safety and cybersecurity
Summary
On Dec. 8 the board reviewed first‑read drafts of several policies—sale/disposal of property, fixed assets accounting, school safety plans (including a cardiac emergency response plan due Jan. 20), field trip consent forms, and a cybersecurity incident response policy that raised a question about ransom payments.
The Huntington Union Free School District Board of Education reviewed several first‑read policy drafts at its Dec. 8 meeting, with discussion and initial votes to bypass second readings on items the board said reflect existing practice.
Policies reviewed included draft policy 52.50 on sale and disposal of district property and policy 56.21 on accounting of fixed assets. Board members moved to bypass further readings on several of these items, noting the drafts largely codify current procedures for equipment disposition and salvage‑value assessment.
The board also reviewed draft policy 5681 regarding school safety plans. District staff reported that a cardiac emergency response plan and building‑level code‑blue teams are being developed with a target approval date of Jan. 20, 2026; the district‑wide safety plan will be re‑approved at the Jan. 12 board meeting to meet that deadline.
During discussion of draft policy 58.51 (cybersecurity incident response), one board member asked whether the proposed language contemplates ransom payments in a cyber incident, saying the policy text appears to allow consideration of ransom payment and recommending the question be addressed at second read. No policy change was adopted at this meeting.
Other items reviewed included student evaluation/promotion policy (72.10), graduation options (72.20), student privacy and parental access (72.51), and bilingual field trip consent forms (84‑60 F 0.1 and 0.2). Board members discussed dual‑enrollment fee structures and noted district participation in reduced‑cost and free options for qualifying students; the board indicated funding full college enrollment district‑wide would carry significant cost implications and require further study.
