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Superintendent posts draft safety plan, unveils middle‑school phone rule; district updates solar, transportation study
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Cangrand told the board the draft 2024–25 district safety plan is posted for public review and that middle‑school students will be required to keep cell phones away during the academic day. Administrators updated the public on solar installations and a state‑funded transportation study that will inform bus‑garage plans and electric‑bus compliance.
Superintendent Dr. Cangrand told the board at its Aug. 8 meeting that the district's new website is live and that the draft 2024–25 district safety plan has been posted as part of the public‑hearing process; she invited residents to email questions and said the board will consider the plan for adoption in August.
On student technology, Dr. Cangrand said the district will adopt a middle‑school policy requiring cell phones to be kept away at all times during the academic day, citing concerns about distraction and social media. She said families and middle‑school parents will receive details from district staff ahead of the school year.
During public participation a resident asked whether the Robert Moses school phone rule applied all day, asked about the status of solar panels at the high school, raised past discussion of armed security guards and inquired about bus‑garage plans and bus driver staffing. An administrator answered that solar panels have been installed on most buildings and that the high‑school system is undergoing rooftop work and testing; some elementary buildings are already receiving credit for produced solar while PSEG completes testing and sign‑off. The administrator said architects are preparing pricing/options for the administration building; there are no finalized plans for the bus garage because the district has contracted a transportation study that the transcript says will be paid approximately 75% by New York State and that the study will examine drivers, buses and infrastructure as the district plans for compliance with an electric‑bus mandate targeted for about 2032–2033.
Dr. Cangrand also said the district is updating the high‑school electronic sign and adding a "Home of the Bulldog" plaque. Regarding armed guards, she said there have been conversations but "no action has been taken." The meeting concluded after brief closing remarks and a motion to adjourn.
What happens next: the draft safety plan remains open for public comment via the superintendent's listed email; parents should expect details on the middle‑school phone policy before the school year begins; the transportation study will take several months and will inform any future bus‑garage or fleet decisions.
