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Board adopts revised policy to shorten student suspensions; related policy retired
Summary
The Schenectady City School District board adopted policy 7314 on shortening or revocation of student suspensions at its March 25 work session; the board also voted to sunset policy 7690 as duplicative and postponed further changes to related suspension and disability policies until April.
The Schenectady City School District Board of Education voted March 25 to adopt a revised policy (7314) addressing the shortening or revocation of student suspensions and to retire an older, duplicative policy.
Deputy Superintendent Joe DiCaprio introduced language changes developed by the policy committee to better align suspension practices with the district code of conduct and equity considerations. Board member Kathy moved to adopt policy 7314; board member Vivian seconded the motion. One board member stated opposition during the vote; the motion carried and policy 7314 was adopted.
Earlier in the meeting, the board debated wording changes for policy 7313 (suspension of students) and 7315 (students presumed to have a disability for discipline purposes). Board members raised concerns that the draft text for 7315 did not clearly reflect current practice when a student is only suspected of having a disability — specifically, that suspicion does not automatically trigger a Committee on Special Education (CSE) meeting under existing practice. Members recommended reordering and clarifying sentences to remove perceived contradictions between a policy title and its first paragraph. The board agreed to bring amended language back for further discussion at the April 15 meeting so the full board can review committee notes.
The board also voted to sunset policy 7690 (discipline of students with disabilities) on the grounds that it is duplicative of the updated 7315 language once that policy is finalized. That motion was moved, seconded and carried after one member voiced opposition.
The board said it will return to related second and third reads, including the suspension and disability‑related policies, at the April 15 meeting with revised language and committee feedback included.
The vote on policy 7314 and the sunset of 7690 are formal board actions recorded in the work session minutes; the exact roll‑call tallies beyond the recorded single opposition were not specified in the meeting transcript.
