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Wappingers board opens public hearing on revised code of conduct, attendance policy
Summary
The board opened a public hearing on draft revisions that consolidate repetitive language, align the cell-phone section with board policy 56.95, add 'misuse of hall pass' as a new infraction, and remove language linking attendance directly to grades; the hearing will return for final board action at the next meeting.
The Wappingers Central School District Board of Education opened a public hearing June 8 on proposed revisions to the district’s code of conduct and attendance policy.
The presenter said the draft, posted online since May 17, consolidates repetitive material to make the document more user-friendly for students and parents, moves nondiscrimination language to an appendix, and aligns the cell-phone section with existing board policy 56.95. The draft adds a new behavioral referral for “misuse of hall pass,” defined as “unauthorized use, alteration or sharing of a pass including traveling to unassigned locations or remaining in hallways longer than necessary.” The presenter said the draft also removes language that directly ties poor attendance to lower grades so that students who miss school can make up work in accordance with the district’s grading policy.
Board member Miss Vegas thanked staff for trimming excess language but raised a concern about how the progressive-discipline chart could be read by parents. “It seems as though the progressive discipline policy is we’re always going to start at level one,” she said, noting that some serious infractions may warrant suspension or in-school-suspension as an initial response. The presenter and other board members said the chart is meant to provide a range of disciplinary consequences and that administrators retain discretion to start at a higher level depending on the offense and student age.
The board voted unanimously to close the public hearing and resume the regular meeting. The presenter said the board will consider any public feedback and schedule final approval at the next board meeting, pending any recommended changes.
The proposals covered in the hearing include readability and reorganization changes, a clarified attendance-notification threshold for parents of students with excessive unexcused absences, and updates intended to align attendance language with district grading policy. Documents and tracked changes were available online before the hearing.
