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Poughkeepsie board advances updated code of conduct after public hearing; child-abuse reporting policy approved
Summary
At a public hearing required under NY Education Law 2801 and the Dignity for All Students Act, the Poughkeepsie City School District board heard a superintendent overview of the proposed code, received no public comment, advanced Policy 5300 to first reading (Res. 26493), and approved Policy 5460 (child-abuse reporting) on second reading (Res. 26492).
The Poughkeepsie City School District Board of Education moved revisions to its student code of conduct to a first reading and approved a child-abuse reporting policy after a formal public hearing and routine votes.
The board opened the hearing by citing New York Education Law 2801 and the Dignity for All Students Act, which require a public hearing before adopting substantial changes to the district code of conduct. The superintendent told the board the draft reflects input from students, parents and faculty along with annual recommendations from the New York State School Boards Association (NYSBA), and that policy-committee members and the district clerk had participated in multiple review sessions.
According to a board member relaying the district’s lawyer, Kate Reed, Reed told the board she had reviewed many district conduct policies and described this draft as stronger than many others because it incorporated parent feedback and localized language. The lawyer’s comments were read into the record by a board member and not delivered directly from Reed at the hearing.
The board recessed briefly to allow time for any residents to arrive for public comment; when the meeting resumed the board opened the floor and no members of the public spoke on the code of conduct. The board then moved through routine business: it approved the consent agenda, voted to adopt Policy 5460 (child-abuse reporting) on second reading under Resolution 26492, and voted to bring Policy 5300 (code of conduct) forward as a first reading under Resolution 26493. The transcript records the votes as motions, seconds and “all in favor”; individual vote tallies and maker/seconder names are not specified in the record.
The actions taken preserve the procedural steps required by state law and allow the board to continue formal consideration of the revised code at its next scheduled meeting. No substantive public objections or proposed amendments were recorded during the hearing.
What’s next: Policy 5300 will proceed as a first reading under Res. 26493; the district did not record any public requests for postponement or amendment during this session.
