Board debates handbook changes: ID badges, stricter phone limits and attendance clarifications

The Cuyahoga Falls Board of Education spent extensive time May 8 reviewing proposed edits to elementary, middle- and high-school handbooks, focusing on student identification badges, electronic-device rules, attendance definitions and miscellaneous disciplinary language.

Superintendent Andrea Selico described security-driven changes tied to the new 6–12 campus: "We're gonna make mandatory badges that the students have to wear them," she said, outlining plans for lanyards, temporary office passes and a $5 replacement fee for lost IDs. The administration said badges will help staff identify visitors and improve building security; principals would issue temporary passes when students forget cards.

Phone and electronics policy drew the most debate. The draft language would require devices to be "off and out of sight" during the school day at some levels, with building administrators given discretion to allow use for educational purposes, lunch or study hall. Trustees debated consistency across handbook sections and enforcement mechanics; one board member urged embedding the stricter wording in the disciplinary code to avoid mixed messages.

Board members pressed for clarity on attendance language that references days and partial hours. Trustees asked how the policy will account for students with frequent medical appointments and whether the stated 10 excused absences applies to hours or full days; administration agreed to make the hours/days language explicit and to provide a policy link clarifying excusal procedures.

Other revisions discussed included dress-code clarifications (hooded garments and footwear safety), limits on book bags in middle schools for space/safety reasons, and streamlined discipline categories to distinguish physical aggression from lower-level incidents. Trustees also raised whether an AI policy should be adopted at board level or left to administrative guidance.

The board did not vote on handbook adoption at the meeting; trustees requested a revised clean copy showing tracked changes and said a parent-feedback session will be held before a forthcoming vote.