Board reviews Code of Conduct changes and district safety plan; AI use and transportation suspension addressed

The board held two required public hearings on May 23: an annual review of the district Code of Conduct and a review of the districtwide safety plan required under Project SAVE. Presenters laid out specific policy edits and operational safety updates the board will consider before the July reorganization meeting.

Code of Conduct changes: Lee (speaker 13) reported two additions for the coming school year: suspension of parking and suspension of driving privileges as a possible disciplinary action, and adding "failing to comply with classroom or assigned expectations around the use of AI" to prohibited student conduct. She said the committee revised language throughout (for example replacing gendered pronouns with "their") and removed subjective phrasing from the freedom of the press section. "There were two additions to the Code of Conduct this year," Lee said, noting the attorney and committee legal reviews that informed the edits.

Safety plan and Project SAVE: Lee also reviewed the districtwide safety plan, saying it is required by Project SAVE (Safe Schools Against Violence in Education), Education Law 2801‑a and Commissioner’s Regulation 155.17, and must be filed with the State Education Department and local police after board adoption. She explained annual training and drill requirements, the confidential building emergency response plans, and districtwide public safety protocols. Lee reported personnel updates to the incident command structure: "Neil Oliva [is] the Alternative Incident Commander, and Julia Drake is now the Public Information Officer," and said the district will update the plan again after two upcoming sets of Board of Regents amendments.

Why it matters: the Code of Conduct changes clarify disciplinary options and explicitly address emerging classroom issues such as AI use; the safety plan formalizes roles and training that affect staff, students and emergency responders. The board left time for public review before a formal vote at the annual reorganization meeting in July.

What’s next: the board will accept public comments through the required window and is scheduled to consider formal adoption of the Code of Conduct and the districtwide safety plan at the July reorganization meeting.