The Board of Education for CUSD #205 will be considering some changes to the Code of Conduct for students next month.
Changes include adding Epinephrine and Opioid Antagonists to the medications that can be administered to students in the code and aligning the district with the Regional Office’s attendance action steps.
One aspect of the code that was identified as the biggest disrupter for education by administrators was the use of cell phones or electronic devices.
“You talk about wanting to raise achievement scores… this is what is getting in the way,” Associate Principal Nick Young told the board Monday night. “And, it’s no fault — I don’t want to blame parents or children. It’s the society we live in now. Kids wake up and they’re on a device.”
Unless granted permission by the building administrator, the policy will be that the devices are off and out of sight from the start of school till the end of school.
Student infraction–device brought to the school office for after-school pickup
- First two offenses–student pick up/Verbal Warning
- Third offense–Parent pick up/Phone call home; 1:1 conference with Dean
- Fourth offense–Parent pick up/Problem-solving meeting with Administration, Student, and Parent/Guardians–30 Min. Detention
- Fifth or any subsequent offense–Parent follow up, subject to ISSP/Restorative Room; Student prohibited from bringing the device to school for a period of 5 days. If a student continues to violate the policy student could be prohibited from bringing for the remainder of the school year.
Another change was to the dress code policy change to allow students at the high school to wear clear backpacks so students could carry books from class to class without making another trip to their lockers.
Another change would eliminate head coverings.
“This is another thing where we are seeing a lot of odd things this year. Coal mining helmets, 12-packs of pop being worn on heads and [the students] saying ‘there’s no bill or brim on these, I can wear this.'”
There was some disagreement from board members with the change as it was presented in regard to the head coverings change. Several board members expressed concerns regarding headwear that is culturally and religiously important to students and allowing them the ability to wear them.
It is noted that any concerns regarding dress or appearance would be up to the building principal or designee to make the final decision. Young said the goal wasn’t to come down on students and that the building principals would have those conversations regarding headwear with the students and families.
Another change would not be allowing students who are chronically truant or have committed severe behavioral infractions to attend school-sponsored events that are not academic in nature.