[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6393571,"mediaKeyId","2106719-750d1433d30664fea8f193a6d2d1d41a","parentId",2106719,"title","Board reviews cellphone survey; district staff to draft updated electronics policy","audioSeconds",689,"startMs",2071000,"endMs",2760000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2106719-750d1433d30664fea8f193a6d2d1d41a&start=2071&end=2760","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2106719-750d1433d30664fea8f193a6d2d1d41a/thumbnail_2071000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6393571/Connecticut/Board-reviews-cellphone-survey-district-staff-to-draft-updated-electronics-policy","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6393571-64649ce2f9e931033338bf7b74071e97/orig.mp4?Expires=1770426203&Signature=aFYaIkwlCLvIZS0vhOF54xhlb3yu-i57mSooJCY58tciDR7gQ-7fjsDj2jXg6C1sYlBjGn2224FGqBjSKC9qpiEX8m9ZiILc22Avta9gImYYPMCAWKjhA8LEIzDIRaQ9IvTEl26LeLdOnYm62Ce4jLMHNUgtJxIB2IyvlbRIKAvOj9te9pDsXKD6jUNiyPfEM5e1FnMbSgaqtBhEGlqnO5syAGPJsCExXnNrzJVCCuibjdgbUVpbC7cI3O5ITVD6Xb5gVN0cRcJ3HITNzLviKDmKYDoZQO4FG4hpkn04ueVyyuwyWAwHsH5yOWLrJCd1NePLe9ABFvHtTh9MYw3gGg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Chesire School District","date","2025-01-06T00:00:00Z","article","District staff presented survey results on student cellphone use and current school practices, and the board discussed possible policy clarifications and enforcement options.

Staff said the survey included responses from parents, students and teachers across elementary, middle and high school levels and highlighted differences by grade. Presenter reported that about 450 elementary parents responded; 312 middle-school parents responded; and 149 high-school parents responded. Teacher responses showed roughly 35% agreed and 25% strongly agreed that current cellphone practices were working well (a combined 60%), with neutrals and dissenting views accounted for in the remainder.

The presenter summarized school-by-school patterns: elementary respondents overwhelmingly favored stricter limits (staff quoted figures showing a high percentage of elementary parents say students should not access cell phones during the day), middle school responses tended to be more polarized with a strong middle (neutral) cohort, and high-school responses were the most neutral overall. The presenter said elementary parents tended to back restrictions on buses as well, noting enforcement challenges on full elementary buses.

Board members raised enforcement questions and the tension between staff discretion and free-speech considerations for staff social-media conduct. One board member asked whether the district had set objective thresholds — for example, incitement of violence — that would clearly trigger discipline; staff and counsel said such determinations are often fact-specific and may ultimately be judged by courts, and that the policy language leaves room for case-by-case discretion.

Staff recommended drafting a proposed policy update for a first reading that would reflect current practices and the survey data; the presenter said the draft will be brought back for board consideration. No formal policy vote was taken on cellphone rules at this meeting.

The presenter advised parents buying phones for younger students consider devices without social-media apps for safety and monitoring purposes. The presenter also noted that model district rules referenced in the packet are dated (mentions of beepers and pagers) and that current practice is more contemporary.

District staff said they will prepare a draft policy reflecting survey findings and the board's feedback for review at a future meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Chesire School District Policy Committee 1-6-25","oneSentenceSummary","District staff presented parent, student and teacher survey results on cellphone practices; the board discussed stricter middle-school enforcement, high-school flexibility and next steps to draft a policy for first reading.","taxTitle","Cheshire School District\t, School Districts, Connecticut","taxId",57162,"location","Connecticut","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6393576,"Cheshire School District advances package of policy updates to third reading",3341,58000,3399000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2106719-750d1433d30664fea8f193a6d2d1d41a&start=58&end=3399","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2106719-750d1433d30664fea8f193a6d2d1d41a/thumbnail_58000.jpg","/articles/6393576/Connecticut/Cheshire-School-District-advances-package-of-policy-updates-to-third-reading","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6393576-7825335698af80eee2c1afd6214bf65b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770426203&Signature=A3bToSgGEt5P2AEajQ298YpHfCzDnkmzQGH5Dc7U21XsIsZP2YCFxckQJkgY4JOK1YvG95WYpEgrlXzjEqkjJxZgvY-S8WUj7p9I6qeSUlJxJbBYS7X3u4cEFqUT9Msvxqh4M3HuuwrhwjQ~Hon2qvKpUYtkLlFeveCMqkhTdNtJQIp1cgOKqoqcKhR49o1-eMqGsKQJnBjLzkM2-doOXyoZ6L3zm6RJ-WqHiDfB0LcEwmwZp2DV6BqWkvyRK3zu6kkX3MDrv8oVyEDHQkxIXIxyxvVa6oV6xzhDYg~Nob4ed9WcFRCoutEWOf06KHdqcXvulvv9sHgnBXC5ljqLmg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Cheshire School District board moved a package of policy updates to a third reading after a staff presentation and brief discussion.

District staff said the package includes revisions to nondiscrimination and harassment rules, procedures for criminal background checks and fingerprinting, social networking guidance for staff, a change in the FAFSA-completion date, and updates tied to alternative education requirements. The board voted to send the policies to the full board for a third reading at the next business meeting.

The district presenter said attorneys reviewed the nondiscrimination and harassment policies so the two documents now \"act in concert\" and were consolidated where appropriate. The presenter read a provision from the social-networking regulation that says, \"If the board or superintendent believes that a staff member's activity on any social network…violates the district's policies, the board or superintendent may request that the employee cease such activity,\" and added that disciplinary action \"depends on the severity of the incident.\"

On the fingerprinting and criminal-records regulation, staff described detailed training and handling rules. They said some staff completed FBI- and state-police–provided training about who gets access to criminal records checks, how those checks are stored, and how records must be destroyed, noting guidelines such as overwriting electronic files and following specific storage and destruction protocols. The presenter said the regulation is \"cumbersome\" because it outlines storage, access and destruction requirements and references both law-enforcement best practices and statutory references.

Staff also noted a change to the district's FAFSA requirement: the graduating class year referenced in the policy was changed from \"25\" to \"27,\" meaning the graduating class of 2027 will be affected by the completion requirement as reflected in the draft policy language presented. Staff linked that requirement to state-level statutory implementation and funding flows that can affect federal reimbursement streams to districts.

Votes at a glance

- Policies moved to third reading (motion passed): 0521 (Nondiscrimination); 4000.1 / 42100.1 / 5145.44 (Harassment / Title IX); 4112.5 / 4212.5 (Security / Fingerprinting / Criminal history checks); 4118.51 (Rights, Responsibilities, Social Networking); 6148 (FAFSA completion); 6172 (Alternative education program). Outcome listed in meeting minutes: moved to the board for third reading / advanced to the next business meeting for formal vote.

Next steps — staff said a consolidated packet and links to the district website (for complaint filing and required training materials) will be updated and distributed before the full-board vote. The presenter said attorney Floyd had reviewed social-networking language and that policy implementation will rely in part on administrative discretion tied to severity and legal standards.

The board placed the policies on the agenda for the full board's third reading and vote at the next business meeting.","The board voted to move a group of district policy updates — including nondiscrimination, harassment/Title IX, fingerprinting/background checks, social networking, FAFSA completion and alternative education rules — to a third reading; staff outlined training, data-retention and complaint-reporting details.","actionData","errors"]

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Board reviews cellphone survey; district staff to draft updated electronics policy

Cheshire School District advances package of policy updates to third reading