South Country schools approves new code of conduct

When South Country School District’s 4,000 students return to the classroom on Sept. 3, they will hear about the district’s new Code of Conduct that goes into effect with the new school year.

On Aug. 15, the board of education unanimously approved the 52-page document, which the district hopes will be easier for students to understand the behavior that is expected of them on school property and at school-sanctioned off-campus events.

Unlike the previous code, of which the focus was more punitive, the new conduct code lays out students’ rights, as well as their responsibilities.

While serious violations still carry severe consequences up to and including “potential long-term removal from school or alternative placement,” the approach to less serious offenses is to get students to hold themselves accountable for their misbehavior and recognize how it affects their fellow students and others, including teachers and staff.

“Consequence alone isn’t enough to change behavior,” South Country superintendent Antonio Santana said. “It’s about accountability and making positive choices.”

The new Code of Conduct took about a year to write, and included seeking feedback from the South Country PTA Council, Special Education PTA, students, and the unions representing teachers and staff.

The district worked with Eastern Suffolk BOCES in drafting the code. It is modeled after the one used by the Niskayuna Central School District in upstate New York.

The new code isn’t a response to any incidents, Santana said. But since the district updates its Code of Conduct each year, Santana, who is beginning his third school year as superintendent, said he wanted to write a new document that takes a different approach from its predecessor.

Several South Country Board of Education members spoke well of the plan in approving it at their Aug. 15 meeting.

“It holds people accountable in a positive fashion,” trustee Cheryl Felice said.

Although the code continues to punish what trustee E. Anne Hayes called “extreme behavior,” “it’s being approached on an educational basis,” she said.

The district plans to mail a four-page summary of the code to parents this week. It will also be discussed with Bellport High School students at an upcoming assembly, Santana said.

The following people played a leading role in drafting the new Code of Conduct:

Brian Dalpiaz, school psychologist, Bellport High School

Beth Doyle, assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and accountability

Colleen Oates-Robesch, media specialist, Bellport High School

Meghan White, social studies teacher, Bellport High School