Published: July 16, 2009 11:29 pm      

Board considers behavior book distribution and/or discussion

CUMBERLAND — One of the first classroom discussions Allegany County students have this fall might not have anything to do with reading, writing or arithmetic.

It might be a conversation about how they’re supposed to behave.

A revised code of conduct titled “A Student’s Guide to Rights and Responsibilities in the Allegany County Public School System” has been drafted, and administrators are trying to figure out the best way to spread the word about the rules, director of Student Services Sheree Witt told the board of education Tuesday night.

The 15-page guide describes policies on issues such as attendance, bullying, weapons, dress code, discipline and substance abuse.

“If we distribute it to the entire student body, we’re looking at a charge of about $2.10 per copy,” Witt said, adding that distributing booklets to high school students only would cost about $5,000.

But some school board members don’t think simply handing out rule books is enough.

“I know where a lot of these will end up,” said Tom Striplin, pretending to throw something in a trash can.

Devoting classroom time to a discussion of the booklet might make more sense, Striplin and other board members suggested.

Most policies haven’t changed significantly, with the exception of the definition of bullying, which has been expanded to include electronic communication such as cell phone, computer or pager.

“Bullying, that needs to be something that’s addressed in the classroom because it simply won’t be tolerated,” said board member Jeff Metz. “That will show students we’re serious about it.”

Student board member Morgan Walbert said she doesn’t think most students will read the guide on their own.

“Some people will flip through it,” the Allegany High School senior said.

A classroom discussion of the guide would “be much better absorbed by the student body than just giving them a paper that they probably won’t read,” Walbert said.

The board was to review the draft and further discuss how to distribute it.

In other business at Tuesday’s school board meeting:

• The new culinary arts program at the Center for Career and Technical Education is over budget and behind schedule and won’t be completed when school starts this fall.

Facilities director Vince Montana said administrators are considering some “creative options” and “alternatives for equipment” to meet budget. An additional $85,000 recently became available from the state, he said.

Fifteen students who signed up for the program will likely use space at Allegany College of Maryland during the first part of the year, said Career Center Principal Deborah Bittinger.

“We plan to meet with the students and their parents so that they understand the facility will not be ready on day one,” Bittinger said.

• Food Services had an overall loss of $246,000 for the year, including $24,300 from parents who didn’t pay for lunches their children ate. The department recently received an equipment grant of $95,800, which should help offset its deficit. A new computer billing system is a bit closer to becoming a reality, said Todd Lutton, director.

Superintendent of Schools David Cox, who attended his first school board meeting Tuesday, said he recommends the computer billing system, which worked well for the school system he ran in Culpeper County, Va.

“It really does give parents a lot of options as far as paying for lunches,” Cox said. “They can actually view what their children have been eating. Some systems also allow parents to place a restriction on what children can eat. … It’s a pretty powerful tool.”

Contact Kristin Harty at kharty@times-news.com.