May 1, 2024

Dear NECSD students and families,

The Newburgh Enlarged City School District is committed to maintaining high standards of excellence for all students in all schools. Because we believe that the education of children is a shared cooperative effort, the District is also committed to creating and maintaining high behavior standards by working in partnership with parents, students, families, and our shared community. 

We believe that school/family/community partnerships ensure that in-school behavior expectations for students are known, modeled, and emphasized at home, at school, and throughout the community. 

We expect our children to receive a quality education and we accept our responsibility to emphasize the educational values incorporated in the qualities of good citizenship (honesty, compassion, respect, and responsibility). 

We believe that high expectations promote achievement and we will support high educational demands. We believe that students of all ages should be assisted in developing responsible behavior and we will teach our children through our examples and the rules we set. 

We believe that students have rights and that with those rights come responsibilities.

Student discipline and support policies and practices are implemented in a manner that is caring, equitable, respectful, and based on trust among administration, staff, students, and families and holds all individuals accountable, but is restorative and solutions-oriented, rather than punitive. Our goal is not to punish students, but to improve behavior and prevent misconduct from reoccurring.

The District believes that order and discipline must be a shared responsibility between school, home, and community. Finally, it is our belief that, to be effective, a code of conduct must: identify, recognize, and emphasize acceptable behavior:

• identify, recognize, and prevent unacceptable behavior; 
• promote self-discipline; 
• consider the welfare of the individual as well as that of the school community as a whole; promote a close working relationship between parents/guardians and the school staff; 
• distinguish between minor and serious offenses, as well as between first-time and repeat offenders;
• provide disciplinary responses that are appropriate to the misbehavior; 
• outline procedures to ensure that the District Code of Conduct is administered in a way that is fair, firm, reasonable, and consistent; 
• encourage a high regard for every person’s right to reasonable hearing procedures and due process, when accused of misconduct; 
• outline guidelines and supports for students returning to school after disciplinary action;
• comply with the provisions of Federal, State, and local laws, as well as the guidelines and directives of the New York State Department of Education and the Board of Regents. 

Students, staff, parents, and visitors are expected to become familiar with the provisions of the District Code of Conduct (and the rules and regulations adopted and implemented by their individual schools). 

Students are also expected to abide by the policies outlined in the Code of Conduct so that every student has the opportunity to grow and develop as a positive, productive, responsible, respectful, and caring member of the school community and society.

The 2023-2024 NECSD Code of Conduct | en español can be found by clicking the title link and on the district website, NewburghSchools.org > District > Codes, Policies, and Plans.

Each year, the Code of Conduct is reviewed for necessary updates based on Federal, State, and local laws, as well as the guidelines and directives of the New York State Department of Education and the Board of Regents and community input. If you are interested in being part of the conversation, please complete the form below and you will be contacted with more information. 

Interest Form for PARENTS/GUARDIANS | Code of Conduct Advisory Committee

Interest Form for STUDENTS | Code of Conduct Advisory Committee

Employees will be selected to participate through the shared decision making process.

Sincerely,

Dr. J. Manning Campbell

Superintendent of Schools