Dear Beacon Community:

I have an update regarding our 25-26 school year cell phone policy.

The new law requires New York school districts to restrict access to personal internet-enabled devices for the entirety of the school day, with a few exceptions. After a successful year of our classroom phone ban,  I am excited to see more positive effects in our schools this year.  

You can read the actual law here.

The Board will vote on our policy on July 21. A copy of the policy is attached to this email.

Here are a few notes about our policy: At the high school and the middle school, students will be directed to store their smartphones and other internet-enabled devices in their lockers for the entire school day, including lunch and recess. Administrators at both schools will spend the first few days of the school year acclimating our students to this new procedure. Most schools in this region will be doing something similar. Elementary schools will follow the same procedures from previous years, with phones and devices in cubbies and backpacks for the entire school day.

Communication will be key with this change.  One of the significant areas of concern from our last month's survey was communication concerns.  Our schools are working on creating communication planning that will be clear to parents and families about who to contact at each school for what, as well as a way of notifying parents of schedule changes.  Students who need to reach out to parents during the day can do so at different times from school phones as directed by teachers, administrators, or guidance counselors. Detailed information about our communication plans will be available to families by mid-August.  Details about exceptions to the policy, through an IEP, 504 plan, or the caregiver exception, will be posted on our website and emailed to families on August 1.  

Another area of feedback from our survey was the need to be clear about procedures and consequences when they are not followed.  No phone storage system is perfect, so we will focus on working with students who try to access their phones during the day.  Students accessing their phones during the school day must turn them over to an administrator.  The first time, for the remainder of the day, the second time, for five days, etc.  The progressive consequences are spelled out in the policy.  Each administrator will have locked cell phone lockers in their offices to store student devices that do not comply with the policy.  Students out of compliance with the policy will check their phones in the morning with an administrator and get them back at the end of the day.  

We will be back in touch several times before the start of the school year with updates and create a section on our website dedicated to the new policy.  

The new policy and law will create fewer distractions for students and more communication challenges for all of us.  We will work hard to meet the challenges of the new policy for the remainder of this summer and throughout the 25-26 school year.

Please reach out to me at landahl.m@beaconk12.org if you have questions or concerns.

Matt Landahl

Attachments:
 Policy_5695_Students_and_Personal_Electronic_Devices-_Adoption_July_21%2C_2025.pdf (88.9 KB)

Dear Beacon Community:

I want to take a moment to thank everyone reading this for a great school year.  It is such a privilege to end the year celebrating our students, capping it off with the Beacon High School Class of 2025 last night!  It is also a privilege to work in such an amazing community! Thank you!

Congratulations to the Class of 2025! What an amazing group!

Cell Phone Policy Update

We are working to finalize our cell phone policy by the end of July.  The Board of Education policy committee will meet Monday, July 7, at 7:00 at BHS to discuss the policy.  We will then bring it to the entire Board of Education for adoption at the Monday, July 21 board meeting.  We will fully communicate about the policy and all of the details after the 21st.  It is clear that everyone wants clarity around the process, procedures, and consequences for not following the new law.  Families also want clarity around communication now that students will not have access to their cell phones at lunch and during the school day.  We will share this in detail as we head into July, and I will keep you updated as we work with the Board of Education on the adoption of the policy.

Capital Project Update

We have some remaining items from our 2021 Capital Project that we are finishing this summer.

Most exciting for our students is that we are adding playground equipment to Sargent Elementary and Glenham Elementary.   The plan is for the new equipment to be installed by the start of the school year.  We are also working on developing plans for adding some play structures to Rombout Middle School.  Last year, we added new playground equipment to Forrestal and South Avenue. I will keep you updated as these plans develop.

Next week, work at Glenham ES is scheduled to begin.  This summer, new unit ventilators will be installed in most of the classrooms.  Sections of adjacent bookcases will be replaced to accommodate the size difference of the new unit ventilators.  Many classrooms will receive new casework, including cubbies for student use with storage for teaching supplies above.

This next phase is the beginning phase of the 2024 Capital Project.  

As part of the planned HVAC system upgrade at Beacon High School, an underground oil storage tank will be removed on the east side of the building this summer.  The adjacent cooling towers, as well as chillers located inside the building, will be removed this fall.  New air-cooled chillers will be installed and ready for operation for the 2026 cooling season.  In the spring, and after the heating season, two older boilers will be removed and replaced with new high-efficiency units.  Older water heaters will also be replaced.

By mid-August, I will be able to share a more developed timeline for the other parts of the 2024 Capital Project.

Have a great weekend!

Matt Landahl

Superintendent Weekly Update June 13, 2025

I have a few quick things this week.

Cell Phone Restriction Law Survey

I sent out a survey earlier this week regarding the new bell-to-bell, all-day phone restriction law for next school year.  You can access the survey here: https://forms.gle/3HswNKCKyuiyT6xY7

We will close the survey on Monday afternoon at 5:00, and I will summarize the results and provide some other updates regarding the law the week of June 23.  Thank you!

Good luck to our three athletes performing this weekend at the State

Championships for Track and Field!

Go Bulldogs!

Congratulations to our two OCIAA Scholar Athletes: Lila Burke & Avery Davis!

Thank you to our Art Teachers for making last Saturday's Art Fair Possible!  We had a great turnout!


Have a great weekend and Happy Father's Day!

Matt Landahl